High schoolers asked to capture Nebraska’s beauty in annual UNK writing and art contest

KEARNEY – With rolling Sandhills, winding rivers, towering bluffs and colorful prairies, Nebraska’s landscapes offer endless opportunities for reflection.

That idea is at the heart of this year’s Nebraska Emerging Writers and Artists Contest, which invites high school students across the state to explore “Nebraska’s Land, Nature and Memories” through original writing and artwork.

The annual competition celebrates young creators who are inspired by the state’s natural world, encouraging them to share their own experiences or highlight one of the hidden treasures found here.

Participants can submit one composition in a single category – essay, short story, poem or art – with all entries judged by University of Nebraska at Kearney undergraduate students. The art category includes photography, painting, drawing or 3D pieces.

Open to Nebraska high school freshmen through seniors, the contest offers $500 scholarships from the UNK Department of English for first-place winners in each of the writing categories, with runners-up receiving $200 awards. The first- and second-place entries in the art category will receive $100 and $50 in art supplies, respectively.

All winners and runners-up will also be invited to share their work during UNK’s Student Language and Literature Conference in April.

Submissions are due Feb. 13, 2026, and must follow the posted guidelines, including word limits for written work and file-size requirements for artwork. Each art entry should also include a brief statement explaining its connection to the theme.

Students can submit their work at art.unk.edu/contest. For more information, contact Annarose Steinke at [email protected].

The Nebraska Emerging Writers and Artists Contest is sponsored by the UNK English and Art and Design departments, in collaboration with the American Democracy Project, UNK Art Society and Phi Eta Sigma and Sigma Tau Delta honor societies.