EchoArt Art Competit​ion 2025

Your Task

Visual artists must submit an original piece of artwork which directly relates to one of this year's two themes. Both digital art (vector art, digital collages, etc) and high-quality photos of physical artwork (paintings, sketches, etc) may be submitted as long as the file size is under 100 MB.

Your artwork will be evaluated on the art marking criteria (see below) and three winning pieces will be selected from the collective pool of both theme 1 and theme 2.

You may submit entries soon. Alongside an upload of your piece, you must also submit:

• The title of your piece;
• A short explanation of how your piece relates to the theme you chose (180 words maximum);
• Any additional notes you would like to share regarding the creative process, other ideas expressed in your piece, metaphors, etc (if needed).​​

Themes

We have created two themes this year- any artist can compete in any theme of their choosing. All submissions must relate to the theme they pick.

Theme 1: Whimsical World

Remember when you could lose hours building castles in the sand, sketching secret kingdoms, or crafting entire worlds block by block in Minecraft? As we grow older, society tells us to “outgrow” that magic. We’re pushed to focus solely on college applications, future jobs, and the “real world,” like you’re supposed to lock away the playful, creative parts of yourself to “grow up.”

But what if your creativity isn’t escapism?

What if it’s survival?

Stuffing down your imagination and wonder doesn’t make you stronger; it often leaves you feeling lonely, anxious, or burned out. That’s why creating your world matters. Whether you’re sketching, painting, etc, making art is a way to breathe. It lets you design a space where you feel safe, in control, and free to just be. And when you share it? You remind others they’re not alone. That’s healing.

🎨 YOUR MISSION:

Build the world your mental health needs. Imagine:

→ A sky where flying pigs are normal

→ A city where emotions dance in the open

→ A forest that heals burnout with moonlight

→ A school where curiosity > grades

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” This is your moment: grab your brush, pencil, iPad, etc, and channel your inner Steve ( Not Minecraft, this time use real tools). Show us your truth through art, and help raise awareness for youth mental health. 

Theme 2: The Mask and The Mirror

You know that feeling? When you wear the “happy” mask at school, though you’re crumbling inside. When you filter your thoughts, your style, your voice, shrinking to fit into the boxes the world built. “Be confident.” “Don’t be too loud.” “Always have it together.”

But what if the bravest thing you can do…

…is to finally take the mask off?

Pretending drains you. Smiling when you’re breaking inside leaves you lonely. Editing yourself to fit in makes you forget who you truly are. It’s exhausting. Isolating. Like living in a cage you built just to please others.

I’ve worn it too. That exhausting performance of “fine.” Art tears off the mask. It doesn’t judge your messy, magnificent reality. When you unmask your anxiety, your anger, your quiet hope, you permit others to breathe. To say: “This is me. No performance.” That’s how we break stereotypes. That’s how mental health stops being a whispered shame.

So show us what society doesn’t see:

🖌️ YOUR MISSION:

Unmask your truth.

→ The MASK (the you the world demands)

→ The MIRROR (the you that’s hidden, wild, weary, or wondrous)

Imagine:

→ A self-portrait split between “for them” and “for me”

→ A sculpture cracked to show light underneath

→ A comic about the moment you faked a laugh

→ The filter vs. the freckles

→ The costume vs. the scars

Grab your tools. Peel back the layers. Show us the reflection they ignore. This is your moment: grab your brush, pencil, iPad, etc, and sketch your real laugh. Show us your truth through art, and help raise awareness for mental health

Important Dates 重要日期

You may find important submission dates and deadlines below:

1. July 15, 2025 - Theme 1 and 2 are both released.

Come back later for more important dates

Marking Criteria 評分標準

We've standardized a set of criteria which judges will evaluate your pieces on. The three pieces with the highest scores (from both divisions) will be recognized. 

Prizes 獎品

The top 3 artists chosen by our esteemed judges will win special prizes!

Rules and Regulations 規則

In order to ensure fair competition, we have some rules set in place:

為了確保公平競爭，我們制定了一些規則：

1. Eligibility 合格:
2. 1. Anyone is able to submit an artwork for the theme of their choosing.
3. Originality:
4. 1. All artwork must be original and created solely by the submitting artist. The artwork must not have been previously submitted to any other event, competition, or company. 
5. AI Policy:
6. 1. Submissions leveraging any form of artificial intelligence will not be accepted - any suspicious entries will be automatically disqualified.
      
7. Ownership 所有權:
8. 1. The artist retains ownership of their artwork but grants event organizers the right to display and use the artwork for promotional purposes related to this event.
      
9. Content 內容:
10. 1. Artwork must be appropriate for all ages and should not contain offensive, violent, or inappropriate content.
       
11. Submissions 意見書:
12. 1. Each artist may submit only one piece of artwork. 
       
13. Consent 同意:
14. 1. Student category: Participants must provide parental or guardian consent to participate.
    2. Adult category: Participants must confirm they are 18 or older.
       
15. Selection:
16. 1. The top artworks in each category will be selected by a panel of judges. The judges' decisions are final. 
       
17. Display:
18. 1. Selected artworks may be displayed digitally at the Battle of the Bands event. 
       
19. Disqualification 取消資格:
20. 1. Any violation of these terms may result in disqualification. 任何違反這些條款的行為都可能導致取消資格。