Student Art Competition
Calling all aspiring student artists! Cal State LA invites you to share your creativity as part of our Investiture celebration. Aligned with the theme “We Are LA: Empowering Dreams, Transforming Lives,” this student art competition is your chance to reflect on how your Cal State LA experience has shaped your journey. Submissions will be judged on creativity, relevance, originality, emotional impact, and the strength of your artist’s statement.
Artwortk will be displayed:
WEDNESDAY
AUGUST 20, 2025
3 - 7 p.m.
The Luckman Street of the Arts
All entries will be submitted digitally and showcased during the Campus Day Celebration, where the Cal State LA community is invited to vote for their top three choices. Selected artists will earn prizes, university-wide recognition, with the first-place prize earning the opportunity to have their work exhibited on campus.
More than a competition, this is a celebration of student voice, artistic expression, and the powerful connection between Cal State LA and the city it represents and serves.
Kindly review the Submission Guidelines below to ensure your entry meets all requirements. When you're ready to participate in the art competition, simply click the Submit Your Artwork button below.
Submit Your Artwork
All submissions must be sent by August 13, 2025, at 11:59 AM.
Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.
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The Student Art Competition is an affiliated event with University Convocation and Investiture of Berenecea Johnson Eanes, Ph.D. as the Ninth President of California State University, Los Angeles. For more information about University Convocation and Investiture, please visit the event webpage.
We Are LA:
Empowering Dreams,
Transforming Lives
Submission Guidelines
- Open to all currently enrolled students of Cal State LA in Fall 2025 Semester
- Participants submit individually
- All Participants must have a Cal State LA Email and CIN number
- Art Format: Accepted mediums include two-dimensional works: digital art, painting, drawing, photography, mixed media, and collage- please note it must be converted into a digital art file.
- Digital Submission: All artworks must be submitted in high-resolution digital format (JPEG or PNG, 300 DPI minimum).
- Size/Format: 16 by 14 in, Portrait Style. (Please note that all borders may be cut off by ½ inch but final art will be displayed in full.
- Original Work: All entries must be original and created specifically for this contest.
- Title & Description: Each submission must include:
- A title for the piece.
- A brief artist statement (max 100 words) explaining how the work relates to the theme.
- Name of the artist, pronouns, college / major, and hometown
- Artwork will be displayed without any identifiable traits of the artist to ensure a blind and fair competition.
- Artworks must reflect the theme “Empowering Dreams & Transforming Lives”—inspiring hope, growth, transformation, or the pursuit of goals while or because of Cal State LA education
- Submissions will be judged on creativity, thematic relevance, originality, and impact.
- A panel of faculty and staff will review the submissions to ensure they adhere to the art competition guidelines.
The following are strictly not allowed and will result in immediate disqualification:
- Depictions of violence, blood, or gore.
- Profanity, nudity, or sexually explicit content.
- Hate speech, discriminatory messages, or offensive imagery based on race, gender, religion, nationality, or orientation.
- Plagiarized content will not be accepted.
- If the eligible submissions exceed 50 in total, a faculty and staff judging committee will convene and review all submissions using a judging criteria sheet
- In this art competition, judges will evaluate submissions across five categories. Creativity reflects how imaginatively visual elements are used. Thematic Relevance assesses how clearly the piece connects to the given theme. Originality rewards fresh ideas and distinctive artistic voice. Emotional Impact considers the strength of feeling or thought the work evokes in viewers. Finally, Artist Statement is judged based on how well the artist communicates their intent, creative process, and connection to the theme. Each category will be scored on a scale of 1–7, with 1 being fair and 7 being excellent. Thoughtful, authentic work is encouraged.
- Entries will be showcased at During Campus Day Celebration and may receive prizes and certificates.
- All community members will be allowed to choose their top three art pieces to vote on.
- 1st Place
- Art will be purchased by the University at a set price of $500
- $150 Gift Card
- Art Displayed in the USU on Canvas
- Certificate of Achievement
- Social Media
- 2nd Place
- $150 Gift Card
- Certificate of Achievement
- Social Media
- 3rd Place
- $100 Gift Card
- Certificate of Achievement
- Social Media
- Honorable Mentions
- $50 Gift Card | $25 Gift Card
- Certificate of Achievement
- Social Media
- 1st Place
- Artists retain ownership of their work but will allow Cal State LA to use for promotional or fundraising purposes.
- By submitting, artists grant Cal State LA permission to use images of their art for promotional, exhibition, marketing, products and educational purposes (with credit given). Any proceeds generated from the art, will be put forth towards unrestricted student scholarships and faculty research.
