Experience theWyland National Art and Classroom Mural Challenge
One of the nation’s top ocean art contests for kids! Presented Nationally by Zenni Optical and Blick Art Materials.
Art Challenge Submissions - Free Canvas 2025
Wyland National Art and Mural Challenge
The Wyland National Art and Mural Challenge is a yearly ocean-themed art contest for kids that runs from October 1st to December 1st. It encourages students across the country to learn about ocean and waterway conservation through art. Students can create their own artwork or work together on murals that show their understanding of important marine conservation issues around the world. Winners can receive prizes for their classrooms and scholarships. The contest aims to help students understand how they can protect water resources and emphasizes the importance of art in connecting kids with nature.
What Makes This Ocean Art Contest Unique?
Unlike typical art competitions, the Wyland ocean art contest empowers students to engage with real-world environmental issues. Whether working solo or with classmates on a large-scale mural, students use their creative talents to reflect on topics like marine debris, habitat loss, and the importance of clean water.
Art with a Purpose: Conservation Through Creativity
This ocean art contest isn’t just about art—it’s about impact. Through the process of creating, students learn how their everyday actions affect the environment. The contest is designed to spark a sense of ownership and responsibility, helping students understand their role in protecting the planet, starting with our oceans.
Prizes That Go Beyond the Canvas
Winners of the Wyland National Art and Mural Challenge receive classroom supplies, scholarships, and national recognition. But the biggest reward? A deeper understanding of ocean conservation and the power of art to influence change.
Why Join the Wyland Ocean Art Contest?
Participation helps schools reinforce science, sustainability, and the arts in one integrated experience. It’s also a chance for students to connect emotionally with environmental issues—something traditional lessons often can’t achieve. With over 500 schools participating across 45 states, the impact of this ocean art contest is growing every year.
THREE AREAS TO WIN:
Images of your artwork are submitted for judging, not the actual artwork. Images can be uploaded beginning October 1st. The theme of the Art Challenge is environmental and water conservation. Teachers are invited to encourage their students to highlight conservation and participate in all three categories: classroom mural, individual art, and photography.
1. Classroom Mural:
Discover the magic of artistic collaboration! Work together as a class to create a 4-foot by 8-foot (or larger) mural. Three classrooms will win $500 for art supplies from Blick Art Materials.
2. Individual Art:
Bring out your inner Rembrandt! Individual pieces of art, in any medium, supporting the theme of the class mural. One 11th or 12th-grade winner will win a $500 scholarship. Additional winners from each grade level will receive a $50 gift card for art supplies from Blick Art Materials. (mural participation not required for individual art entries)
3. Individual Photography:
Share your focus on the world! Capture a moment of nature. One 11th or 12th-grade winner will win a $250 scholarship. An additional winner will win a $50 gift card.
You Can Help Keep Our Ocean and Waterways Healthy and Flowing for Future Generations
Over thirty years ago, Wyland reignited the movement to protect our marine mammals and coasts with his lifesize series of monumental murals in over one hundred cities around the world. Today, his legacy has expanded with the work of the Wyland Foundation.
Today, our mission is to help people understand one simple truth: 80% of ocean pollution starts on land — often hundreds of miles away. Yet fewer than 1 in 10 Americans know how runoff from lawns, streets, and irrigation flows through storm drains and rivers, harming our coasts and marine life.
Through mobile science centers, custom classroom lessons, and city-wide challenges, we bring clean water education and action directly to schools, neighborhoods, and city halls. Because if we want to protect water quality and stop ocean pollution at the source - it starts with us.
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"Teachers inspired my love for our oceans and environment. Let's pay it forward to the next generation."
