SCHOOL ART PROGRAM
ABOUT
For more than 50 years, the School Art Program has challenged students and schools to think outside the box. The program provides students, Pre-K through 12th grade, the opportunity to compete in district shows, earn scholarships, travel to summer workshops and display artwork in the Hayloft Gallery during the Rodeo. Schools also have a chance to receive a Super Show award for their outstanding participation. Currently, the School Art Program supports approximately 130 different school districts, including private and parochial schools, in the Houston area. Each year, the Rodeo receives thousands of entries from talented young Texans.
SCHOOL ART CONTESTS
School Art Contest Guidelines & Downloads
In January, schools participating in the School Art Program compete in district shows judged by the Show’s School Art Committee. The artwork is divided into three categories: elementary, junior high and high school.
Best of Show, Gold Medal and Special Merit awards are selected in each category. All work is eligible for the Show’s School Art Auction.
2024-2025 School Art Program Rules & Regulations
2024-2025 School Art Open House Presentation
2025 Student ID & Affidavit
2025 High School Source Form
2025 Junior High Source Form
2025 Release of Liability & Indemnity Agreement/Originality Certification Form
2025 Artwork ID Card
2025 Photo Bank Instructions
Graphic Design Contest
In the Graphic Design Contest, students are encouraged to create a graphic design of a Western art-themed poster advertising the Rodeo’s School Art program. Entries are judged on originality, creativity, skill and effectiveness. Winning entries receive a cash award, and the overall winning design is printed and distributed to schools enrolled in the Rodeo’s School Art Program.
CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS ART CONTESTS
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ School Art Committee hosts art contests at area children’s hospitals, including Texas Children’s Hospital and the University of Texas MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital. These contests give children who are confined to hospitals for a time the chance to think beyond their hospital rooms by exploring their imagination and expressing themselves through art.
The annual events are held during January. Beginning in October, the patients and their siblings create artwork that is judged by School Art Committee judges. Each young artist receives a ribbon, and the top two pieces of artwork in each age group are awarded a Best of Show or Gold Medal. The winning artwork is displayed in the Hayloft Gallery at NRG Center during the Show.
Quick Draw
Like barrel racing in the rodeo arena, the Quick Draw Contest is a competition against the clock. The contestants each are given an 11-by-14-inch piece of paper to sketch their masterpiece in 50 minutes. The contest is split into two divisions: still life drawings for junior high and portrait or full-figure for high school.
Contestants do not have to be enrolled in an art class, but must be attending a school registered with the Show’s School Art Program. The winners are displayed in the Hayloft Gallery during the Show.
WORKSHOPS
Nothing can replace hands on experience, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo School Art Program allows students to gain valuable time at prestigious workshops.
GLASSELL SCHOOL OF ART
Located in the nation’s fourth largest city, with a vibrant art scene, students can learn at the respected Glassell School of Art connected with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The Glassell School of Art offers students two different programs, Glassell Junior School and Glassell Advanced Portfolio Preparation program.
The Glassell Junior School is available to students, kindergarten through 12th grade, who received Best of Show, Gold Medal or Special Merit awards and who qualify through an application process that is based on the student’s academic, extracurricular and artistic success. The students are chosen by the Show’s School Art Committee. The instructional classes range from drawing and painting, to video and animation, to ceramics and fashion design. The classes meet for two hours per day for one week during the summer or one hour per week for 14 weeks in the fall.
Students in eighth through 11th grade have the opportunity to participate in the 14-week Advanced Portfolio Preparation program, with specialized attention in two-dimensional and three-dimensional visual arts. The outstanding students must be recommended by their teachers and are chosen by the Glassell School of Art. The program offers students hands-on experience to establish a portfolio while developing skills and a work ethic for future success.
WESTERN ART ACADEMY
The Western Art Academy in Kerrville, Texas, gives students a rare opportunity to receive advanced art instruction, as well as prepare for college. Schreiner University directs the four-week immersion program and offers students college credit upon completion of the coursework. The workshop gives talented students an exciting chance to receive personal instruction in oil painting, drawing and sculpting from respected professional artists and to enjoy outside activities, including field trips to local art studios
Application forms are given to all ninth, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students who are Best of Show, Gold Medal, or Special Merit winners in the annual School Art competition. Representatives of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo School Art Committee interview qualifying applicants and review their applications and artwork portfolios. Winners are announced at the School Art Program awards ceremony during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
CONTACT US
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
NRG Center
3 NRG Park
Houston, Texas 77054
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 832.667.1068