Youth Art Month 2025
March is Youth Art Month
Youth Art Month is an annual observance that celebrates the visual arts and art education for young people. Taking place in March, this month-long event aims to emphasize the value of art and creativity in education.
This year, My Good Brain is hosting its 2nd annual Youth Art Month Student Art Contest to showcase and support the artistic achievements of students, promoting the importance of arts in the overall development of young minds.
Youth Art Month
Student Art Contest
🎨 Call for Art:
Youth Art Month Student Art Contest
Theme: "The Art of Self-Discovery: Who Am I?"
This year’s theme invites students to explore their identity, personal growth, and mental health journey through creative self-expression. Participants are encouraged to reflect on who they are, what shapes them, and how art helps them understand themselves better.
Submission Guidelines:
Eligibility:
Open to students in Grades 1-12 residing in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Artwork Requirements:
Create a 2D visual art piece (e.g., painting, drawing, digital art, photography, collage, printmaking, graphic design) that reflects the theme.
The artwork must be original and created solely by the student.
Submission Deadline: February 28, 2025 - Submit your artwork online by this date for consideration.
Entry Fee: $10
How to Submit:
Format: Submit high-resolution images or digital files.
Include: Your name, grade, school, and a brief description of how your artwork interprets the theme.
Winners and Prizes: Entries will be divided by age group: 1) Grades 1-5; 2) 6-8; and 3) 9-12. Each group will have three winners (first, second, and third place). Winners will receive a gift card to a local art store! Prizes will be awarded at $25, $50 and $100 in gift card amounts.
Important Dates:
Submission Deadline: February 28, 2025
Winners Announcement: 3/5
Selected Artworks will be displayed at the Union City Library from June 4-28, 2025.
We look forward to seeing how you express self-discovery through art!
For any inquiries, contact hello@mygoodbrain.org
Meet the Judges
Learn more about the MGB Youth Art Month Student Art Contest judges
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Michelle Sweeney-Fillmore is a photorealistic painter based in the Bay Area. She grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, and graduated with a BA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2015. Fillmore’s paintings are autobiographical metaphors. Having grown up with a family member that wrestled with mental illness, her work opens up a discussion about mental health and points out its inherent stigmas and challenges. Each painting is a celebration of a person’s ability to liberate themselves from their own prison, as well as the ability to change and transform.
Michelle S. Fillmore has exhibited in museums and galleries nationally. She is currently represented by the SHOH Gallery in Berkeley, California, Artspace Warehouse in Los Angeles, California, and Woodman/Shimko Gallery in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
Winners Gallery
Check out the winning artworks from last year’s 2024 contest below!
Visit the Union City Library
2400 Stevenson Blvd, Fremont, CA 94538
Hours
Monday Closed
Tuesday 10:00AM - 6:00PM
Wednesday 10:00AM - 6:00PM
Thursday 10:00AM - 8:00PM
Friday 12:00PM - 6:00PM
Saturday 10:00AM - 5:00PM
Sunday Closed
Website
https://aclibrary.org/locations/UCY
Support the Tool Kit Program
With each art entry fee for the Youth Art Month Student Art Contest, you're helping fund MGB's events and activities, including the Tool Kit Program that provides art therapy resources to students in our community. Your support makes a difference!
Become a Sponsor
Are you a small business owner? It’s not too late for you to join our cause!
Help us maximize our ability to provide free art-based therapy toolkits to students in the Bay Area. Sponsorship levels include Bronze ($500), Silver ($1,000), Gold ($2,500), and Platinum ($5,000).
Learn more about what’s included for each sponsorship level and consider becoming a sponsor for the Tool Kit Program