2026 Young Artists Contest
April 1 - May 31
We invite our young visitors to explore their creativity with our 3rd annual Young Artists Contest!
We invite our young visitors to explore their creativity with our third annual Young Artists Contest! Starting April 1st, come visit our two exhibitions, “Betty and Barney,” which tells the fascinating life stories of a New Hampshire couple who believed they were abducted by aliens, and “Contemporary Currents,” which features many local artists across different mediums, and find a piece that inspires you. Take that inspiration, create your own piece of writing or visual art, and submit it to our contest to be eligible for a prize, which includes a gift certificate from Nahcotta!
Submissions are broken down into the following age divisions:
Ages 7 – 10
Ages 11 – 14
Ages 15 – 18
Ages 7 – 10
Ages 11 – 14
Ages 15 – 18
A winner and an honorable mention will be chosen for each age division in the categories of writing and visual art. Winners and honorable mentions will have the opportunity for their work to be displayed at the Portsmouth Historical Society.
The contest will be open from April 1st through May 31st. There will be a reception for all entrants and their families at the Historical Society at 5:30pm on June 9, 2026.
What kind of art can I submit?
Writing: Short stories, poems, plays/dialogue, newspaper articles, essays, imagined interviews, and more are all potential options! Writing submissions have a max word count of 2,000. Visual Art: Any medium can be submitted, including (but not limited to) paint, colored pencils, charcoal, pastels, photography, collage, etc. Visual art will need to be photographed to be submitted. Please make sure your artwork is well lit and against a plain background. Have another idea? Reach out to sarah@portsmouthhistory.org with any questions!
How do I submit my art?
You can fill out our submission form online, or print out a paper form and drop it off or mail it to the Historical Society. Entries should be mailed to: Portsmouth Historical Society Sarah Robbitts-Terry 10 Middle Street Portsmouth, NH 03801 We can’t wait to see your work!
Is there a limit to number of submissions?
Each artist may submit up to three pieces of art, but each piece must be submitted with a separate form.
Thank you to our prize sponsors:
