NOW ACCEPTING 2025 APPLICATIONS!
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan Annual Art Contest
2025 APPLICATION DEADLINE: APRIL 13TH AT MIDNIGHT
Promoting awareness and appreciation of the Civil Rights movement and advocacy of the principles and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The contest rules and categories:
Students in 6-8 grade
Students in 9-12
Adult
Grand Prize Awards:
Grade 6-8: $500
Grades 9-12: $500
Adult $1000
Entries must meet the following criteria:
Relevant and consistent with the prompt “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed - we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” ---Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Original work created in the last 12 months.
Accompanied by a 250-word narrative that explains the concept and the relationship to the theme and social justice/inequity (to be displayed alongside the artwork in the exhibition)
Art can be any 3D or 2D medium (all digital photography must be printed for wall display by the artist prior to the exhibition)
Artwork must be submitted: April 13, 2025
Please contact MLK Art Coordinator Karla Forrest-Hewitt with any questions at
Email: mlkartcontest2@gmail.com
Exhibition details: TBD
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid Michigan with support from Delta Dental of Michigan and the MSU Broad Museum launched the MLK Art Contest for local artists to showcase their talents honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The arts have a unique ability to frame our world in ways that bring people together and cause them to think differently about our world,” said Elaine Hardy, chairperson of the commission. “We believe this art contest provides context for people to help promote the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.”
Local artists of middle school age and up submitted works of art using mediums ranging from acrylic paint to pencil and charcoal.
Artists were tasked with curating a piece to accompany the theme, “In the long run, justice finally must spring from a new moral climate” and include a 250-word narrative explaining their piece’s relation to social injustice and inequity.
