Martin Luther King Art Contest

MLK Contest Banner

Martin Luther King Jr

To honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and raise awareness about his accomplishments, and the continued need for social justice work, the City of Bowie Diversity Committee sponsors an annual art contest for Bowie students*. 

The theme for the 2024 contest is "What Happened to the Dream?". This theme encourages students to reflect upon Dr. King’s dream to end racial inequality and poverty and how our nation is impacted by the dream now. The contest flyer is available to circulate to eligible Bowie schools.

Contestants may choose an artistic expression from performing or visual arts. The contest categories are as follows:

  • Elementary (K - 2 and 3 - 5)
  • Middle (6 - 8), and 
  • High School (9 - 12)

Contest Guidelines:

Applications for all grades must be submitted via our online form. Emailed submissions will not be accepted. The deadline to apply is Monday, November 20, 2023, at 5 p.m.

  • Grades K - 2 may download the contest image to color. 
  • Grades 3 - 12 must encompass the theme, be creative, and showcase craftsmanship.  

Artistic Style Categories

Students may choose an artistic style from the two categories.

Performing Arts:

  • Dance, monologue, musical instrument, song, speech, or spoken word.
  • Videos must be uploaded via the link provided and should be no longer than two minutes, or the entry will be disqualified.

Visual Arts:

  • Drawing, painting, mixed media, graphic design, sculpture, or photography.
  • Take a photo of your visual arts submission and upload it in JPEG or PDF format.
  • Only one image per student. 

If the student is selected as a finalist, the printed image should be no smaller than 8.5 x 11" and no larger than 11 x 17".

Students who live within the municipal limits of Bowie or who attend one of the following schools are eligible to participate in City of Bowie contests and programs:

Schools Eligible to Participate in City Contests and Programs
Bowie High School
Cornerstone Christian Academy
Tall Oaks School
Grace Christian School
Benjamin Tasker Middle School
Holy Trinity Episcopal Day School (lower campus )
Samuel Ogle Middle School
St. Pius X Regional School
C. Elizabeth Rieg

Chapel Forge Special Center

Heather Hills Elementary

Kenilworth Elementary

Northview Elementary School

Pointer Ridge Elementary School

Rockledge Elementary School

Yorktown Elementary School

Whitehall Elementary School