Published on December 19th, 2025
Last modified December 19th, 2025 02:45 pm
Virginia’s Community Colleges are inviting students to enter the 2025-2026 Visual Art Luminary and Poet Laureate Competition. “I Dream” is the theme for 2025-2026 competitions.
The competitions provide students with the opportunity to express themselves creatively, verbally, and visually. Each college will select its own poet laureate and visual art luminary. College winners will advance to the state competition, scheduled for March at Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke.
Both the Visual Art Luminary award and the Poet Laureate competition are open to all students who are in the service region of Southwest Virginia Community College (Russell, Tazewell, Buchanan and Dickenson counties). To be eligible for advancement for the state competition, students must be enrolled at least part-time in adult education, dual enrollment/early college, workforce credential, certificate, or degree programs at a participating Virginia Community College in Summer 2025, Fall 2025, and/or Spring 2026.
Applicants may submit materials only to the college within their region as they may receive college and service region invitations. Dual enrollment or early college students under age 18 must be able to secure parental permission.
ACCEPTED WORKS
Visual Arts: The competition is open to the following types of work: drawing, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics. We are unable to accept works of video, film, performance art, jewelry, or craft. Artworks created using artificial intelligence (AI-ART) are not eligible.
Poet Laureate: The competition is open to poems and prose poems. Works created with the assistance of artificial intelligence are not eligible.
The “I Dream”-inspired work should be created in 2025-early 2026.
Submissions should not be sexually explicit, violent, or racist.
Key Dates:
February 1: Applications due for local competition – online
February 15: Artworks and poems due to SWCC
March 1: Winners due to State Competition – online application
Wednesday, March 4, 12pm: Award and Recognition ceremony for local winners, KCC Gallery
March 1-April 1: Artworks on show in KCC Art Gallery
March 27, 2026: Poet Laureates and Visual Art Luminaries arrive in Roanoke for private interviews with judges, stage time, and professional development sessions. Interview times will be available no later than February.
March 28, 2026: Poet laureate performance event, which is free and open to the public. Exhibit of available visual art are unveiled. Public gets to vote on a People’s Choice Award.
Applications:
Dual Enrollment and SWCC students’ application: Visual Art Luminary & Poet Laureate – Application
High School students’ application: Visual Art Luminary & Poet Laureate – High School Application