2025 Visual Arts Achievement Program & Young at Art

The Mobile Arts Council is now accepting entries for the 2025 District 1 Visual Arts Achievement Program and Young at Art! Those eligible for District 1 include public and private schools Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe, and Washington counties. Every student who receives a District Award will be recognized in the State Awards from the Alabama State Council on the Arts online. All entries must be submitted in person along with the teacher inventory form, an artist statement, and label template linked below. Private studios are not eligible to submit work. Entry categories include craft, drawing, painting, photography, new media, printmaking, mixed media, and sculpture.

The Visual Arts Achievement Program provides opportunities for students in grades 6 through 12 to be recognized for their contributions to the visual arts at the local and state levels. Only one entry per individual student will be eligible. Teachers may submit up to 8 entries total. View the statewide schedule, including scholarship opportunities for students on ASCA’s website here. The District 1 juried exhibition will hang from February 3rd to February 23rd.

Concurrently, Young at Art is for 5th grade students and below, and not included in the juried competition. Teachers working at one location/school may submit no more than 5 entries total, and teachers working at more than one location/school may submit up to 7 entries total. These entries must be equipped to hang (with a wire, sawtooth hanger, contact strips, or some other way that does not stick out of the top of the artwork). Unlike VAAP, this show is also open to private lesson teachers.

RULES AND REGULATIONS:

• Only District 1 schools (in Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe, and Washington Counties) are eligible to participate.
• Each entry must be submitted with this label printed and affixed to the back AND with an additional set of printed and cut labels to use on the gallery wall. Neatly cut cardstock is preferred, and labels must be typed.
  • You must provide two sets of labels, already cut out, and the first set attached to the corresponding artwork at the time of drop off.
• Only one entry per individual student will be eligible. All submitted artwork must be original and by the student.
• Each teacher may submit up to 8 entries total – one entry per category.
• The Competition Categories are as follows: Craft, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, New Media, Mixed Media, and Printmaking.
• Only students in Group I (Grades 6 – 8) and Group II (Grades 9 – 12) are eligible to participate.
• Teachers must also submit a typed inventory form..
• Artwork must be equipped to hang on a hook. PLEASE test your hangers at home before dropping off your work. Sawtooth hangers, keyholes and wires are acceptable.

IMPORTANT DATES:

1. Drop off dates are January 31st from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and February 1st from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
2. Due to Mardi Gras parades, the gallery (located at 6 S. Joachim St.) will close at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, February 14^Th, Thursday, February 20^th, and Friday, February 21^st.^th.
3. The Region 1 awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, February 23rd from 1 to 3 p.m. at the MAC gallery.
4. Pick up will be Sunday, February 23rd, immediately following the awards ceremony.

Please download the “TEACHER_INVENTORY_Form” and “VAAP_Label-Template_2025.” Artist statements must be included with the inventory sheet. Review the information provided in these documents, and contact Sydney Cramer at scramer@mobilearts.org or 251-432-9796 for more information. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday – Friday & 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday.