2026 Youth Art & Poetry Contest
About the Contest
Express yourself in the form of poetry and art!
The El Paso Public Library is accepting entries for the annual Youth Art and Poetry Contest. The 2026 YAP Contest is open to all students in grades 3-12 in the El Paso area. The deadline to enter is March 28, 2026. The annual contest provides local youth with an opportunity to showcase their creativity through art and writing.
All poems will be judged separately in each grade level category in English and Spanish based on originality, creativity, clarity, and spelling. Three winners from each grade level category and language will be selected. Grade level categories include grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.
Cover art designs will be judged based on creativity and originality. Winners will be invited to an awards ceremony in April with an opportunity to read their poems and/or talk about their artwork for the audience.
All winning poems and artwork will be published in the official digital anthology. Entries may be submitted at any library location or at the link below.
Rules
- All poets and/or artists must be in grades 3-12.
- The deadline for submitting poems and artwork is Saturday, March 28, 2026.
Entries will not be returned. - The participant’s information must be complete. All incomplete forms will be disqualified.
- Please include your name and grade on your file name attachment.
- Poems may be submitted online or at any open El Paso Public Library location. No late entries will be accepted.
- Poems must be the writer’s own work and written in either English or Spanish.
- Plagiarized or AI generated poems or songs will be disqualified. No chat GPT or AI-assisted/written poems will be accepted.
- Poems must not exceed 20 lines.
- Handwritten entries must be legible. If judges cannot read the poet’s handwriting, the poem will be disqualified.
- Artwork must be the artist’s own work and be an original concept that is not a copy of anyone else’s copyrighted material. If your image infringes upon another’s copyright, it will be disqualified. No AI-generated images or artwork will be accepted.
- Any drawing or painting medium, including pencils, watercolors, crayons, and acrylics may be used.
- Non-reflective sturdy paper such as cardstock or watercolor paper is preferred, or you may submit a scan of your artwork, provided it is scanned at 300dpi or higher. Any graphic design software may be used.
- Digital submissions are best represented at 1200px on the longest side. Acceptable file formats: JPG or PDF.
- Artwork should be vertical (portrait) orientation.