Joy Meadows
Art Contest
2024

Art Contest 2024 Theme

How Does Foster Care Affect People’s Lives?

At Joy Meadows, we want to learn from the individuals, families, and communities affected by foster care, and we want others across the country to learn as well.

There are approximately 400,000 children in foster care nationwide. There are thousands who have aged out of the system, others reunited with their biological parents, or still others have been adopted. There are biological parents, foster parents, adoptive parents, children in foster care, adoptees, and siblings. Each individual has a story and a perspective. What is a story that needs to be told? Is there a voice that needs a platform? Is there a person that has inspired you? What are some of the impacts of foster care that people might not consider?

Share your thoughts using art, poetry, or photography!

Art Contest submissions accepted in these mediums:

New Categories for 2024

Joy Meadows Photography Art Contest Entry image: Flaticon.com
Joy Meadows Poetry Art Contest Entry image: Flaticon.com
Joy Meadows Drawing or Painting Art Contest Entry image: Flaticon.com

Photography

Poetry

Drawing & Painting

Guidelines

Art Contest Summary

  • Your artwork should directly connect to the theme, “How Does Foster Care Affect People’s Lives?”

  • A contestant may submit artwork for each category (poetry, art, photography), but they may only be selected as the winner for one.  

  • Your artwork must be your own, original work. We are looking for artwork that’s coming directly from YOU and the message you want to share!  

  • The competition is free to enter and is open to all children age 5-19 and under who have been impacted by foster care or adoption in some way.  

  • Your artwork must have a title and follow all contest rules. Read them below. 

  • At Joy Meadows, we want to learn from you about individuals, families, and communities affected by foster care. What is a story that needs to be told? Who has a voice that needs to be shared? Is there a certain person that has inspired you? What are some of the impacts of foster care that people might not consider? 

    Using poetry, art, and photography, we would like you to answer this year’s theme question and make your voice heard. 

    Entries must draw on the competition question: How Does Foster Care Affect People’s Lives? 

    There are three categories in the competition: (1) Poetry; (2) art; or (3) photography. 

    All submissions are given a unique entry number so they are anonymous to the judging process. We kindly request that the title be written on the entry to help with the identification of the submission and to keep the artist/author’s name anonymous. All other details about the entrant should be confined to the entry form. Judges’ decisions are final.

    There is no entry fee. 

    Only one entry to each category per individual will be accepted. Entrants may enter multiple categories (for example, one poem and one photograph may be entered by the same individual). However, an individual may only be the winner of one category in the contest. Any child, age five to nineteen is eligible to enter the contest.

    Winners will be notified on, or before, October 1, 2024.

    Entries from entrants under the age of 16 must be submitted by an adult (e.g., parent/guardian/case worker) on behalf of the entrant. The adult submitting the competition entry will be required to agree to the Joy Meadows rules by way of a check-box form on the online form or physical entry. The copyright of each entry remains with the creator. However, by entering the competition, the entrant grants Joy Meadows the right to publish or broadcast their work. Theindividual may determine if their name will be kept confidential.

    Poem
    Your Poem should answer the question, “How does foster care affect peoples’ lives?”

    All poems must have a title and must not exceed 40 lines in length.

    Poems should consist of the contestant’s own work and should not infringe any copyright or rights of others or any third parties.

    Poetry written using AI will not be accepted.

    Poems should be typed or legibly handwritten.

    Artwork

    Your artwork should answer the question, “How does foster care affect peoples’ lives?”

    All artwork must have a title.

    Artwork may be in the form of sculptures, paintings, sketches and digital mediums.

    Artwork should consist of the contestant’s own work and should not infringe any copyright or rights of others or any third parties.

    Artwork using AI will not be accepted.

    Artwork may be produced in any medium such as water colors, pastels, charcoals, pencils, acrylic, crayons, paper cuttings, oil paints, photography or digital media. 

    When submitting your entry, we ask that you share a high quality photograph or scan of your artwork; we may request the original work of art if needed. 


    Photography

    Your photograph should answer the question, “How does foster care affect peoples’ lives?”

    All photography must have a title.

    Photography should consist of the contestant’s own work and should not infringe any copyright or rights of others or any third parties. Images should be no smaller than 1mb and no larger than 5MB. Images should be JPEG files.

    Each entry may be one single photo, or a collection of up to 3 photographs as a single entry.

    Photography using AI will not be accepted.

Prizes

The winning artist will receive a cash prize and his/her artwork will be displayed at Joy Meadows.

It will also be used as a part of the digital and print communications of Joy Meadows to create awareness, inspire, and educate the public about the impact of foster care. (*The name of the winning individual may be kept confidential if requested by the entrant).

Prizes:  A $125 cash prize will be awarded to the winner of each category.

Submitting Art Contest Entries

  • When submitting your entry, please share high-quality images or a scanned copy of your work so it looks as good as possible.

  • The deadline for submission is 11:59 on September 20, 2024.

  • Online: Submit your artwork and Entry Form by completing the form below. 

  • Mail: Submissions and completed Entry Form can be mailed to:
    Joy Meadows, attn: Sarah Oberndorfer
    P.O. Box 182,
    Basehor, KS 66007

  • In-person: Bring Submissions to:
    Joy Meadows Community Center Office
    12400 170th St.,
    Linwood, KS 66052

Submit Online