We love where you live and we want to see your community through your eyes (and art)! The MML Foundation is calling on Michigan youth artists (ages 5-18) to submit original artwork that reflects what you love about your city, village, or township and features multiple elements that represent what makes it unique.
Who can participate?
Residents of Michigan Municipal League Member communities who are between ages five (5) and eighteen (18) at time of entry are eligible to enter. For children that are going to school in a member community, they may participate as well. There may be no help from adults or AI with any part of the piece. Due to the wide range of ages, we will be offering three age categories for entry: ages 5-10, ages 11-14, and ages 15-18 respectively.
Who cannot enter?
- Adults
- Youth artists who do not live in Michigan
- Children of Michigan Municipal League or MML Foundation employees
What should my artwork include?
We are looking for artwork that illustrates your community! The image should represent the identity of your city, village, or township – that is, what makes your community special. When people think of your community what comes to mind? Is your community famous for a landmark or a festival? Is there an iconic skyline or nature that you think of? Show us what makes your place unique! Artwork should try to capture not just what is special to you personally, but what is special to your entire community. What kinds of things might someone visiting see or enjoy? Ideally, the artwork should illustrate things that bring people together and that your community is proud of. We'd like to see multiple elements that reflect your community identity incorporated into the design.
What types of art are allowed?
- Paintings
- Drawings and illustrations (pen, pencil, charcoal, markers, crayons, etc.)
- Digital art (must not use AI, raw files must be provided upon request)
What is not allowed?
- Photography
- Sculpture
- 3D Art
- Collages
- AI Generated Images/AI Assisted Artwork
Rules & Guidelines
Eligibility: Only one (1) entry per person is permitted.
Age & Residency: Artists must be between the ages of 5 and 18 at the time of submission and must reside or go to school in a Michigan Municipal League member community.
Original Work: All artwork must be the original creation of the entrant. Entries must not have been previously published and must not include profanity, trademarks, copyrighted materials or logos of any business organization, or individual other than the artist.
Submission Deadline: Artwork must be submitted via the official submission form no later than 5:00 p.m. (ET) on May 15, 2026. Incomplete, late, or improperly submitted entries will not be considered.
Permission to Use Artwork: By submitting an entry, the entrant and, if applicable, the entrant’s parent or legal guardian, grant to the MML Foundation an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, royalty‑free, and non‑exclusive license to display, photograph, film, record, reproduce, adapt, edit, publish, distribute, broadcast, and otherwise use the submitted artwork, in whole or in part, alone or in composite, in any media now known or hereafter developed. Such uses may include, without limitation, promotional, educational, fundraising, and commercial purposes, including the sale of items featuring the artwork. No compensation shall be due to the entrant, any related participant, or any other person for such use.
Publicity: The entrant and parent or legal guardian consent to the use of the entrant’s first name, age, and the city, township, or village depicted in the artwork in connection with any permitted use of the artwork, without notice, inspection, approval, or compensation.
Parental Consent: Artists under the age of 18 must submit a signed parental or guardian consent form with their entry.
Independent Creation: Artwork must be created entirely by the youth artist. Adults (including teachers, parents, or guardians) may provide guidance by discussing the prompt but may not participate in the physical or digital creation of the artwork.
Artificial Intelligence: The use of generative AI tools in the creation of artwork is strictly prohibited.
Disqualification: The MML Foundation reserves the right to disqualify any entry that does not comply with these rules or that contains false or misleading information.
No Purchase Necessary: No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win.
League Affiliated Youth: Family of Michigan Municipal League and MML Foundation employees are not eligible for entry.
Notification of Winners: Winners will be notified by email in June 2026.
Waiver and Release of Liability: By submitting an entry, the entrant and parent or legal guardian release, discharge, and agree to hold harmless the MML Foundation and its officers, directors, employees, agents, representatives, successors, assigns, and any persons or entities acting under its authority from any and all claims, demands, damages, liabilities, or causes of action arising out of or related to the use, reproduction, distribution, or display of the artwork or Art Reproductions.
Agreement to Rules: Submission of an entry constitutes acceptance of all competition rules and decisions made by the MML Foundation, which are final.
How do I enter?
To enter, you must complete the submission form below. If you are under 18, this will require signed parent/guardian consent. The deadline to submit is May 15, 2026 at 5 pm EST.
Submitted artwork should be a high quality, scanned version of the art rather than photography of the work. This ensures your work showcased in the best possible way. If your artwork is selected as a winner, we may request the original copy of your artwork if the original submission is not clear.
How are the winners decided?
Entries will be evaluated by an internal panel of judges comprised of Michigan Municipal League & MML Foundation staff and will be reviewed for:
- Originality and Creativity
- Adherence to submission rules and guidelines
- Alignment with theme/prompt including the incorporation of multiple elements of community identity.
- Artistic Skill
- Totality of design and ability to be produced as a shirt
What are the prizes?
Three winners will be selected from each age category in addition to one popular vote winner selected from all entrants. In addition, the three first place winners will have their art featured on t-shirts produced by the MML Foundation. Profits from future shirt sales will benefit the foundation’s programming and community grantmaking.
First place winners will receive $200 and a copy of the shirt featuring their art!
Second place winners will receive $100.
Third place winners will receive $50.
The winner of the popular vote will receive $200.
Additional Resources
Leading Conversations with Children
- PBS Kids For Parents: Connecting Children to Their Neighborhoods: Deepening a Sense of Belonging
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): Teaching Children About Their Community
- DiamondsMomTreasury: 6 Ways To Help Children Learn More About The Communities Around Them
- MI Place: National Historic Landmarks