What is the Hartford Creative Contest?

DEADLINE = MARCH 7, 2025

The Hartford Creative Contest is an annual competition open to all students attending schools, as well as those students who reside in Hartford and attend school in another Town or City.

The Contest is open to students in grades 4-12.

The Hartford Creative Contest has grown and expanded over the years, and now accepts both essays and poems for written submissions, and artwork for those who prefer that medium.

Each year, the Board decides upon 3 or 4 “prompts” which the students must use as the basis for their work. Essays and poems must relate to one of the prompts, and all artwork must have a short written component identifying the prompt to which it relates.

All submissions are judged on their creativity and responsiveness. There are cash awards for each type of submission by age group. For example, there is a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner for Essayists in Grades 4 – 6, for Poets in Grades 4 – 6, and for Artists in Grades 4 – 6. And so on. Each winner is published in the annual Awards Book, and will receive a copy as a keepsake.

The best submission amongst all of the categories is awarded the Grand Prize which, in 2024-25, is $750.00.

Awards

Deadline is March 7, 2025 at midnight p.m.

All you need is your imagination! Grab your pencil or paint, choose a prompt, and get started.

For further assistance, you may email us: HartfordCreativeContest@gmail.com

Call us at 860-236-1111

Speak to your Teacher.

Guidelines

Accepted submissions can be in the form of an essay, poem, or artwork. All entries must relate directly to one of the above topics and follow these guidelines:

Essays

Must be TYPED on standard 8.5 X 11” paper.
Minimum = 400 words and Maximum = 1,200 words

Poetry

Must be TYPED on standard 8.5 X 11” paper.
Must not exceed 2 pages.

Visual Art

Must be on paper or canvas no larger than 18 X 24”. Upon submission of a copy, you will be provided instructions for delivering the original to a location in Hartford.

ALL ARTWORK must be accompanied by a short paragraph relating to the topic chosen.

ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE ENTRANT’S ORIGINAL WORK, NOT PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AND WITHOUT ANY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) CONTRIBUTIONS

Judging & Awards

All work will be evaluated based on content, creativity and originality.

Deadline, March 7, 2025

The grades are divided into 3 broad categories, as shown below.

Grades 4 – 6
Grades 7 – 9
Grades 10 – 12

There will be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards given in each grade category for each type of submission: Essays, Poems and Visual art.

Award Ceremony

TBD (May 2025)

The Award Ceremony is open to winners and two guests

Award Ceremony Location:

The Mark Twain House

351 Farmington Avenue

Hartford

FAQ

Who is eligible for the contest?

To enter the Hartford Creative Contest you must be a Hartford resident in grades 4-12 or you must be a non Hartford resident attending a Hartford school.

What are the prompts this year?

When did you realize
climate change was
a problem, not just for
the world, but for you
personally?
What does fairness and
equality mean to you?
How would you like to make a
difference in your community or
in the wider world?

What kind of submissions are eligible?

Essays, Poems, & Visual Art

How to Enter?

To enter the Hartford Creative Contest you must:

be a Hartford resident in or you must attend a Hartford school.
be a student between the Grades of 4 and 12.
create an original essay, poem, or piece of artwork that responds to one of this year’s prompts.
proofread and make sure your work is the best it can be.
And then…SUBMIT! electronically through this website.

NOTE: If you have created a piece of visual art, you should electronically submit a photograph of your work and deliver the original to The Mark Twain House, 351 Farmington Avenue, Hartford or Beckett Law, LLC, 543 Prospect Avenue, Hartford.

Call 860-236-1111 with any questions.