Art & Essay Contest - NNAM

Museum Masterpieces Art & Essay Contest

Naval Aviation Museum Foundation (NAMF) is excited to announce its second annual Museum Masterpieces Art and Essay Contest. 

The theme for this year’s contest is Coming Home. All works of art and word should illustrate and communicate a time when you or someone you missed returned after an absence. Possibilities for submission subjects include depictions of a military family member returning from active duty or training, a parent or grandparent who visits during holidays, or a time when you or your siblings returned from a trip or camp. 

All public, private, and home school students in grades Kindergarten – 12 are encouraged to participate. The contest calls for entries of original artwork from students in grades K – 12 and essays from students in grades 6 – 12. The contest will be separated in judged in separate grade level groups.

The deadline for submissions is 11:59 PM on Friday, April 21, 2023. Entries will be collected in February, March, and April and winners will be awarded in May.

Contest Form

Rules & Requirements

  1. All content must be original and created by the contestant.
  2. All art must be created using only pencils, paints, charcoal, or markers. Three-dimensional art pieces, photography, and digital
    art are ineligible. Glitter is not permitted on any art pieces.
  3. Art must be 11” x 17” or smaller.
  4. Contestant Name, Title of Submission, Grade, and School must be printed legibly on back of art submissions and printed/typed at the top of essay submissions.
  5. Essay submissions must be between 200 to 500 typed, double-spaced words.
  6. All content submitted will not be returned.
  7. Entry form must be complete, printed legibly, and it must accompany the submission.
  8. Contestants in grades 6–12 can create one submission for each of the two categories: Art and Essay.
  9. Contestants cannot submit more than one piece of content for any one of the categories.

Judging & Deadlines

  1. Content will be separated and judged in the following grade-level groups: grades K–2 art, grades 3–5 art, grades 6 –8 art, grades 6 –8 essay, grades 9–12 art, and grades 9–12 essay.
  2. Content will be judged on originality and relevance to the theme.
  3. Deadline for submission is 11:59 pm April 21, 2023.
  4. Please submit art to our mailbox or our inbox (dhayden@navalaviationmuseum.org) by the deadline.
  5. Escambia and Santa Rosa County students have special drop-off location options (not required) listed on the entry form.
  6. Ribbons will be awarded to first, second, and third place winners in each category.

  7. First, second, and third-place winners’ submissions will be displayed at the National Naval Aviation Museum for Military Appreciation Month in May 2023. First-place winners’ submissions will be displayed in the National Naval Aviation Museum for 6 months. 

  8. First place winners in each category will receive $100 gift cards.
  9. First place winners’ teachers (if applicable) will receive $50 gift cards.

How to Submit Entries

Mail: 
Submit all content by mail to
Naval Aviation Museum Foundation
Attention: ART/ESSAY CONTEST
1750 Radford Blvd, Pensacola FL 32508

Email: 
Scanned (not photographed) email attachment in .pdf or .jpg format to
Dhayden@navalaviationmuseum.org

Santa Rosa County Students
Students/Teachers can drop off submissions by April 21, 2023 to Pace High
School or Rhodes Elementary. Please submit in a package or envelope
marked, Attention: MUSEUM ART/ESSAY CONTEST c/o K. Tracey @ Pace
High or T. New @ Rhodes Elementary.

Escambia County Students
Students/Teachers can drop off submissions by April 21, 2023 to the J.E.
Hall Center. Please submit in a package or envelope marked, Attention:
MUSEUM ART/ESSAY CONTEST c/o Angela Barberi

Contest Questions?

Please email Dianna Hayden at dhayden@navalaviationmuseum.org or 850-308-8935