ESD 123 is honored to host the 2026 Regional High School Art Show, which will be held at the Richland Public Library from March 3-12, 2026. The library lobby is open to the public Monday-Thursday from 8:30 a.m. – 8 p.m., Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday from 9 – 5 p.m. Winners of the regional awards will advance to the OSPI State Art Show. For more information on the Regional Art Show, contact Elena Olmstead, at 509-544-5787 or [email protected].
Important 2026 Dates:
- Thursday, February 19 – Online Entry Deadline (forms due)
- Monday, March 2, between 1:00-5:00 PM – Teachers deliver artwork to the Richland Library (ESD 123 staff will be hanging artwork for the 2026 show)
- Wednesday-Thursday, March 4-5 – Judging takes place & selection of Superintendent’s Choice Award by participating school district superintendents
- March 3 at noon - March 12 – Exhibit Opens – Artwork on Display
- March 12, 5:30 PM – Awards Ceremony in the Richland High School cafeteria
- Friday, March 13 between 10:00 AM-6:00 PM – Art teachers take down artwork from Richland Library and return to students (ESD 123 staff will transfer Judges' Choice winning artwork to the ESD for holding Friday morning; ALL other artwork must be removed by 6:00 PM on March 13)
OSPI State Show Dates:
- March 6 – ESD 123 will email Judges Choice winning students and their art teachers to notify them of eligibility for the OSPI State Art Show
- March 13 (tentatively) – OSPI Submission Surveys (Artist Statement, Images, Video Statements, and state show releases) due to OSPI from Judges Choice winners advancing to the state show
- early April – Artwork chosen for an award by OSPI delivered/transported to OSPI
- May 19 – OSPI State Awards Ceremony at OSPI and livestreamed
Download the 2026 High School Art Guidelines (printable PDF)
Eligibility
Any high school student (public, private, or home school) in grades 9-12 is eligible to enter the regional art show. Submissions from students enrolled in private high schools will not be eligible for the Superintendent’s High School Art Show or for Judges Choice awards.
Entry Limits
Each high school may enter a
maximum of fifteen (15) pieces per art teacher currently working in that school. For example, if ABC High School has one art teacher, that school may enter up to 15 pieces of art in the show. If XYZ High School has two art teachers employed, that school may enter up to 30 pieces of art. If you have any questions regarding entry limits, please contact us at
[email protected].
Note: If a high school student wishes to enter the art show and his/her school does not employ an art teacher, any staff member or administrator from that school may serve in place of the art teacher.
Each student is limited to a maximum of ONE submission to the OSPI State Art Show. Students may submit up to three (3) pieces of art to the ESD 123
Regional Exhibit; however, only one piece per student may go on to the OSPI State Show.
Size Limits
For the ESD 123 Regional High School Exhibit, hanging artwork
cannot be larger than 36 inches x 24 inches or weigh more than 10 lbs., including frame and/or matting. Artwork moving on to the State OSPI Show must meet OSPI's size requirements. The maximum size for hanging artwork at the State Show is 40 inches (h) x 32 inches (w) x 20 inches (d), including frame and/or matting.
Maximum dimensions for 3D entries submitted for State Show are subject to case-by-case consideration by OSPI, due to special shipping requirements. When considering 3D artwork to submit to the show, please keep in mind both the size of the Richland Library exhibition space, as well as the ability to safely transport the piece to and from Richland and potentially to the state show in Olympia.
Forms & Requirements
Students must be enrolled in a public high school or a Tribal Compact School in Washington.
All artwork submitted to the High School Art Show MUST be completely original.
If artwork is determined to be a copy, it will be disqualified from the show.
Each submission must include:
Email all of the required items below to Elena Olmstead at [email protected] by February 19, 2026:
- Registration Form (ART TEACHERS: Download, save, and edit this Excel spreadsheet with your students' information. Email the completed spreadsheet to Elena Olmstead at [email protected].)
- Student Release/Permission Form (by student and parent)
- A photo of the artwork
Student artists who receive a Judges Choice Award and wish to advance to the OSPI state competition will have additional entry requirements.
See full requirements and entry details in the full guidelines linked at the top of the page.
OSPI Superintendent's High School Art Show
Judges Choice winning artwork will be eligible to enter into the state show via the submission survey. See OSPI's High School Art Show 2026 Official Rules here.
Judging Process
Artwork is rated based on three categories in alignment with the Washington State Arts K–12 Learning Standards:
- Creativity — Artwork demonstrates original thinking and expressive, artistic perceptions.
- Composition — Artwork demonstrates a unique and sensitive way of answering artistic questions. It illustrates student understanding of and ability to interpret the elements of art and the principles of design. It makes a unique statement.
- Technique — Artwork demonstrates student competency in using the medium to achieve the desired outcome.
In the regional show, judges will also assess artwork against a rubric available in the full guidelines linked at the top of the page.