• Tue, 20 January 2026

Texas Mental Health Arts Contest

Shatter Mental Health Stigma Through Art

The Texas Mental Health Creative Arts Contest illuminates the often-overlooked topic of mental health and why it matters. Our yearly themes encourage open conversations about emotions, stress, and well-being, highlight how common mental health challenges can be, and remind Texans that it’s always okay to seek support.

CONTEST THEME

What Does Mental Health Mean to You?

Entry Categories

Traditional Art

Create an original piece using physical media like drawing, painting, sculpture, or mixed-media materials.

Photography

Share an original photograph that captures your perspective on mental health, wellness, or lived experience.

Writing

Submit an original written piece, such as a poem, short story that expresses your thoughts or experiences related to mental health.

Digital Art

Submit artwork made using digital tools or software, including illustration, graphic design, animation, or other digital techniques.

Who Can Enter?

Elementary
(Pre-K-5th)

Middle School
(6th-8th)

High School
(9th-12th)

Adult
(18+)

Entry Rules & Guidelines

Traditional Artwork

  • Must be an original artwork that combines drawing, pictures (and words if you wish) to express the contest theme.
  • Materials used may include pencil, ink, charcoal, crayon, markers, pastel, paint, and collage.
  • Artwork cannot depict nudity, blood, suicide, or violence.
  • Submissions created using generative AI tools will not be accepted. We will review all digital art entries to ensure compliance with contest guidelines.
  • Please include a short description of your artwork and how it ties into the contest theme.

Writing

  • Must be an original story, essay or poem based on the contest theme and no longer than 300 words.
  • Must be typed or, if handwritten, must be legible.
  • Ask an adult to review spelling and grammar for errors prior to submission.
  • Artwork cannot depict nudity, blood, suicide, sex, or violence.
  • Submissions created using generative AI tools will not be accepted. We will review all digital art entries to ensure compliance with contest guidelines.
  • Please include a short description of your artwork and how it ties into the contest theme.

Photography

  • Must be an original photo based on the contest theme.
  • Please submit your photo in a high-resolution format.
  • Artwork cannot depict nudity, blood, suicide, or violence.
  • Submissions created using generative AI tools will not be accepted. We will review all digital art entries to ensure compliance with contest guidelines.
  • Photos of identifiable people under the age of 18 are not allowed.
  • Please include a short description of your artwork and how it ties into the contest theme.

Digital Art

  • Digital art must be an original creation that expresses the contest theme. This can include digital illustrations, graphic design, photo manipulation, or 3D art.
  • Digital art submissions should be in a common format such as JPEG, PNG, or PDF, with a resolution of at least 300 DPI.
  • Ensure your artwork is of high resolution. If your piece involves multiple layers or detailed elements, make sure these are clear and not pixelated.
  • Artwork cannot depict nudity, blood, suicide, or violence.
  • Submissions created using generative AI tools will not be accepted. We will review all digital art entries to ensure compliance with contest guidelines.
  • Please include a short description of your artwork and how it ties into the contest theme.

Submit Your Art

If you have any questions or need help entering, please contact us.

Individual Entries

For individual entries, use our official online entry form below.

Group Entries

Step 1

Each entry must be submitted with our official entry form.

Download: English [PDF] | Spanish [PDF]

Note: If an artist under 18 would like his or her entry displayed or published for state use, a parent or guardian must sign the consent form to allow use of the participant’s work.

Step 2

Combine each artist’s entry form and artwork into a single PDF file. For example, John Smith’s entry form and artwork are in one file.

OR

Label file names with the name of the artist to make them identifiable. For example, John Smith’s artwork file is named “John-Smith-art.pdf” and his entry form “John-Smith-entry-form.pdf”.

Step 3

Upload files below.

 
Submit Art
Submit Art
Submit Art
Submit Art

You can submit art from January 15th, 2026, to March 31st, 2026.