Call for Entries: International Kids’ Owl Art Contest

Award Information

• 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each age category will be mailed a framed, customized and signed award certificate with a custom wax seal. ​Winners will receive an email notifying them they have won by the middle of February. The award certificate will be mailed to winners by mid-March and images will be posted on this website by mid-March.

Eligibility Criteria

• ​Entrants will be separated into age categories as follows:
  • 0-5 years
  • 6-9 years
  • 10-14 years
  • 15-18 years

Judging Criteria

• All entries with a legible email address will receive an emailed certificate of participation that may be printed out. Due to the large volume of entries they receive the participation certificates are not customized with the names of the entrants. You may add the artist’s name to the certificate. ​Schools that mail a package of entries will receive one PDF certificate so teachers can print as many copies as needed and write the students’ names on the certificates. If mailing from a school, please include an email for the teacher/school and an email for the student/guardian.
• Judges are looking for:
  • Innovative presentation
  • Unusual perspective or viewpoint
  • A message or idea that is being conveyed
  • Skill with the medium appropriate to the age group (although sometimes the significance of the message is more important than the medium)
  • Colors coordinated or contrasted for emotional impact
  • Design elements that work together
  • Humor

Application Requirements

• Limit 1 entry per person and 50 entries per school if mailed by the school in a package. If more than 50 students from one school want to enter, those that are not selected by the school to be part of their package may be mailed individually by the students.
• Siblings may mail their entries together.
• All entries become the property of the International Owl Center and cannot be returned due to the large volume of entries received.
• Entries may be used for decoration, fundraising, promotional purposes, or printed materials for sale. This may include using them as decoration during the International Festival of Owls and throughout the year, selling them in the Owl Center gift shop, auctioning them in fundraisers, temporary display at other facilities (such as museums and galleries), making them into greeting cards to be used and sold, featuring them on shirts and other promotional materials, and other uses.
• By entering the contest, artists acknowledge that their entries will become the property of the International Owl Center and will not be returned, even if disqualified.
• Media:
  • Entries must be an image of an owl. Artwork must be two-dimensional, on any size paper that can be mailed and hung on a wall with tape. Entries cannot contain any plant or animal materials as a medium (no grasses, seeds, fur, feathers, etc.) as it is illegal to ship these internationally.
  • Digital artwork is allowed if printed, labeled, and mailed as required for other entries. No AI may be used for digital artwork entries.
    No frames or mattes may be used on the artwork. If using canvas, the canvas must be removed from the wooden frame or it will be disqualified. They recommend mounting fragile papers like rice papers on a sturdier piece of paper or backing as it can be easily damaged during shipping.

For more information, visit International Festival of Owls.