Student Artist Competition History
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History
In 2005, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Indian Education introduced a national Native American Student Artist Competition (SAC) to inspire students to consider the connection between their education and culture. Every year the SAC has a specific theme to which student participants tailor their entries. The themes must be inspirational, challenging, and a bridge to each student’s educational future.
Previous themes:
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The competition has participation from students across various American Indian and Alaska Native urban and rural communities, celebrating the values and documenting the successes of education in Indian communities. The SAC has grown from generating a few hundred entries during the first year to over 1,400 outstanding entries from across 34 states and over 250 tribes and clans.
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Exhibit
The winning entries have been exhibited at prestigious galleries, including the U.S. Department of Education, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, and the Trickster Gallery. The traveling exhibit demonstrates students’ artistic talents and shows American Indian and Alaska Native students' visions of their education and culture.
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Awards
Each year representatives of the Office of Indian Education juries the competition. Entries are judged in six different grade-based categories, and prizes are awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each of these categories. Certificates of participation are awarded to all students who submit an entry.
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View winning entries in the art gallery.
