Calling Young Artists! Season of Creation Schools Art Competition 2026
What does Living Water mean to you?
Catholic Earthcare is inviting primary and secondary students across Australia to explore this question through creativity as part of the Season of Creation Schools Art Competition 2026. Inspired by this year's global Season of Creation theme, students are encouraged to reflect on water as God's gift that sustains life and to express themes of hope, renewal, justice, faith and care for creation through art.
What is the Catholic Earthcare Schools Art Competition?
The annual Catholic Earthcare Schools Art Competition provides students with an opportunity to engage with the Season of Creation through creative expression, connecting faith, ecology and imagination.
Students can submit artwork in a range of still visual art forms, including:
Painting
Drawing
Photography
Sculpture
Digital art
Artwork must be created during Term 3, 2026 and submitted as a JPEG or PNG image.
Who can enter?
This competition is open to individual primary and secondary students from schools across Australia. Entries must be submitted by a teacher on behalf of the student.
Why should students participate?
The competition offers students a chance to:
Reflect on
their faith and care for creation
Explore the Season of Creation
theme in a meaningful way
Share their creative gifts
with a national audience
Inspire others
through their vision of hope and renewal
It’s also an opportunity for young people to express how they see God's presence in creation and their hopes for a flourishing future.
Prizes:
There are prizes available in both the Bishop's Choice Awards and People's Choice Awards.
For both Primary and Secondary categories, Bishop's Choice winners can receive art supply vouchers valued at up to $300. People's Choice winners will also receive a $300 art supply voucher.
Key dates:
18 September 2026: Competition entries close (5pm AEST)
12 October 2026: Public voting opens
19 October 2026: Public voting closes (5pm AEST)
30 October 2026: Winners announced
How can schools enter?
Teachers can submit student artwork and entry details online through the Catholic Earthcare webpage. All entries are automatically considered for both the Bishop's Choice and People's Choice Awards.
Supporting Resources
