Madison City PTA
Reflections Art Contest

Explore the Arts and Accept Imperfection with PTA Reflections

Open to all students in Madison City (Alabama) School District.

Entries are due by October 11, 2024.

Each year, over 300,000 students nationwide in Pre-K through Grade 12 create original works of art in response to a student-selected theme. Winners at the district level move on to the Alabama and then National contests and may win college scholarships.

With six different categories there is something for everyone. We look forward to your interpretation of Accepting Imperfection.

Reflections Introduction (2 min)

Reflections History (6 min)

How to enter

Read the rules (PDF) carefully to be sure your planned work meets the requirements.
Create an original work and prepare your entry.
- Dance choreography must be submitted as an MP4 or AVI file under 1,000 MB.
- Film production must be submitted as an MP4 or AVI file under 1,000 MB.
- Literature must be submitted as a PDF file.
- Music composition must be submitted as an MP3 or WAV file under 1,000 MB. Middle and high school students must also submit a score, tabulature, or technical explanation on how the music was written as a PDF file.
- Photography must be submitted as a JPG, JPEG, or PNG file at least 640x960 pixels at 300 dpi.
- Visual arts must be submitted as a series of digital photos of the work as JPEG, JPG, or PNG files.
Complete an entry form (Fillable PDF) or formulário de entradade (PDF)
- Do not write in the top "to be completed by PTA section".
- Scan or take a photo and save as a PDF or image.
Click the appropriate link below to upload your work and entry form. A Google account is required, which can be a parent or student account.
Your work will be judged by experts in the field. Winners will be notified by email in December.

Additional Information

Accessible Arts (Formerly Special Artist)

Students who identify as having a disability and may receive services under IDEA or ADA: Section 504 may enter in the Special Artist Division or in the grade division most closely aligned to their functional abilities.

All works must be original and may not incorporate copyrighted material. Exceptions are dance choreography and film production where copyrighted music may be used which must be cited in the entry form. Additionally, software and AI tools may not provide the primary design of an entry and may only be used to enhance and/or present the work.

Judging

All entries will be judged by experts in the category. Works are judged on three criteria: interpretation of theme, creativity and technique. Interpretation is important; use your artist statement to describe how your work reflects the theme, "Accepting Imperfection".

Recognition

Each school PTA will recognize the top entries from their school for each category and level.

The top entries for each category and level from all Madison City schools will be recognized at a ceremony held by the Madison City Council of PTAs. Winners will be notified by email in December with the event planned for January.

Winning entries at the Madison City level will advance to the State level. Winning entries at the State level will advance to the National level. The Alabama PTA and National PTA will notify winners by email along with any recognition events planned.

Previous Winners

You can see last year's National winners (including several local students) at https://www.pta.org/home/programs/reflections/awards

Forms

Other Resources

You can also find more information on the Alabama PTA Reflections website and the National PTA Reflections website. Please contact us with questions at ptareflections@madisoncity.k12.al.us

Upload Entries

Click the appropriate link below to upload your work and entry form. Please fill out both the Google Form (required for local judging) and upload the official signed Reflections entry form (required to advance to state and national).

A Google account is required, which can be a parent/guardian or student account. You can enter a preferred contact email address which is used if we have any questions and also to invite winners to our recognition event. We recommend you use a parent/guardian email address.

If you have any issues uploading, contact ptareflections@madisoncity.k12.al.us and we will help or make arrangements for an alternative method of submission.

Submit the Next Theme

Each year's Reflections theme is chosen from student entries. Suggest an original theme that will spark fun and creativity for a future National PTA Reflections program year! Submissions are due November 1, 2024. (List of previous themes)

Enter this national search here: Theme Search