High School Art Competition & Exhibition Submission Form

ELIGIBILITY

All submitting artists must be attending high school during the 2025-26 academic year.
To participate in the USF High School Exhibition, all students MUST fill out an online submission form—no exceptions.
Please note that we require three contact email addresses on the form: student, parent and teacher.
To be eligible for the grand prize scholarship, students must be high school seniors in 2026 and will be required to upload their portfolio and a one-page statement explaining why they want to major in Art & Design at USF.

All files must be 10 MB or less in size, and named as follows:
*STUDENT LAST NAME_STUDENT FIRST NAME_SCHOOL_STATEMENT.pdf
*STUDENT LAST NAME_STUDENT FIRST NAME_SCHOOL_ARTWORK1.jpg
*STUDENT LAST NAME_STUDENT FIRST NAME_SCHOOL_ARTWORK2.jpg
Any files that are uploaded will be shared outside of the organization they belong to.
Submission forms may be filled out online until December 31, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
Students may submit up to two (2) original works as if they are to be displayed. Teachers may submit work from up to ten (10) students, for a total of 20 works per teacher. Digital images must be emailed.

PRIZES

Grand Prize: Art & Design Scholarship*
Best of Show, Painting
Best of Show, Photography
Best of Show, Sculpture
Best of Show, Works on Paper
Best of Show, Digital/Other

* The University of St. Francis Art & Design Scholarship is a 4-year renewable scholarship awarded to one student entering a qualified program in the Art & Design Department at USF in the 2026-27 academic year. To be eligible, students must be seniors in 2026 and will be required to upload a one page statement explaining why they would like to major in art at USF.

RECEPTION & AWARDS

Award winners will be posted at the reception on Saturday, February 14, 2026 from 12-2 p.m. All participating students are encouraged to attend; family, friends and teachers are welcome to join you!
Students must claim their prizes in person at the USF Art Gallery or be represented by listed parent or teacher. No awards will be released to anyone other than the winning student, their teacher or their parent.

PORTFOLIO REVIEW

USF Art & Design faculty will be on-site during the Saturday, February 14, 2025 reception to review portfolios of seniors interested in earning a Talent Scholarship at USF, which are stackable with other scholarship/grant awards you may receive from USF. We have a limited number of Talent Scholarships available to award. Preference is given to students in their senior year who participate in the portfolio review on February 14, 2026.
To schedule a portfolio review appointment, please email Michael "Chester" Alamo-Costello at mcostello@stfrancis.edu. Prepare to bring five (5) or more works with you in digital or physical form.

ARTWORK DROPOFF & PICKUP

Dropoff

Physical works must be dropped off prior to the exhibition at USF's Moser Performing Arts Center Gallery (500 Wilcox Street, Joliet, IL 60435) at the following times:

Wednesday, January 14, 2026 from 3-6 p.m.
Thursday, January 15, 2026 from 3-6 p.m.

Pickup

Physical works must be picked up after the exhibition at USF's Moser Performing Arts Center Gallery (500 Wilcox Street, Joliet, IL 60435) at the following times:

Tuesday, February 24, 2026 from 3-5 p.m.
Wednesday, February 25, 2026 from 3-5 p.m.

QUESTIONS?

Contact Professor Chester Costello at mcostello@stfrancis.edu with questions about dropoffs.

ABOUT YOU

Your Name *

First

Last

Your Home Address

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State

Zip Code

Your (Student) Email Address *

Your (Student) Preferred Phone Number *

Your High School *

Your Grade *

YOUR CONTACTS

Teacher Name *

First

Last

Teacher Email Address *

Parent Name *

First

Last

Parent Email Address *

YOUR SUBMISSION

Are you interested in scheduling a portfolio review? *

Yes
No

You must be a senior in the 2025-26 academic year to be eligible for a portfolio review. You will be required to upload a digital portfolio (2 works) and a one-page statement explaining why you would like to become a University of St. Francis student. If you selected "yes," please email mcostello@stfrancis.edu to express interest and schedule an appointment.

Are you interested in majoring in Art & Design or Visual Arts Education at USF during the 2026-27 academic year? *

Yes
No

If you are interested in majoring in Art & Design or Visual Arts Education at the University of St. Francis, would you like to be considered for the grand prize USF Art & Design Scholarship? *

Yes
No

Artwork Submission

Artwork Submission #1

Artwork #1 Title *

Artwork #1 Medium *

Artwork #1 Description *

Artwork Submission #2

Artwork #2 Title *

Artwork #2 Medium *

Title portfolio a

Artwork #2 Description *

Artwork Upload *

Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload You can upload up to 2 files.

Attachments can be no larger than 10 MB. If your files are larger than 10 MB, please contact Chester Costello at mcostello@stfrancis.edu.

Confirmation *

By checking this box, I confirm that I have read, understood, and agree to abide by all the rules and guidelines of the art contest, including eligibility requirements and submission deadlines. I have read and made note of dates, times and locations to drop off and pick up my work. I understand that it is my responsibility to collect my work after the exhibition. A copy of your responses will be emailed to the address you provided.

WHEN YOU CLICK SUBMIT, YOU'LL RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION OF YOUR SUBMISSION WITH A LINK TO A DOWNLOADABLE FORM THAT SHOULD BE PRINTED FOR EACH WORK YOU SUBMIT, AND ATTACHED SECURELY TO THE BACK OF THE ARTWORK BEFORE DROPPING OFF AT USF.