Aviation Art Contest Rules

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​Soyoon Kim created this first-place winning entry in the 2026 senior division. 

The annual North Carolina Aviation Art Contest offers all children ages 6-17 who live or attend school in North Carolina the chance to explore different aspects of aviation.

The contest theme for 2027 is "My First International Day of Air Sports." Entries must be received by Friday, Feb. 19, 2027.  

​Contest Requirements

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​​Eligibility

All children who live in and/or attend school in North Carolina and are in the age groups below are encouraged to participate. Children who are related to officials and employees of the N.C. Department of Transportation are eligible to participate.

Age Groups

Category	Age Range
Junior	Date of birth between Jan. 1, 2017, and Dec. 31, 2020
Intermediate	Date of birth between Jan. 1, 2013, and Dec. 31, 2016
Senior	Date of birth between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2012

​Format

The required format is 11¾ x 16½ inches (paper size A3) or, if this is unobtainable, the nearest possible equivalent. Artwork must NOT be framed or outlined with borders. Artwork should clearly represent the theme of the contest.

Medium

All artwork must be by hand (or, in the case of children with physical challenges, by foot or mouth).

Title

A title on the artwork is not required, and entrants can decide for themselves whether to include one. However, there should be a clearly recognizable link to the theme of the content.

Tips

To improve chances of placing, please be mindful of the following when submitting contest entries:

• Submissions should adequately address the contest's theme.
  

• Ensure that paint has dried before mailing.
  
  
• Do not fold your artwork if possible.
  
  
• Do not use glitter.
  
  
• Ensure that your Certificate of Authenticity​ is complete and legible.
  
  
• Artwork should be wholly original creations of the student with absolutely NO assistance provided by the teacher or parent.
  
  
• Electronic submissions are not accepted. The original artwork must be mailed to NCDOT.
  
  
• Artwork should be completed. Do not submit incomplete artwork.
  
  
• Artwork should not use prohibited media (see contest rules).
  
  
• Entries cannot include copyrighted material, such as Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars characters.
  
  
• Parents and teachers should also encourage students to create their own individual artwork and not draw the same thing to avoid submissions that are too similar.
   
  
• If the orientation of the artwork is not apparent, write “Top” or “Bottom” on the back of the artwork.
  
  
• If your paper or canvas is significantly larger than 11 ¾ x 16 ½ inches, cut it down to the proper size.
  

​Markings and Certification

The artist's name should not appear on the front of the artwork. A parent, guardian or art teacher must certify the authenticity of the artwork and the age of each artist. The Certificate of Authenticity must be completed, attached to the back of the artwork and mailed.

The QR code on the Certificate of Authenticity must be completed prior to artwork submission, otherwise the art will be disqualified. The QR code is linked to an intake form which requests the following information:

• Family name, given name
• Address
• Date of birth
• Country of residence
• Name and address of school​

Reproduction Rights

Once received, all entries will become and remain the properties of the N.C. Department of Transportation Division of Aviation and may be used for a variety of purposes.

​Awards

State Awards

Entries in each age group will be judged, and state winners and runners-up will be selected. 

Please Note: to be eligible for the following prizes, the school listed must be the student’s elementary, middle or high school—not an art school or extracurricular academy.

The North Carolina Airports Association provides cash prizes for state winners and their schools.

State winners receive the following awards: 

Student Winners by Age Group	First Place	Second Place	​ Third Place	​ Fourth Place
Junior	$100	$75	​$50	​$25
Intermediate	$125	$100	​$75	​$50
Senior	$300	$225	​$150	​$100

​For the Winning Students' Schools	​ ​First Place	​Second Place	​​ Third Place	​​Fourth Place
​​Junior	​$125	​$100	​$75	​$50
​Intermediate	​$125	​$100	​$75	​$50
​Senior	​$125	​$100	​$75	​$50