An NMSU Cooperative Extension Program

CLI Children’s Art Contest

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Children’s Art Contest

The Children’s Law Institute Children’s Art Contest is a state-wide art contest (with prizes) for children and young people whose lives have been touched by the Children’s Court system. This is in partnership with the State Bar of New Mexico Children’s Law Section. 

The announcment and submission form is circulated in late summer/fall throughout the child welfare, behavioral health, and juvenile justice communities of New Mexico. Any youth or young person whose lives has been touched by the Children’s Court system can submit. All who entered are sent a special invitation to the Children’s Law Institute and winners are honored during the annual conference.

Contest Rules:

  1. Create a piece of art, photography, or writing describing your future dreams and what makes you, you.
  2. Each youth participant may submit one (1) entry. All submissions become the property of the State Bar of New Mexico Children’s Law Section and Children’s Law Institute.
  3. Each submission must be original art, photography, or writing created by the participant.
    1. Art: any medium may be used, but the actual submission must be in the form of photographs of your original artwork (submitted via email). Multiple photos of the same piece of art may be submitted to ensure that the judges see all angles of any art work.
    2. Photography: if the medium chosen is photography itself, then only one photo may be submitted. No photographs of a person’s face will be accepted unless the release form is signed by both the person imaged (or their parent or legal guardian if the person is under 18 years of age) and the photographer.
    3. Writing: any form of writing may be used, from essays to poems and songs. Please submit either a typed document or a photograph of a hand-written document.
  4. For art and photography entries, please ask each participant to complete a few printed sentences to describe what his or her entry represents. This statement can be submitted on the submission form.
  5. Entries will be judged for public exhibition. Each submission will be reviewed for vulgar, pornographic, offensive, otherwise inappropriate content, or that is contrary to intent of State Bar of New Mexico Children’s Law Section and the Children’s Law Institute. If a submission is deemed inappropriate, the participant will be informed and disqualified.
  6. All entries are eligible for prizes (1st, 2nd, 3rd, Honorable Mention, & Special Category). Prizes will be gift cards which will be mailed to the winners.
  7. Judging is courtesy of the local chapter of the National League of American Pen Women; entries are judged based on the following categories: creativity/originality, quality/effort, and application of theme.
  8. Deadline for 2024 contest coming soon.

2023 Winning Art Piece

Art Contest Submissions

Submissions for the 2024 Children’s Art Contest will open in the Summer / Fall of 2023.

Contest Categories

  • Art – any medium may be used
  • Photography
  • Writing

Contest Prizes

Prizes (1st, 2nd, 3rd, Honorable Mention, & Special Category ) will be gift cards, which will be mailed to the winners.

Previous Award Winners

2023 Winner