Art Doing its Part
Statewide Competition
Art Doing Its Part is a statewide art and slogan competition open to all high school students that raises awareness about the connection between local litter and waterway pollution. The contest personalizes the issue by highlighting litter challenges unique to different regions, showing how local actions can impact both nearby and distant environments. By fostering a sense of shared responsibility, the competition encourages communities to take pride in their surroundings and actively engage in waste reduction, prevention, and cleanup efforts.
About the Competition
Mississippi and connecting water bodies face significant litter problems, much of which originate from inland areas. Items like bottles, cigarette butts, straws, and fragmented plastics travel through rivers, streams, and stormwater systems to eventually reach coastal waters, affecting human health, local economies, and aquatic life. Addressing this issue requires a statewide, collaborative approach, involving both inland and coastal communities.
About the Issue
The Delta Arts Alliance is the contact point for the following counties: Bolivar, Coahoma, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Leflore, Sharkey, Sunflower, Washington, and Yazoo.
Students will create a 2D artwork, a matching slogan, and a short written reflection.
Requirements
Dimensions: 18” x 24”
Permitted mediums:
drawing (graphite, charcoal, colored pencils, pastels, ink)
painting (acrylic, watercolor, oil, gauche)
digital media (no AI-generated work)
mixed media (any combination of the above).
Slogan and reflection: each student must create a slogan to accompany their artwork and write a reflection of 50-150 words explaining their piece.
Information for Participants
Selected pieces will be featured in a statewide marketing campaign and displayed on billboards, t-shirts, a traveling art exhibit, outreach materials, and a beach beautification project.
September 8: Submissions opens
October 23: Submissions close
November 6: Regional winner selected
November 18: Physical artwork submission due to MSEP
November 20: Overall winner chosen
Key Dates
Each participating school will select one student artist to advance to the next round of judging. From there, each regional hub will choose one winner from the schools in its region, resulting in seven finalists total—one from each region. An overall winner will then be selected by a panel of diverse specialists based on three criteria: how well the work addresses the issue of litter, the quality of the composition and how effectively the artistic elements support the theme, and the creativity and originality of the expression or story.
The overall winner’s school will receive 10 water refill stations. All seven regional finalists will have their artwork and slogan featured in a statewide marketing campaign and showcased in a traveling art exhibit across the state. Each finalist’s school will have the opportunity to participate in a local cleanup, supporting litter removal and the beautification of their community.
If you are selected as a regional winner, a hard copy of your artwork will be required for scanning and inclusion in the traveling art exhibit. All artwork will be returned after the exhibit concludes.