XC Creative Art Contest

An international, open-theme, cross-disciplinary competition for students in grades 6–12, organized by NextGen InterArts Foundation. Students may submit up to three works spanning traditional art, science and art, performance, video and music, and literature and art. Initial entry is free; entrants selected in the top 10% are invited to advance for a $25 fee. Awards include medals, certificates, cash prizes, recommendation letters, and an opportunity to exhibit at the MusicOn+ InterArts Festival in Manhattan.

Open theme

Open internationally to students in grades 6–12. Each student may submit up to three artworks across categories; previous works made by the entrant are eligible. Categories include drawing, painting, photography, experimental photography, digital art, mixed media, interactive e-books, 3D printing and art, kinetic sculptures, artistic circuits, architectural 3D modeling, drawing robots, performance video, theater, short video (animation/film), music video, book design, and literature illustration. Use the Artwork Submission form for all categories except theater. Theater is a group submission, submitted through a teacher or group manager using https://form.jotform.com/InterArts/2026-theater-artwork-submission. Provide name, nationality, email, parent information, school district and teacher, plus art-study information identifying any assistance or studio attended. Supply each artwork's title, category, material/medium, and dimensions; installations require HxWxL and videos require frame rate and video length. Include a brief explanation of the thought process, meaning, and inspiration from other artists. Initial submission is free. If a piece is selected in the top 10%, advancement requires a $25 judging/administration fee; top-10% awardees include Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mention recipients. AI is permitted only for limited non-creative technical or administrative assistance; it may not generate, develop, or substantially influence evaluated creative ideas or content. Ideas, artistic decisions, creative voice, and evaluated work must remain the participant's own. The organizer reserves the right to update its AI policy; full policy: https://www.nextgeninterarts.org/terms. The organizer states a submission period of August 20–October 20, 2026, whereas the state listing's deadline table says October 25, 2026; the extracted deadline follows the organizer's submission period. Preliminary finalist announcement is November 3; the award ceremony is in December. Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards include a medal and e-certificate; Honorable Mention receives an e-certificate. The organizer specifies $1,000 for the top winner and $150 each for winners ranked 2–6. The state listing additionally describes a $150 Bronze cash prize without specifying recipient counts. Top 15 winners receive recommendation letters. The organizer says top 30 winners may join the Award Exhibition and also says all award winners have an opportunity to exhibit at the MusicOn+ InterArts Festival in Manhattan, New York, USA.