Poster art contest guidelines
We are pleased to invite your students (grades 4-12) to participate in the Metropolitan (DC) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated’s 2024 Poster Art Competition. This innovative competition was created by The Links, Incorporated in 1995.
For grades 4 - 9, this year’s theme is my community’s health and wellness begins with my family and me!
Use art to visually depict ways to illustrate how your community’s health and well-being starts, or can start with you.
For grades 10 - 12, this year’s theme is Link up the vote!
Consider methods to ensure equitable access to the voting process, amplify the voices of underrepresented African Americans and individuals of the African-American diaspora, and foster a culture of active and informed citizenship. Envision a nation where every citizen, regardless of their background or circumstances, is motivated and equipped to participate meaningfully in the democratic process.
Please contact Arts@metrodclinks.org with any questions.
Eligibility:
Who May Enter: Students in grades 4 - 12 in DC, Maryland, and Virginia are invited to participate. Competition category is based on your grade at the time of entry. The three competition categories are:
Category II: Grades 4 – 6
Category III: Grades 7 – 9
Category IV: Grades 10 – 12
Deadline:
Must be submitted by March 22, 2024 (11:59 PM EST).
Awards:
The Metropolitan (DC) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated will award monetary gifts, prizes, social media recognition and promotion and gift cards. The first-, second- and third-place winners will be notified by March 31, 2024, and recognized during an award ceremony in April. Additionally, they will have the unique opportunity to participate in a curated docent tour of the Alma Thomas exhibit, and other African American artists at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM), along with a tour of prominent African American portraits at The National Portrait Museum, in April.
The first-place winner in each age category will enter the National competition. The National competition will award first-place winners and semifinalists from each category, a monetary award.
What to Submit:
Size - Students are not limited by the size of the material used. Paper, canvas or art board is recommended. We encourage participants to use standard materials that are accessible. Standard art material sizes include: 9”x12” and 11”x14”. When deciding on the size for your contest, consider that you will be photographing the final product for upload as well.
Artistic Expression - Eligible media are watercolor, charcoal, pencil, acrylics, pen, paint, fabric, collage, crayons, mosaic, scratch art or a computer-generated image (but not computer clip art). Computer- generated artwork should be 3000x2000 with a resolution of 300ppi. Artwork can be 2D or 3D collage. Sculpture works are not encouraged. All images should be a poster composition and express the theme aligned to the student’s respective grade category. Diversity is encouraged in the imagery. Students should include a title for their work that expresses their interpretation of the theme as seen through their work.
To understand more about posters, you may want to view some works from the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Artists): https://designarchives.aiga.org/ - /entries/Posters/_/grid/relevance/asc/0/78/90
How to Submit:
Students must submit a digital picture of their art using our online submission form (link below).
Step 1.
Step 2.
Deadline:
March 22, 2024
Notification:
March 31, 2024
Awards Ceremony:
April 13, 2024