March 21, 2026
Registration is now open for the American Heroes Student Art Contest. The contest website explains:
American Heroes Student Art Contest, sponsored by Freedom 250 and the National Endowment for the Humanities, invites 3rd- through 12th- grade students from all states and territories to celebrate America’s 250th Birthday by creating original two-dimensional artworks, inspired by their favorite historical American hero, chosen from the list of 250 notable Americans – statesmen, athletes, scholars, artists, musicians, scientists, entrepreneurs, and more – to be honored in statues in the National Garden of American Heroes.
America’s youth will stand on the shoulders of great American artists of the past to create a new expression of American art today! By marking this historic milestone through original artmaking, they will reignite America’s history, heroes, and values for a new generation… and for a chance to earn a trip to Washington, DC, and have their artwork included at the Great American State Fair!
Submission Deadline: Friday, May 1, 2026, 11:59 p.m ET
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.
Submission Requirements: Participating students should create and submit an original, handmade two-dimensional artwork and a 200-word artist statement. Use the steps outlined in the section below.
Submission Categories:
- Upper Elementary School Students (Grades 3-5)
- Middle School Students (Grades 6-8)
- High School Students (Grades 9-12)
Judging Criteria: A panel of artists and educators will evaluate submissions based on age-level artistic excellence and technical skill, creativity and innovation, relevance to the thematic pillars and submission requirements, and clarity and meaning of the artist statement.
Awards: 168 first-place awardees (1 student from each category representing all 56 states and territories) and their designated parent/guardian will receive a travel and lodging allowance to travel to Washington, DC, to attend the student art exhibition and an award ceremony during the Great American State Fair, to give recognition to state, regional, and overall winners. Travel dates will be shared with the notification of award. Award recipients will be notified by May 2026.
How to Enter the Contest.
Students must develop submissions individually and may not enter as a group.
1. Choose a Hero from the provided list for the National Garden of American Heroes. Download the at-a-glance biographies of 250 American heroes.
2. Use the style of one of the American Art Movements from the last 250 years. Download a Slide Deck of american art movements.
3. Create an original, handmade Two-Dimensional Work of Art (painting, mixed media, film-based photograph, or drawing; no AI; no larger than 24 inches in height or width) that depicts your selected American Hero or one aspect of his or her life:
- A Portrait of the American Hero
- A Place that was significant to the American Hero
- A Key Historical Event for which the Hero is known
- An Object or Symbol representing an important aspect of the Hero
- An American Cultural Practice that is associated with this Hero
4. Write your own Artist Statement of approximately 200 words, describing how your artwork depicts the Hero and answering the following prompts:
- Explain how your artwork was influenced by a particular historical American art movement or artist.
- Describe the subject of your artwork: Which American Hero did you choose, and how does your artwork represent this historical figure?
- 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?
5. With the help of a parent, guardian, or teacher, submit your artwork onto the Art Submission Portal with a high-resolution photo or digital scan, along with the artist statement.
*Students under the age of 18 are required to have a signed permission form from a parent or legal guardian to participate. This form is available here and must be submitted with the final artwork through the application portal.
