Submission Criteria

Submission Criteria

For Official Contest Rules, Educational Materials, and more information please visit: https://freedom250.org/StudentArtContest

Eligibility: 

Any student in grades 3–12 who is a legal resident of any of the 50 states or 6 U.S. territories is eligible to enter. Parental permission form is required for all students under 18 years of age.

Submission Requirements

  1. Choose a Hero from the provided list.
  2. Choose an American Art Style from the provided list.
  3. Write an Artist Statement using the provided worksheet.

DETAILS:

TWO-DIMENSIONAL ORIGINAL ARTWORK MUST BE:

  • Traditional Art Media: painting, mixed media, film-based photography, or drawing—made by the student’s human hand (no digital artwork) and not including AI-generated material or processes

    THE SUBJECT OF THE ARTWORK MUST:
    Represent one of the 250 historical figures         in the National Garden of American Heroes (biographies can be found here) and creatively depict one of the following aspects—
    o A Portrait of the American Hero,
    o A Place that was significant to the American Hero,
    o A Key Historical Event for which the Hero is known,
    o An Object or Symbol representing an important aspect of the Hero, or
    o An American Cultural Practice that is associated with this Hero

    OPTIONAL: Using the provided educational materials covering American Art Styles    , describe the influence of the art style or known artist you chose    , such as— Early American Art, Hudson River School, Luminism, Genre Painting, American Impressionism, Ashcan School, Regionalism, Precisionism, Harlem Renaissance, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism, Conceptual Art, Photorealism, Neo-Expressionism, and Contemporary Art. For more information see: American Art Styles Slide Deck. 

    ARTIST STATEMENT
    o Using The Artist Statement Planning Worksheet found in the Educational Materials, the student-artist must write approximately 200 words (100 for elementary students) in length, describing his or her artwork’s connection to one the 250 historical figures in the National Garden of American Heroes and answering at least two of the following questions:
    o Explain how your artwork was influenced by a particular historical American art style or artist.
    o Describe the subject of your artwork: Which American Hero did you choose, and how does your artwork represent this historical figure?
    o Share why your artwork’s subject is important (or matters): Why does this matter to our nation, to your community, and to you? What might this person teach us about living heroically?

For Official Contest Rules, Educational Materials, and more information please visit: https://freedom250.org/StudentArtContest

Judging Criteria: 

A panel of artists and educators will evaluate submissions based on:

  1. Age-level artistic excellence and technical skill.
  2. Creativity and innovation.
  3. Relevance to the submission guidelines.
  4. Clarity and meaning of the artist statement.

Awards: 

Up to 168 first-place awardees (three age-group categories from 56 states and territories) and their designated parent/guardian will receive a travel allowance to Washington, DC, July 7-9, 2026 for an award ceremony and exhibition during the Great American State Fair.

Notification of Award: 

June 2026.

For Official Contest Rules, Educational Materials, and more information please visit: https://freedom250.org/StudentArtContest

Contest Flyer: Download here.