The 2026 Summer Art Competition window is now open.
The 2026 ARTEFFECT summer competition—free to enter and open to all students in grades 9-12—invites young artists to celebrate the stories of innovators. Young artists explore these Unsung Heroes who were Innovators by creating original visual artworks, writing reflective Impact Statements (500-1,000 words), and showcasing their projects in their classrooms and communities to stimulate positive change. There is no entry fee.
To create a submission, you will need to create a Submittable account using an email account that you can verify. Educators can use their email to make multiple submissions on behalf of their students. You are encouraged to submit at least one day in advance to allow time for any troubleshooting.
2026 ARTEFFECT Summer Art Competition Submission Guidelines and Checklist
Estimated time to complete: 20-30 minutes
1. Check Eligibility
Grades 9-12, individual project, and no AI used. See Summer Competition Rules and FAQs.
2. Choose Your Unsung Hero
Pick from the approved list on the Unsung Heroes-Innovation Generation directory.
3. Create Your Artwork
Original 2D, digital, mixed media, or 3D artwork. Review the Judging Rubric.
4. Write Your Impact Statement
500-1000 words answering the required prompts. Please submit your Impact Statement in English.
5. Submit on Submittable
Fill out this form, submit art images, and Impact Statement by September 15, 2026 (11:59 PM PT). We encourage all applicants to submit at least one day before the deadline. Late submissions are not accepted. You can save a draft of your application.
Submission Confirmations:
For Students: After submitting your artwork, you will receive an email confirmation from Submittable. To ensure you receive this email, please add the "notifications@email.submittable.com" email to your email contact list or safelist. If you do not receive a confirmation email, contact us at arteffect@lowellmilken.org or log into your Submittable account to confirm your application status.
For Sponsor Teachers: If you would like to follow up on application submissions and confirmations for your students, please email us at arteffect@lowellmilken.org.
Need help submitting?
You can send Submittable an email with their form here: https://submittable1.my.site.com/submittablehelp/s/14873512
NOTE: Submittable will respond within business hours of 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM MT, Monday-Friday.
For any technical assistance while submitting, you can reach out to the ARTEFFECT team at arteffect@lowellmilken.org for any questions about your application.