Visual Arts Competition 2026
Please note the Artists’ Reception time change - Saturday, April 18th at 12:00 PM at Neill Public Library in Pullman
Welcome to the 2026 Visual Arts Program
The 5th Annual Visual Arts Competition theme has offically been launched. This program is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Pullman’s Education Fund which serves all of Whitman County. The program is supported by Neill Public and Whitman County Libraries.
LWV Visual Arts Competition Committee: Carolyn Joswig-Jones (Chair), Lennis Boyer, Deb Olson, Kat Odell, Sutton Mooney, Crowe Gammons, Fran Powers, and Kimberly Thompson
90% Happens Locally
Between state, county, and city governments, most of the decisions that affect your daily lives happen close to home. This year’s competition highlights the power of our voices, our votes, and our actions to create change in our own communities.
Purpose: This art competition invites students in grades 3–12 living in Whitman County to showcase their artistic talents while learning about local government. The LWV is a nonpartisan organization, and, as part of our civics education program this year, we want to encourage students to explore how local government shapes daily life and imagine the change they can create close to home.
Eligibility:
- Participant must be in grades 3 - 12.
- Participant must be a resident of Whitman County.
- Participant must fill out an entry form completely with a parent/legal guardian signature and physical copy of artwork turned in.
Rules:
- Participants must read the Educational Program Summary and ensure their art is respectful and relevant to the theme.
- Artwork will be separated into three grade groups: Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12.
- Artwork must be an original piece, completed entirely by the participant. Only one entry per student.
- Art materials may include the following: crayons, pencils, colored pencils, markers, pens, ink, pastels, paints, charcoal, collages, photography, mixed media, digital media, clay, plaster, wood, stone, cloth, cardboard, natural material, etc. Artwork may not be videos or images in-motion.
- 2-Dimensional artwork is not to exceed the size of 11 x 17 inches. 3-Dimensional artwork is not to exceed 1 cubic foot.
- No names, including the artist or artwork title, are to appear on the front of the completed artwork.
- The entry form must be filled out completely and accompany the artwork.
- Judges will evaluate artwork based on creative interpretation of the theme.
- The Visual Arts Competition Committee or the selected judges may disqualify entries if any of the listed rules are not followed.
- By signing the entry form, you are granting the LWV of Pullman/Whitman County full rights to use the physical artwork and photos of artists with their artwork for social media and educational purposes.
Prizes:
Multiple winners will be awarded prizes within each grade grouping. The winning prizes will be $50 to spend at local businesses and a copy of the LWVWA civics textbook, The State We’re In: Washington.
Educational Program Summary:
All participants must read the Educational Program Summary and ensure their art is respectful and relevant to the theme. Please click here for the Educational Program Summary
How to Enter:
Our preferred method for entering is for students and parents to use the online entry form. If it is not possible to enter online, one may submit their artwork with a signed paper version of the entry form.
Submit artwork with an attached copy of the completed/signed entry form by either method below:
Drop-off:
Neill Public Library in Pullman or Whitman County Library in Colfax
Mail:
League of Women Voters of Pullman
P.O. Box 366 Pullman, WA 99163
ATTN: Art Contest
Deadline for submissions: March 31, 2026
Winners will be notified by April 11th.
An artists’ reception will be held on Saturday, April 18, 12:00 p.m. at Neill Public Library in Pullman.
Please email if you have any questions. lwvpullmanvacc@gmail.com
Theme Related Civics Education Materials
The League has a small group of trained volunteers available to provide in-person or Zoom civics presentations of up to one hour between February 17 through March 15. These presentations are aligned with the competition theme and are available for classrooms, after-school programs, or other student groups living in Whitman County in grades 3-12. Click here to fill out the Presentation Request Form and we will do our best to get you scheduled.
Click here for the Google Slide Presentation
Click here for a PDF of the Slide Presentation
Click here for the Supplemental Material for the Slide Presentation
Additional Resources
City of Pullman - Government Website
Whitman County - Government Website
LWVWA Textbook Free Digital Downloads including Grades 7-12 and Spanish versions of The State We’re In: Washington
Art Competition Flyers:
- Click here for the Art Competition Flyer
- Click here for promotional poster
- Click here for promotional quarter sheet flyers
Judges
The judges are appointed by the LWV of Pullman (Whitman County). The judges evaluate the submitted artwork using a Rubric scoring system with the following criteria.
Relevance to the theme: Development of theme through creativity. How well does artwork depict theme.
Visual effectiveness: Overall appearance. Evidence of planning and preparation.
Originality: Uniqueness of ideas.
Message: Clearly describes the artist’s intent.
Power of Our Voices, Votes, Actions to Create Change- an article in the LWV of Washington NewsLetter - In League Newsletter, Feb 17, 2026
Pullman Art Competition for Youth Prompts Valued Talk About Civics- an article in the LWV of Washington NewsLetter - The Evergreen Voter, Feb 3, 2026
Past Competitions
2025 Visual Arts Competition Native America and the USA: Honoring the legal, federal, and cultural relationship between Native America and the USA while highlighting Native resilience, sovereignty,and modern identity.
2024 Visual Arts Competition Why Does Voting Matter?
2023 Visual Arts Competition Earth Art: Civics and the Natural World are connected.
2022 Visual Arts Competition What Does Democracy look like to you?
Please email if you have any questions. lwvpullmanvacc@gmail.com
Copyright LWV of Pullman
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