2026 Cooperative Student Art Contest - Indiana Connection

2026 Cooperative Student Art Contest

Mark your calendar! Submissions for the 2026 Cooperative Student Art Contest open Oct. 6, 2025. Entries are due Feb. 27, 2026.

Please review the rules and resources below to submit your entry before the Feb. 27, 2026 deadline.

 FOR MORE DETAILS: Please contact Karlee Gable at Indiana Electric Cooperatives, 317-408-7903, or send an email to kgable@indianaec.org.

Overview of Contest Rules

Below is an overview of important information regarding entry into the 2026 Cooperative Student Art Contest. Students are encouraged to download the complete set of contest rules using the link above. All entries are due by Feb. 27, 2026.

Students will be recognized with a cash prize, and an overall winner and honorable mention will be selected from each grade division.

WHO CAN ENTER: Indiana public, private, or home-schooled students in kindergarten through 12th grade during the 2025-26 school year.

  • Students do not have to be consumers of a rural electric cooperative (REMC/REC).
  • Artwork can be submitted by teachers, youth leaders, or others as a group or class project, or by individual students or their parents or guardians.
  • Students may enter as often as they wish.

HOW THE CONTEST WORKS: Match the grade the student is in during the current (2025-26) school year to the corresponding month. Students should draw or paint a picture to illustrate their assigned month.

  • 1st grade — January
  • 2nd grade — February
  • 3rd grade — March
  • 4th grade — April
  • 5th grade — May
  • 6th grade — June
  • 7th grade — July
  • 8th grade — August
  • 9th grade — September
  • 10th grade — October
  • 11th grade — November
  • 12th grade — December
  • Kindergarten students can illustrate any subject, season, event, etc., of their choosing.

DEADLINE: Artwork must be submitted online or at the office of Indiana Connection by 3 p.m., Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. 

  • Mailing address: 11805 Pennsylvania Street, Carmel, Indiana 46032
  • (Please do not drop off artwork at your local electric cooperative office unless the local REMC/REC has announced it is accepting entries at its location or the local office has agreed to special arrangements.) 

HOW TO SUBMIT/IDENTIFY ARTWORK: Students may submit their artwork by physical mail or through online digital upload. Please follow the appropriate set of instructions based on your method of submission.

PHYSICALLY MAILED ENTRIES: If submitting by mail, all artwork must include identifying information listed below and a printed entry form.

    • Entries from Home or a Small Group (Method A)
      On the back of each entry, clearly include the student’s first and last name, age, grade, school name, parent or guardian names, full home address with city and zip code, and a phone number with area code. Students should also title their artwork and provide a brief explanation if the connection to the assigned month is not immediately clear. In addition to the information on the back, each piece of artwork must be accompanied by its own completed entry form (Form A).

    • Entries from a Large Group, Classroom, or School (Method B)
      For larger classroom or school-based submissions — where including full personal information may not be practical due to volume or school policy — the back of each artwork should include the student’s first and last name, grade, and a contact phone number. Entries should be sorted by grade level. Students are encouraged to include a title and a brief explanation if the monthly theme is not obvious. In addition to the information on the back, only one completed entry form (Form B) is required per group submission, as long as each individual piece is clearly labeled. 

ONLINE DIGITAL SUBMISSION: Students can submit their artwork using an online entry form, where physical artwork mailing is not required unless selected as a winner. Artwork can be submitted digitally using the online entry form below or at IndianaConnection.org.

    • When submitting digitally, students will be automatically prompted to complete and upload their entry form. There is no need to mail a physical copy of the artwork or entry form. 
    • For digital submissions, students must upload a high-resolution scan of their original artwork (at least 300 DPI) in JPG, PNG, or TIFF format. Photos of artwork will not be accepted. Scans must be clear, evenly lit, and free of shadows, glare, or distortion. Please note: The required entry form, whether submitted by mail or included digitally, must be signed by the student-artist and a parent/guardian (for individual entries) or by the art instructor/classroom teacher (for group submissions). The signature confirms that the student has followed the contest’s rules of originality and that the artwork is entirely original as defined by the guidelines.

PRIZES: A first place artist will be selected for each grade, K-12, and will receive $100.

  • Additional artists will be selected for honorable mention awards and receive $50.
  • An “Artist of the Year” also will be selected from among the first place winners for the Best of Show and receive an additional $100.

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