AARJ Black History Month Art Competition

AARJ’S 6th Annual Black History Month Student Art Contest

The Avondale Alliance for Racial Justice (AARJ) is excited to announce its upcoming 6th Annual Black History Month Student Art Contest! Local youth are invited to submit by the deadline of Friday, February 20, 2026.  Student winners receive cash prizes, certificates, a framed copy of their art, and will be honored at an Art Awards Ceremony. 

The theme this year is SANKOFA: “Go back and get it!” A Century of Celebrating Black History and its Future. Students are asked to reflect on the 100 years of celebrating Black History, the celebration and preservation of Black culture and identity, how learning from the past can build a better future (Sankofa), and Afrofuturism.

Come see the winners’ art and celebrate the winners! The awards ceremony will be held on Saturday, March 7th from 2 to 4 pm at the Museum School, 923 Forrest Blvd, Decatur, GA 30030. Light refreshments and entertainment will be provided. Everyone is welcome! Winners will be notified in advance.

Who is eligible to submit art

Students ages 5 to 19 who live in Avondale Estates, GA and students who attend the following schools: Avondale Elementary School, Dekalb Arts Academy, DeKalb School of the Arts, The Museum School, Druid Hills Middle School, Druid Hills High School, The Friends School, and the Waldorf School. 

Submitting Art

Artists are encouraged to begin working on their art by MLK day, January 19, 2026. Please submit a digital (scanned) photo of original, 2 dimensional art. Art can be paintings, drawings, digital art, or photography. Original art should be formatted in a size compatible with standard framing of 8x10, 11x14 or 16x20. We accept high resolution files in JPG, PNG, or PDF format. To submit your work, go to this entry link: www.tinyurl.com/AARJ26ART 

Got questions? Contact us

AARJ Leaders aarjleadership@gmail.com 

Support as a Sponsor

We need your help to fund cash prizes for the winner to nurture their creativity, art prints for display, and the awards ceremony.

Sponorship levels

• Allies $25

• Encouragers $50

• Uplifters $75

• Change makers $100