Color & Chords is a youth-led organization that aims to provide young creative minds with constructive advice in order to foster an interest in the arts and help students polish their skills free of charge.  We specialize in music, art, and writing.

Music

Regional

• ILMEA All-State (deadline September-October 2026) - Illinois only, but all states in the US have their own version of all-state

National

• Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (deadline February 2026) - Musicians compete in 3-6 person ensembles for cash prizes at Notre Dame.

• Kennedy Center VSA (deadline January 2026)- Competition for musicians with disabilities (qualified under ADA definitions) for ages 14-25.

• Musical Chairs (ongoing)- Website with competitions for each musical instrument.

Art

Regional

• Congressional Art Competition (deadline varies by school district)- American high schoolers are eligible to compete.

National

• Scholastic Art and Writing Competition (deadline January 2026)- Hosts 19 different art contests including jewelry, ceramics, photography, and drawing.

• National PTA Reflections Program (deadline varies by area) -  Accepts original submissions from grades K-12 in response to a student-created theme.

• Ocean Awareness Contest (deadline June 8, 2026) - This year's theme is exploring how the ocean "sustains, protects, and inspires you and your community." 

• Color Art Competition (deadline January 15, 2026)- $15 admissions fee with up to 10 submissions per person

Writing

National

• Scholastic Art and Writing Competition (deadline January 2026)- Hosts 10 different writing contests including journalism, screenplay, and flash fiction

• NYT Writing Contests (ongoing)- Hosts 8 competitions during different parts of the year that focus on various topics including AI, podcasts, opinions, etc.

• The Letter Review (tri-monthly)- A contest occurring every 3 months in the categories of short fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and books

• Fairytale & Myths Competition (January 5th-January 26, 2026)-  Write a 400-1000 word piece on fairytales, myths,  or folktales for a cash prize

• Future Scholar Foundation (monthly)- Write a short story based on the new prompt given every month