Jan. 18 is Deadline to Enter Space Foundation Student Art Contest

The deadline is approaching for the annual Space Foundation International Student Art Contest, open to students from around the world in PreK-12th grade (or the equivalent outside the U.S.). The deadline for entries is Jan. 18, 2013, and teachers must submit artwork entries for their students. See details on the art contest website.

The theme for the 2013 contest is If I Were Going... and challenges students to imagine how they would personally experience space travel, exploration or settlement and then interpret that idea into an original work of visual art.

The Space Foundation will give a total of 41 awards to 36 winners: first, second and third place in each of three media/art categories for each grade level/age group. One grand prize winner will be selected for each grade category from among the first place winners in that group for a total of four grand prizes. In addition, the Space Foundation will confer a Space Foundation Achievement Award, which will be selected by the Space Foundation graphic arts team from among all the winners.

Four Grade Categories

• PreK-2nd (3-7 years old)
• 3rd-5th (8-10 years old)
• 6th-8th (11-13 years old)
• 9th-12th (14-18 years old)

Three Art Categories

• Drawing
• Painting/Mixed Media
• Digital

Original artwork should be no smaller than 11" x 17" and no larger than 18"x 24". Acceptable media include: acrylic, water color, pastel, oil paint, poster paint or a combination of materials, which could also include: drawings, photography, computer graphics/digital art, fabric, glitter, etc. Artwork must be able to be easily hung and/or displayed on a wall. Finished pieces should not be matted or framed.

Winner Categories

• First, second and third place winners (36 total) representing each grade and art category
• Four grand prize winners - one for each grade category
• One Space Foundation Achievement Award

Prizes and Exposure

• All winners receive a prize, a ribbon and a certificate
• Grand prize and Space Foundation Achievement Award winners receive additional prizes
• All entries will be displayed in the online Space Foundation art gallery on Artsonia.com and winners will be showcased on the Space Foundation website
• All winners receive international exposure - digital images of past winners' artwork have been sent to the International Space Station and some have even been "bounced" off the Moon

How to Enter 

Due to the huge response received last year, the Space Foundation has partnered with Artsonia.com to receive all artwork entries. Artsonia is the world's largest online art gallery exclusively featuring the artwork of students in PreK-12th grade (or equivalent school levels outside of the U.S.). Artsonia is free to use, and teachers may submit student art entries into the contest without joining Artsonia. To learn more, see the art contest website at www.spacefoundation.org/education/2013-student-art-contest.

For art upload or submission questions, contact Artsonia customer support at info@artsonia.com or call 800.869.9974 (U.S. only) or +1.224.538.5060 (outside the U.S.) For general contest questions, email the Space Foundation at ArtContest@SpaceFoundation.org.

In 2012, student participation included more than 1,500 entries from 17 U.S. states, Turkey and Pakistan. See last year's winning artwork at http://bit.ly/OXFtUy.