Wyland National Art Challenge

Scholarship Sponsored by Wyland Foundation

Overview
Wyland — the internationally known environmental artist and muralist — is inviting classrooms across the U.S. to join the 13th annual Wyland National Art Challenge. The theme is conservation of oceans, lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands. This is a great project for classes that want to combine art, science and community-minded learning.

Important dates
- Contest open for entries: October 1, 2025 – December 1, 2025
- Sign up by September 5, 2025 to be entered in the random drawing for a free mural kit

What teachers and classes can do
- Create a collaborative mural (recommended size: 4 ft × 8 ft or larger). A limited number of classrooms (more than 20) that register by Sept. 5 will be selected at random to receive a prepared mural canvas kit. Note: if your school doesn’t receive a kit, you may still participate by painting on any 4 ft × 8 ft (or larger) surface.
- Submit individual student artwork that supported your mural process (required for mural entries; see Rules below).
- Encourage students to enter individual art and photography categories as well — mural participation is not required for those.

Categories and who can enter
- Classroom Mural — categories by school level: K–5, 6–8, 9–12
- Individual Art — open to K–12 (winners selected by grade level)
- Individual Photography — open to K–12

How entries are judged / what to submit
- Judging is based on images, not the physical artwork. Images can be uploaded starting October 1.
- Theme: environmental and water conservation — how conservation shapes our lives and our world.
- If you submit a mural, you must also include at least five individual drawings or paintings by students that document the research, ideas and development that led to the mural design.

Entry limits and kit rules
- Schools may register multiple classes.
- Only one free mural kit per school is permitted.
- Teachers should plan to document the creative process (the five supporting works help show student learning and intent).

Prizes
1) Classroom Mural
- Three winning classrooms (one per grade category) will receive $500 in art supplies from Blick Art Materials.

2) Individual Art
- One scholarship winner from grades 11–12: $500.
- Additional winners from each grade level: $50 Blick Art Materials gift card.

3) Individual Photography
- One scholarship winner from grades 11–12: $250.
- Additional winner: $50 gift card.

Simple teacher tips
- Use the required five supporting pieces as a visible “process portfolio” — sketches, studies, color experiments or research illustrations that show how students arrived at the mural concept.
- Assign roles (researcher, sketch artist, color lead, documentation photographer) so many students take leadership in the project.
- Tie the project to science standards or a local conservation topic to deepen learning.

Registration and submission
- Register your class before Sept. 5, 2025 to be entered for a free mural kit drawing.
- Upload images for judging beginning Oct. 1, 2025. The contest closes Dec. 1, 2025.

If you want, I can help draft a short project plan or rubric you can use with students to organize the mural process and the five required supporting pieces.