Wisconsin 4-H Foundation Celebrates the Arts Contest

This year’s contest is closed.
Contact:  Justin Lieck at justin.lieck@wisc.edu or 608.263.5971

Click Here for a printable PDF of contest information 

Wisconsin 4-H Foundation Celebrates the Arts

Description

The Wisconsin 4-H Foundation Celebrates the Arts is a series of activities, including a contest and art auction, to be held annually for the purpose of:

  • Promoting 4-H Arts Programming
  • Raising Funds to Support 4-H Art Programs
  • Telling the 4-H Story
  • Raising Awareness of the WI 4-H Foundation and the 4-H Program

Proceeds

Proceeds from any Celebrate the Arts events will be split evenly with half invested in the Talen Endowment for 4-H Arts Programming and half used for arts programming in the next 4-H program year.

Celebrate the Arts 4-H Art Contest
https://4h.extension.wisc.edu/opportunities/projects/arts-communication/celebrate-the-arts/

The Wisconsin 4-H Foundation will sponsor the art contest, open to any current Wisconsin 4-H member, with cash prizes totaling nearly $1,000. The contest will be held virtually, with photos of all entries submitted electronically. 

Although the contest is virtual, the winning art, selected to be in the arts auction, from each category and the Best of Show must be delivered to the nearest 4-H Office or the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation. These items will become the property of the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation and will not be returned.

The contest will be broken into eight categories:

  1. Drawing Using Any Medium
    1. Pencil, Ink, Charcoal, Pastel, Chalk or Other Media
    2. No larger than 2’ x 3’
    3. Unframed but may be mounted for stability
    4. Original art only, no kits
    5. Must be signed and dated on the front by the artist (lower right corner, if possible)
  2. Painting (acrylic, watercolor or oil)
    1. Acrylic, Watercolor or Oil
    2. No larger than 2’ x 3’
    3. Unframed but may be mounted for stability
    4. Original art only, no kits
    5. Must be signed and dated on the front by the artist (lower right corner, if possible)
  3. Pottery, Ceramics or Clay
    1. Any media or mixed-media (examples: clay, porcelain, plaster, bone china, terracotta, etc.)
    2. No larger than 2’ x 3’
    3. If the piece is hangable – unframed but may be mounted for stability
    4. Original art only, no kits
    5. If possible, signed and dated by the artist
  4. Photography
    1. Black and White or Color print with any subject and perspective
    2. 8” x 10” or 11” x 17”
    3. Unframed but may be mounted for stability
    4. Must be signed and dated on the front by the artist (lower right corner, if possible)
  5. Paper
    1. Any media or mixed-media with the primary media being paper (examples: origami, paper mache, decoupage, etc.)
    2. No larger than 2’ x 3’
    3. If the piece is hangable – unframed but may be mounted for stability
    4. Original art only, no kits
    5. If possible, signed and dated by the artist
  6. Fabric, Yarn or Fiber
    1. Any media or mixed-media using fabric, yarn or fiber (examples: quilting, latch hook, macramé, wool, felting, etc.)
    2. No larger than 4’ x 6’
    3. If the piece is hangable – unframed but may be mounted for stability
    4. Original art only, no kits
    5. If possible, signed and dated by the artist
  7. Wood
    1. Any media or mixed-media using wood as the primary component (examples: wood burning, lathe-turned art, wood/epoxy art, etc.)
    2. No larger than 2’ x 3’
    3. If the piece is hangable – unframed but may be mounted for stability
    4. Original art only, no kits
    5. If possible, signed and dated by the artist
  8. Any Other Media
    1. Any media or mixed-media artwork that does not fall into any other category (including digital, metalcraft, jewelry, leatherwork, wax, eggshells, taxidermy, etc.)
    2. No larger than 2’ x 3’
    3. If the piece is hangable – unframed but may be mounted for stability
    4. Original art only, no kits
    5. If possible, signed and dated by the artist

A winner will be chosen in each category with a Best of Show award given to one entry chosen by the judging committee. Category winners will receive a $100 cash award. The Best of Show entry will receive an additional $150 cash award. Other art may be recognized but will not receive a cash award. Winners will be notified by email by February 1. A complete winner’s list, as well as photos of the winning entries, will be on the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation Website by February 15, 2022.

To be eligible for the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation Art Contest, youth must be a 4-H member enrolled in 4H Online for the 2021-2022 4-H Program Year. Entrants do not need to be enrolled in any specific project to participate.

Entry Information 

  • Entries will be accepted from Friday, October 1, 2021, until midnight on Friday, December 31, 2021.
  • A photo of the entry and the completed entry form must be submitted through the contest website: https://4h.extension.wisc.edu/opportunities/projects/arts-communication/celebrate-the-arts/
  • A tip sheet for entrants is available. Please review this information to learn how best to present and share your art.
  • Each artist may submit one entry in one or more category but may submit only one entry in any one category. Example: Fred can submit a photo, a chalk drawing and a ceramic dish, but he cannot enter two photos.

Entry submission must include:

  1. Artist Name
  2. Artist Address
  3. Artist Email
  4. Artist Phone Number
  5. Artist County
  6. Artist 4-H Club Name and Leader’s Name
  7. Artist Age
  8. Title of Piece
  9. Brief description (50 words or less) of the inspiration for the piece.
  10. Brief description (50 words or less) of how the piece was made; technique, medium used and process.
  11. Brief statement (50 words or less) of what 4-H means to the artist.

Artwork submitted without this information will be disqualified.

The winners in each category and the Best of Show will become the property of the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation.  Winning artwork must be brought to the nearest 4-H Office or the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation in Madison no later than February 15. All rights to the winning pieces of art become the property of the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation and artists relinquish all rights to use, reproduce or exhibit their entry. Winning entries may be used by the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation to raise funds to support the 4-H Program.

Artists may be asked to sign their work or to sign reproductions of their work. Artists may also be asked to attend an event where their art will be sold at auction or displayed.

Judging Process

A panel of experienced youth development professionals and 4-H Art Team members will screen the entries and select finalists. Artwork chosen as finalists will be screened by a second panel comprised of art, 4-H and youth development experts. The top entrant in each category may be selected with one of those pieces chosen as the Best of Show. At the judges’ discretion, other awards may be given to artists showing exceptional creativity, promise or talent.

Notification

Artists receiving an award will be notified by email and/or postal letter in February. This letter will include information about use of the artwork by the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation. Artwork may be featured in Wisconsin 4-H Foundation materials. First place submissions to the art contest will become the sole property of the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation and may be used for any purpose at the sole discretion of the 4-H Foundation.

Use of Artwork

Art may be sold at a Wisconsin 4-H Foundation Arts Event to be held in 2022. Artists of these pieces may be invited to attend the event to present their artwork virtually or in-person. The artwork earning the Best of Show or other awards may be reproduced and prints may be made available for sale to benefit the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation and as gifts to auction attendees. The artist(s) will be asked to sign these pieces.

 

If you have any questions, please contact Justin Lieck at justin.lieck@wisc.edu or 608.263.5971