Energy
Art Challenge

KidWind calls upon students anywhere in Kindergarten through 12th grade to create artwork about the theme Solar POWERED.

Six entries from each grade division (Elementary (K-5), Middle School (6-8), and High School (9-12)) will be selected to have their work displayed on the KidWind website and receive an award. 

All artwork must be submitted through the online form below by 12pm PST March 2, 2026. 

Early submissions are encouraged and may be temporarily displayed on this webpage. Notifications of selection will be announced March 27th.

This is KidWind’s third annual Energy Art Challenge and we are excited to continue the event!

Guidelines

  • Participation is free!
  • Only K-12th grade students may participate.
  • Only one submission per student.
  • Artwork must speak to the theme of Solar POWERED.
  • Artwork can be any size, as long as it can be captured in an image for submission. For example, the entirety of 3D art must be displayed in the submitted image.
  • Original hand-made artwork only. No digitally created artwork.
  • No adult assistance in the creation of the artwork allowed.
  • All hand-made mediums (drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, printmaking, textile arts, etc.) are accepted using any media (pencil, crayon, markers, watercolor, acrylic, linocut, rubber, fabric, foil, etc) generated by the artist.
  • Pre-made illustrations not from the artist, cannot be used.
  • Mixed media artwork is acceptable (ex. Collage and painting together).
  • A teacher, coach, parent, or guardian must fill out the form linked below and provide contact information. The adult can submit applications for an unlimited number of students.

Key Dates

  • Submissions Open: November 3, 2025 – March 2, 2026
  • Submission Deadline: Before 12pm PST on March 2, 2026, using the submission form linked below.
  • Winners Announced: March 27, 2026

Selection Criteria

Submissions will be evaluated by grade level and according to the following criteria:

CRITERIA POINTS DESCRIPTION
Quality of Submitted Image 10 pts Is the photo submitted of the artwork straight, no glares, no warp, no shadow, no filters, in focus, background cropped so the artwork takes up most of the image? Do not digitally alter the image.
Theme 30 pts Does it follow the theme Solar POWERED?
Knowledge & Understanding 30 pts Does the artwork display the basics of solar energy? Does it demonstrate an accurate understanding of how solar energy works?
Creativity 30 pts Is the artwork well done? Does it have nice color, lines, composition, and content? Does the artwork evoke emotion?

Awards and Recognition

Each grade division (Elementary (K-5), Middle School (6-8), and High School (9-12)) will have six winners, for a total of 18.

Winners will receive:

  • Award sent to artist.
  • Artwork displayed on the KidWind Wind Energy Art Challenge webpage.

This year's winners will be decided by KidWind staff.

Resources and Inspiration to Get You Started

U.S. Department of Energy Energy 101: Solar PV
U.S. Department of Energy Energy 101: Concentrating Solar Power

Two short videos highlighting the basic principles of solar energy, and how the various components work to capture and convert solar energy to electricity.

U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Basics

A webpage about the basics of solar energy with helpful links for further research.

KidWind Understanding Forms and Sources of Energy lesson

Lesson about the differences between forms and sources of energy to gain an understanding of the main types of energy—kinetic and potential, and the differences between forms of energy, including radiant, thermal, and mechanical.

Climate Change Artist Nicole Kelner

Watercolor and drawing artist Nicole Kelner creates educational art to inspire climate action.

Artists and Climate Change Photovoltaic Poetics

Article about artists making art about energy, electricity, and solar energy. Check out the other art and articles on the Artists and Climate Change website too.

Creative Suggestions

Here are some creative suggestions to help you think about Solar POWERED:

  • Solar energy can be illustrated by solar panels (photovoltaics), solar heating systems, solar water heating systems, circuits, batteries, energy storage facilities, etc. Think of the time of day, the location. Are there more than one?
  • Consider a drawing of the inner workings of solar panels, or how you imagine it works.
  • Imagine what something invisible, like solar energy, looks like.
  • Consider drawing a solar panel in a pattern or in a way that is abstract.
  • Solar energy can be shown through plants growing, heating from the sun, smaller scale solar powered items, etc. - we encourage you to think creatively & outside of the box
  • Solar energy can be a character or a spirit. Please don’t use pop-culture characters.

Questions?

Please email Zella@kidwind.org. 

The Art Challenge was created to spark the interest of students into thinking about wind and how it impacts life on Earth because wind will be part of many Americans’ communities and energy systems within the next decade. This year we hope to expand students’ thinking beyond wind to solar energy, a quickly growing industry in the United States.