The Idaho Department of Education's annual Holiday Card Art Contest is back for another year.
The contest, which began in 1997, offers students from across the Gem State the opportunity to submit a holiday card drawing from now until Monday, Nov. 16.
All students in grades K-12 are invited to participate and send in their best holiday card drawing. One winner will be selected from each grade level, with two overall winners selected from each of the two divisions, which are grades K-6 and 7-12. The two winning cards will be produced and used as the official 2026 holiday cards for the IDE.
Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield says the importance of things like the arts often go overlooked.
“I think there’s a lot of things that I talk about on a statewide stage, but I don’t get to spend as much time talking about the creative side of our students,” Critchfield said. “The arts are such an important part of learning.”
Critchfield also says Idaho’s students are more talented than people realize.
“I love that we can really showcase how important the arts are and how talented our students are,” Critchfield said. “When I see what our students produce and send in to us, I’m absolutely blown away by how incredibly talented our students are, even at the youngest grades.”
The IDE receives around 50 submissions a year that include a variety of designs, such as traditional Christmas scenes with watercolors, markers, and sometimes, bits of torn up and glued paper. No photography is allowed.
Submitted artwork will be displayed at the IDE’s building in Boise for several weeks for the public to see.
“It turns our department into an art gallery,” Critchfield said. “I love that we’re showcasing the talents of our students and a part of education that doesn’t get celebrated as much as it should.”
Students in both public and charter schools can participate in the contest.
“I don’t care if you’re in our biggest city or our smallest town,” Critchfield said. “If you want to produce something related to the Christmas and holiday season, we want to see what you’ve got. I want to give a blue ribbon to every single kid that sends something in.”
For more information on the contest and its guidelines, go to https://www.sde.idaho.gov/awards-grants-and-recognition/holiday-card-contest/.