Contests
Winter 2026 Art Contest
Deadline
With your unique artist's eye, observe, interpret, and create. Choose a subject — an everyday object, a person, a landscape — and give yourself time to study it, quietly, with no distractions. Look for the play of light, the visual impact of shadows, color, tone, and shapes. Use the medium of your choice to convey the subject the way you perceive it.
[Art credit: "Art is magic," Amelia_v, YWP]
CONTEST DETAILS:
- Open to teens, 13-19, who have a YWP account. (It's free to join!)
- Must be original work and not published elsewhere. No AI.
- Any artistic medium is welcome, including but not limited to painting, photography, drawing, sculpting, and mixed media.
- This is not required, but if you like, include a brief artist's statement with your work.
- Awards: Three cash prizes of $50 and publication in the March 2026 issue of The Voice.
- Contest deadline: Feb. 28, 2026
Take your time, trust your artistic eye
- Slow things down and really examine your subject. Pick up on its nuances, a mood or message it evokes, and your own response to it.
- Your interpretation of the subject can be abstract or realistic, in the medium of your choice.
- Consider the impact of color. Complementary colors such as orange and blue can make your art pop. Black and white can bring depth and mood.
- Set up an object in a place with a light source, natural or artificial, and notice where the light and shadows fall.
- Get in close to your subject or capture the grand sweep of a landscape.
- Paint from a favorite photo or try en plein air.
- Photographers, check out the tips in our Photo Workshop series by YWP alumni Kevin Huang.
- Have fun!
“The artist sees what others only catch a glimpse of.” — Leonardo Da Vinci