The AKC National Art Contest encourages young artists to celebrate their love of dogs through creative expression. Youth ages 5-18 are invited to submit unique artwork that adheres to the guidelines below. The 2025 contest opens on May 12, 2025 and closes on October 29, 2025.
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Rules & Guidelines
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Download and print the flyer linked below to share with schools, summer camps, homeschoolers, art clubs, and other interested parties.
Requirements:
- Artists must be between the ages of 5 and 18 at the time of submission
- Art must represent the theme “dog shows”
- Artwork must be completed on a flat 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper
- Medium: Drawing, painting, or mixed media
- The art must be original and not have been entered into any previous or other current contests
- Age Categories: 5-8, 9-12, 13-15, and 16-18
- Entry must be completed online via Jotform by parent or legal guardian 18 years or older
- All entries are due by September 29, 2025 by 11:59 PM ET
- Judging Criteria: creativity (40%), fit to the theme (30%), quality of art (30%)
Winners & Finalists:
- First-place winners will receive a $50 gift card
- Finalists and first-place winners will have their artwork featured in an online exhibition on AKC.org
- First-place winners will have their physical artwork displayed at the Museum of the Dog in NYC
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Second Place Winners
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Congratulations to the 2025 AKC National Art Contest Second Place Winners!
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- Sophie Zhao Age 6
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- Beau Stapleton Age 12
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- Chloe Bales Age 15
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- Catherine Price Age 17
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Finalists
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Congratulations to the 2025 AKC National Art Contest finalists!
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- Austin Fang Age 5
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- Grace Wang Age 6.5
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- Grace Booth Age 9
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- Abigail Kim Age 11
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- Beatrice Bernhard Age 13
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- Reina Fortman Age 14
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- Aditi Ranjan Age 16
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- Jayla Sikes Age 16
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Check Back in the spring of 2026 for the next AKC National Art Contest!
Click here to access the entry form
If you have any questions, please email publiced@akc.org