Skip to Main Content

2020–21 Academic Decathlon Art Competition Open for Entries

Overall Winner’s Art to Be Featured in Promotion of Countywide Event

Collage of previous winning artwork

Winning artwork, like these examples from previous years, will be featured in the promotion of the premier scholastic competition. This year’s Academic Decathlon will focus on The Cold War.

Posted October 5, 2020

The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) is launching its Sacramento County Academic Decathlon Student Art Competition for the 2020–21 school year. The annual art competition helps to promote arts education throughout the county and is used to attract student artwork that publicizes the countywide scholastic rivalry, scheduled for February 2021.

Students from any high school in Sacramento County are encouraged to submit an entry, and art teachers may also use this as a class project. The artwork is carefully reviewed by a panel of judges. A top award for “Overall Excellence” will be given, plus awards for “Concept and Content,” and “Aesthetics and Design.” There will also be up to three “Honorable Mention” awards.

Overview of Requirements

This year’s Academic Decathlon theme is “The Cold War.” All art competition entries should tie into that theme and must have the following characteristics:

  • Original, hand-created or computer-generated artwork, or a combination of the two.
  • Visually impactful, clearly communicating the theme.
  • Vertical, 11" x 17" size.
  • Easily reproduced on t-shirts and posters. (Complex designs with a lot of blending or shading may not work well.)
  • At least 300 DPI resolution for electronic files—including any embedded images.
  • No text related to Academic Decathlon. (SCOE will add theme, date, and location information to promotional materials.)

A physical, 11" x 17" piece must be submitted to enter the competition—even if the artwork is created digitally. (Please save electronic files, but do not submit them with your entry. If the winning design is created electronically, the artist will be asked to submit their original, electronic file, as well as a PDF.)

Deadline

All entries must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, November 20, 2020. They should be shipped, along with a completed entry form and artist statement, to:

SCOE Academic Decathlon Office
10150 Missile Way
Mather, CA 95655

For questions or additional information, please email or call Coordinator Craig Irish: (916) 228-2660.