Community Engagement

Spring Art Competition Details

Deadline:
June 12, 2025, at 5:00 PM

Eligibility:
Open to all DC students in grades K–12, including adult learners currently enrolled in a DC Public School, Public Charter or Private School

Theme:
"Heritage & Education: Painting a Brighter Future"
Blending culture, learning, and artistic expression

Submission Guidelines

Entry Requirements:

Only one entry per student
All entries must be original and student-created
A completed Entry Form and a brief Artist Statement (50–100 words), explaining how the piece connects to the theme are required

Physical Artwork (Paintings and Drawings only -- Sculptures are prohibited):

Must not exceed 20x20 inches
Once the Entry Form is submitted, DME staff will coordinate pick-up from the student’s school
Artwork must be completed and safely stored at the school location by the deadline
Both Entry Form and artwork must be ready by June 12, 2025, at 5:00 PM

Digital Artwork:

Must be submitted via email along with the Entry Form
Accepted formats: PDF, JPEG, or PNG
Send digital file to: [email protected]
File name format: [FIRST NAME LAST NAME] (e.g., JordanSmith.jpeg)

Winners & Ceremony:

Meet & Greet with Deputy Mayor for Education, Paul Kihn
Artwork displayed at the DME Office in the John A. Wilson Building by celebrity Art Curator Barbara Haskell
Letter of recognition from Mayor Muriel Bowser
A celebration and awards ceremony will be hosted by the DME, September 2025

Honorable Mentions:

All participants will receive a Certificate of Recognition signed by the Deputy Mayor

Questions:
Contact DeAndra Brooks, Associate Director of Community Engagement at [email protected]

View and download the full Spring Art Competition flyer here.

About DME Community Engagement

DME values public engagement and is committed to ensuring opportunities for community input and feedback. Through town halls, focus groups, and other project-specific engagements, public input factors into many of our core bodies of work. Recent examples include:

Graduation Requirements and the High School Experience in Washington, DC (January 2025)

Get in touch! Check out ongoing opportunities to connect with us:

Provide the DME with feedback through the Digital Suggestion Box

With our Digital Suggestion Box, you can submit your suggestions on issues that you would like the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) to address.

Invite the DME to attend your organization’s meeting
If your school, parent group, organization, or other community-based entity would like a representative from the DME to attend a meeting with your stakeholders, please let us know. We want to make information about our work as accessible as possible by going out into the community as often as possible.

Please complete this brief form to request a DME representative to attend a meeting.

We will do our best to accommodate all requests, but cannot guarantee someone will be available for your specific date/time.

Request a meeting with Deputy Mayor Paul Kihn
We want to be as accessible as possible to families and community members. Please contact Tara Lynch at [email protected] to request a meeting. We will do our best to accommodate all requests. If the Deputy Mayor is not available, he will designate an appropriate member to attend.