Students in grades 6–12 from Hennepin County are invited to enter the 2025 Student Art Contest. Winning art will be honored and exhibited at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

This year’s theme is: Belonging Begins Here: Our Stories, Our County, and Our Pride.

What does belonging mean to you? Tell your story through art—whether it’s about your neighborhood, your culture, your favorite local spot, or the people who make you feel at home. We want to see what makes your community special and what brings people together.

Eligibility Criteria

• Must be a current student (grades 6–12)
• Must reside in or attend school in Hennepin County
• Only one entry per student.

Mia Art Categories: 

• Painting / Drawing 
• Digital Illustration
• Digital Art - Mia can support up to two works of video art on 12” screens
• Photography
• Mixed Media*(collage, fabric, tufting, not digital)
• Sculpture (photos submitted) - Max 12” cubed
• Anime* (must be 2 dimensional)

Art cannot consist of anything containing mold, untreated dirt, spores, living flora or fauna (Trees, shrubs, mosses, algae, flowers, and grasses), sharp objects.

Contest Timeline:

• Submissions deadline: Sunday, January 4, 2026
• Judging Week: Monday, January 12 -16, 2026
• Winners notified: Week of January 19