We are now accepting entries for the 2021 contest.
2020 Winners (out of about 2,500 entries from 42 countries and 27 US states)
2020 Winners (out of about 2,500 entries from 42 countries and 27 US states)
HISTORY
This owl art contest started around 2004 as a coloring contest to involve local young people in the Festival of Owls. Over the years it has grown into a highly competitive international art competition with more than 4,444 entries from 37 countries in 2019!
This owl art contest started around 2004 as a coloring contest to involve local young people in the Festival of Owls. Over the years it has grown into a highly competitive international art competition with more than 4,444 entries from 37 countries in 2019!
Questions answered on this page:
Who can enter?
Is there an entry fee?
What do I have to draw?
What media can I use?
Must I send the original?
How do I label my entry?
What is the due date?
How many pieces may I or my school enter?
Do I get a certificate for entering the contest?
Will I get my art back after the contest?
How do I know if my entry wins or is used for something?
What are the judging criteria?
What are the prizes?
Where do I send my art?
What if I have other questions?
Who can enter?
Is there an entry fee?
What do I have to draw?
What media can I use?
Must I send the original?
How do I label my entry?
What is the due date?
How many pieces may I or my school enter?
Do I get a certificate for entering the contest?
Will I get my art back after the contest?
How do I know if my entry wins or is used for something?
What are the judging criteria?
What are the prizes?
Where do I send my art?
What if I have other questions?
Who can enter?
Children less than 18 years old can enter. Children must be age 18 or younger on the date their entry is mailed. There may be no help from adults with any part of the piece. Entries are accepted from any country in the world.
Children less than 18 years old can enter. Children must be age 18 or younger on the date their entry is mailed. There may be no help from adults with any part of the piece. Entries are accepted from any country in the world.
Is there an entry fee?
There is no entry fee.
There is no entry fee.
What do I have to draw?
Entries must be an image of an owl.
Entries must be an image of an owl.
What media can I use?
Artwork must be two-dimensional, on any size paper that can be mailed and hung on a wall with tape. Entries should not contain any plant or animal materials as a medium (no grasses, seeds, fur, feathers, etc.).
Artwork must be two-dimensional, on any size paper that can be mailed and hung on a wall with tape. Entries should not contain any plant or animal materials as a medium (no grasses, seeds, fur, feathers, etc.).
Must I send the original?
Entries mailed in must be the original art. We will not accept photocopies or e-mailed entries.
Entries mailed in must be the original art. We will not accept photocopies or e-mailed entries.
How do I label my entry?
Artwork must be properly labeled. Print out this 2021 form and TAPE the small label to the bottom right corner of the front of the image (place tape on the sides--do not apply tape to the front of the art), and TAPE the larger form to the back of the image. Do not use glue or rubber cement.
PLEASE WRITE NEATLY or type the information so it is easily legible.
Click here to see a video of how to properly label entries.
Improperly labeled artwork may be disqualified from the competition.
Artwork must be properly labeled. Print out this 2021 form and TAPE the small label to the bottom right corner of the front of the image (place tape on the sides--do not apply tape to the front of the art), and TAPE the larger form to the back of the image. Do not use glue or rubber cement.
PLEASE WRITE NEATLY or type the information so it is easily legible.
Click here to see a video of how to properly label entries.
Improperly labeled artwork may be disqualified from the competition.
What is the due date?
Entries must be received by January 15, 2021.
Entries must be mailed; no emailed entries accepted.
Please allow adequate time for delivery, which often can take 3-4 weeks from some countries, and sometimes takes as much as 6-8 weeks.
Entries must be received by January 15, 2021.
Entries must be mailed; no emailed entries accepted.
Please allow adequate time for delivery, which often can take 3-4 weeks from some countries, and sometimes takes as much as 6-8 weeks.
How many pieces may I or my school enter?
Limit one entry per person and 50 entries per school if mailed by the school in a package.
If more than 50 students from one school want to enter, those that are not selected by the school to be part of their package may be mailed individually by the students.
Siblings may mail their entries together.
Limit one entry per person and 50 entries per school if mailed by the school in a package.
If more than 50 students from one school want to enter, those that are not selected by the school to be part of their package may be mailed individually by the students.
Siblings may mail their entries together.
Do I get a certificate for entering the contest?
All entries with a legible email address will receive an emailed certificate of participation that may be printed out.
Schools that mail a package of entries will receive one PDF certificate so teachers can print as many copies as needed and write the students' names on the certificates. Due to the volume of entries we receive the participation certificates are not customized with the names of the entrants. You may add the artist's name to the certificate.
