City of Long Beach Youth Art Contest

Your City, Your Vision, Your Masterpiece

The City of Long Beach and the Arts Council for Long Beach (ArtsLB) are searching for the next generation of creative leaders. We invite local students in grades 1-8 to capture the “heart and soul” of our community through original 2D art or photography. Whether it’s the colorful streets of the East Village, Artesia Corridor, or the historic charm of Bixby Knolls, or the sunset over the pier, we want to see Long Beach through your eyes.

Applications Open February 25, 2026. Applications Close May 3, 2026.

Submit An Artwork

Why Join the Contest?

This isn’t just an art competition; it’s a chance to represent your specific City Council District and be celebrated by the entire city.

The office of the Mayor and City Council leadership would like to engage local youth artists in designing an art piece that captures our city’s beauty and essence through 2D visual art or photography.

 

  • Win Cash Prizes: Top artists in the Elementary category (Grades 1-5) win $100. Top artists in the Middle School category (Grades 6-8) win $250.
  • City Hall Recognition: Winners will be honored at a special Recognition Ceremony in June 2026 before the Long Beach City Council.
  • Public Inspiration: Your work will be professionally printed and displayed in the Legislative Offices for the public and city leaders to admire.

Long Beach Youth Art Contest Timeline

  • February 20, 2026: Application opens
  • May 3, 2026: Application closes
  • May 2026: Panel review
  • May 2026: Notifications to awardees
  • June 2026: Recognition at City of Long Beach Council meeting

Mediums accepted

  • Paintings – including oil, acrylics, and watercolor
  • Drawings – including pastels, colored pencils, pencils, charcoal, ink, and markers (we recommend charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed.)
  • Collages – must be two dimensional
  • Prints – including lithographs, silkscreen, and block prints
  • Mixed Media – use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
  • Photography
  • Digital art, such as illustration, design, etc. (AI-generated artwork will not be accepted)

Application Requirements

  • Dimensions:
    • Maximum: 36 inches by 36 inches
    • Minimum: 8.5 X 11 inches
  • Submission format: PNG or JPG
  • AI-generated artwork will not be accepted
  • Submissions must not contain obscenity, explicit sexual material, nudity, profanity, graphic violence, calls, or incitement to violence, commercial solicitation, or commercial promotion.

Rubric

Artworks will be evaluated according to the following rubric, for a total of 40 points.

Interpretation of the theme (10pts)

  • Artwork captures the beauty and essence of our city. It depicts joy within a neighborhood or shares an important aspect of a neighborhood or city.
  • Artwork shows unique characteristics of Long Beach 
  • Artwork represents diverse voices of Long Beach

Creativity (10pts)

  • Artwork shows unique perspectives on the theme
  • Originality and based on how thoughtfully the artist incorporates the theme into their artwork

Connection to Long Beach (10pts)

  • The artwork description demonstrates a connection to Long Beach and relates to the theme
  • The artist shares a personal connection to Long Beach

Technical skills (10pts)

  • The artwork uses elements of art with line, form, value, and perspective.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the Long Beach Youth Art Contest:

  • Student applicant must be enrolled in grades 1-8
  • Student applicant must be a resident of Long Beach. Finalists will need to provide guardian’s proof of residence or similar verification.
  • Submissions must be original content created by the contestant and must not contain any elements that are protected by someone else’s copyright or otherwise subject to third-party intellectual property or proprietary rights, including privacy and publicity rights.

The following individuals are not eligible to participate in the contest:

 

    • Employees, interns, directors, and officers of the Arts Council for Long Beach or the City of Long Beach
    • Any employees, interns, directors, or officers of any agencies, companies, or entities involved in the administration, advertising, judging, creation, development, execution, and/or fulfillment of this contest, and the immediate family members (defined as spouse, recognized partner, parent, child, sibling, and spouse or “step” of each) and those living in the same household of each such individual.

Contest FAQs

Get more details on the Long Beach Youth Art Contest here.

Where can I receive application assistance? Who can I contact?

If you would like assistance on your application, contact:

 

Who is eligible to apply?

Long Beach youth in grades 1 through 8.

How many total artworks can be submitted by each student?

Only one artwork may be submitted per student. 

How many artworks will be selected as winners?

There will be two winners from each City Council District (one for grades 1st through 5th and one for grades 6th through 8th.) and 18 awardees in total.

How are applications reviewed and applicants selected?

The Arts Council for Long Beach review process is an open process. During the panel review and following approval processes, the merits of the artwork are thoroughly discussed. Applications will be compared to other proposals within the same category. Results will not be confidential.

What is the contest prize?

  • Elementary school winners will receive a $100 stipend
  • Middle school winners will receive a $250 stipend

Thank you to our project partners