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Important dates for 2026-2027
Final works of art and entry form due: October 14, 2026
What is the Reflections program?
The Reflections program was founded by Mary Lou Anderson in 1969 and provides students an opportunity for recognition and access to the arts which boosts student confidence and success in the arts and in life. Each year, students from pre-K through grade 12 create and submit original art work that will be judged in response to a theme. This program is sponsored by PTA councils across the county.
The Apex Friendship Elementary PTA will submit the highest scoring works of art to the Wake County PTA Reflections for judging at the county level.
What arts categories are available?
Students may submit original works of art in any of the six categories (click a category link to access applicable rules and guidelines for each):
How do I get started?
Step 1: The student reflects on the theme "What My Culture Means to Me" and determines how to best translate their ideas, thoughts, and interpretation of the theme into an original piece of art. Learn more about this year's theme here. We encourage students to carefully consider their artwork before creating and submitting the final piece(s).
Step 2: Students may select from the six different categories (detailed above) to express their idea.
Step 3: Students must adhere to the specific guidelines for the art(s) category they select. While students may submit works of art across multiple categories, only one work of art per category is permitted.
We encourage both parents and students to read and fully understand the general rules of the competition, which can be found on this site. These rules will serve as a guideline for your student and will lead you through the process.
Step 4: Create!
How do I submit my art work?
Step 5: Once all guidelines have been met, complete this Entry Form no later than October 14, 2026 to officially enter the competition. If your student DOES NOT complete an entry form in its entirety, they may be ineligible to continue in the competition.
This Student Entry Form will ask your child to complete an artist statement. This short paragraph will allow the student to express how they developed the concept for their artwork. Please be sure that your student, to the best of their ability, completes the statement as it is a critical element to the judging process. If the artist statement is omitted, this will significantly impact the student's final score.
Note: If you are not able to submit the artwork online, please email afesptareflections@gmail.com BEFORE the due date to avoid missing the deadline.
*Accepted file formats vary based on category. Acceptable file formats for each category can be found in the category guidelines linked above.
What happens during and after the judging process?
All original works of art will be categorized in the following three divisions for judging:
Primary (Grades Pre-K-2)
Intermediate (Grades 3-5)
Accessible Arts (see note below)
Judges will score all art according to the following criteria:
Artistic vision to portray the theme (i.e., the artist statement is important here)
Originality and creativity
Artist merit
Note: The Accessible Arts category offers modified rules and guidelines for students with disabilities who receive services under IDEA or ADA: Section 504.
How are winners selected?
The top twelve (12) winners from both categories, Primary and Intermediate (24 total), will proceed to the county-level phase of the competition and will be notified by the Apex Friendship Elementary Reflections committee.
Any student who wins at the county level will proceed to the state-level competition and will be notified by the Wake County PTA committee.
All participants, regardless of placement in the competition, will be recognized in a ceremony in the spring.
Who should I contact with questions?
For questions, please contact afesptareflections@gmail.com.
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