We do not use seals, as we are based in the United States and it is not customary here.
All entries with a legible email address will receive an emailed certificate of participation that may be printed out.
Schools that mail a package of entries will receive one PDF certificate so teachers can print as many copies as needed and write the students' names on the certificates. Due to the volume of entries we receive the participation certificates are not customized with the names of the entrants. You may add the artist's name to the certificate.
We do not use seals, as we are based in the United States and it is not customary here.
Will I get my art back after the contest?
All entries become the property of the International Owl Center and cannot be returned due to the large volume of entries received.
Entries may be used for decoration, fundraising, promotional purposes, or printed materials for sale. This may include using them as decoration during the International Festival of Owls and throughout the year, selling them in the Owl Center gift shop, auctioning them in fundraisers, temporary display at other facilities (such as museums), making them into greeting cards to be used and sold, featuring them on shirts and other promotional materials for International Owl Awareness Day in early August, and other uses.
By entering the contest, artists acknowledge that their entries will become the property of the International Owl Center.
All entries become the property of the International Owl Center and cannot be returned due to the large volume of entries received.
Entries may be used for decoration, fundraising, promotional purposes, or printed materials for sale. This may include using them as decoration during the International Festival of Owls and throughout the year, selling them in the Owl Center gift shop, auctioning them in fundraisers, temporary display at other facilities (such as museums), making them into greeting cards to be used and sold, featuring them on shirts and other promotional materials for International Owl Awareness Day in early August, and other uses.
By entering the contest, artists acknowledge that their entries will become the property of the International Owl Center.
How do I know if my entry wins or is used for something?
Winners will receive an email notifying them they have won by the middle of February. A framed, customized certificate with a custom wax seal will be mailed to winners by mid-March. A variety of photos showing a sampling of entries, judging, and entries on display will be posted on our public Facebook page in February and March. Due to the large number of entries not all artwork will be photographed or displayed, and we cannot notify those that are shown in photographs. We will make every effort to notify artists whose work is placed on special exhibit in museums and galleries or used to make T-shirts, cards or other items.
Winners will receive an email notifying them they have won by the middle of February. A framed, customized certificate with a custom wax seal will be mailed to winners by mid-March. A variety of photos showing a sampling of entries, judging, and entries on display will be posted on our public Facebook page in February and March. Due to the large number of entries not all artwork will be photographed or displayed, and we cannot notify those that are shown in photographs. We will make every effort to notify artists whose work is placed on special exhibit in museums and galleries or used to make T-shirts, cards or other items.
What are the judging criteria?
All properly labeled entries will be judged by a panel of area artists.
Judges are looking for:
Entrants will be separated into age categories as follows:
All properly labeled entries will be judged by a panel of area artists.
Judges are looking for:
- innovative presentation
- unusual perspective or viewpoint
- a message or idea that is being conveyed
- skill with the medium appropriate to the age group (although sometimes the significance of the message is more important than the medium)
- colors coordinated or contrasted for emotional impact
- design elements that work together
- humor
Entrants will be separated into age categories as follows:
- 0-5 years
- 6-9 years
- 10-14 years
- 15-18 years
What are the prizes?
1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each age category will be mailed a framed, customized and signed award certificate with a custom wax seal. Certificates will be mailed by mid-March and images will be posted on this website by mid-March.
1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each age category will be mailed a framed, customized and signed award certificate with a custom wax seal. Certificates will be mailed by mid-March and images will be posted on this website by mid-March.
Where do I send my art?
NOTE: Use enough postage, as "postage due" entries will not be accepted.
Entries should be mailed through the postal service to:
International Festival of Owls
P O Box 536
Houston, MN 55943
USA
Entries mailed through DHL, UPS, and FedEx should be mailed to:
International Owl Center
126 E Cedar St
Houston, MN 55943
USA
+1 507-896-6957
NOTE: Use enough postage, as "postage due" entries will not be accepted.
Entries should be mailed through the postal service to:
International Festival of Owls
P O Box 536
Houston, MN 55943
USA
Entries mailed through DHL, UPS, and FedEx should be mailed to:
International Owl Center
126 E Cedar St
Houston, MN 55943
USA
+1 507-896-6957
What if I have questions?
If you have questions, please email us. Please note that our contest coordinator is only in the office 2-3 days per week.
For time sensitive inquires, use this email address.
If you have questions, please email us. Please note that our contest coordinator is only in the office 2-3 days per week.
For time sensitive inquires, use this email address.
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The International Festival of Owls is a fundraiser for the International Owl Center and the Center’s biggest event of the year.
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