Up With Art is a K–12 student art exhibition presented by Fairbanks Arts Association in partnership with the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. The exhibition celebrates student creativity during National Youth Art Month. All artwork that meets the eligibility requirements, is registered by the deadline, and subsequently delivered to the Bear Gallery during the established drop-off dates will be exhibited.

Dates: March 6–28, 2026

Location: Bear Gallery, Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts (3rd Floor), Pioneer Park

Gallery Hours: Monday–Saturday, 12:00–6:00 p.m.

Submissions are open to K–12 students enrolled in a Fairbanks North Star Borough School District (FNSBSD) affiliated institution, including public schools, charter schools, and B.E.S.T. programs.

Each student may submit one (1) original artwork.

No. There is no cost to submit artwork.

Yes. Collaborative artworks may be displayed; however, only individual artworks created by a single student are eligible for awards.

Accepted media include painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, photography, printed digital art (no AI), mixed media, jewelry, and fiber arts. If you are unsure whether a work is suitable for entry, please contact gallery@fairbanksarts.org or call 907-251-8386, option 3.

No. Artwork may not include AI-generated images or text. All submitted work must be created entirely by the student.

Yes. Artwork must reflect the student’s own creative effort. Fan art is accepted, provided the work is an original interpretation and not a direct copy of another artist’s work, published images, or copyrighted characters. Coloring pages are not eligible.

All artwork must be registered online by submitting the registration Jotform by Sunday, February 22, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. AKST to be included in the exhibition.

A parent, guardian, or teacher must complete the online registration form on a student’s behalf. While students do not complete the registration themselves, submissions must be made with the student’s knowledge and consent, and students must understand the terms and conditions of participation.

Location:
Bear Gallery, Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts (3rd Floor)
Pioneer Park, 2300 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK

Drop-off times:

• Sunday, March 1 | 12:00–4:00 p.m. – Parents and guardians only
• Monday, March 2 | 12:00–6:00 p.m. – Teachers only

If you are unable to attend your assigned drop-off time, please contact gallery@fairbanksarts.org to arrange an alternative.

All artwork must arrive ready for display.

2D artwork on paper:
Must be mounted on sturdy backing paper (such as cardstock or paperboard) and have two long Velcro strips attached to the back (top and bottom).

Canvas or framed artwork:
Must be wired for hanging using D-rings or screw eyes. A step-by-step tutorial is available here:
https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/hanging-a-painting-wire-d-rings-2578378

3D artwork:
Must be stable and free of loose or fragile components.

Artwork that cannot be safely displayed may be removed from the exhibition.

Artwork should arrive fully dry, clean, and in good condition, without tears, cracks, odors, shedding, or living materials.

While submitted artwork may explore nearly any subject, Fairbanks Arts will award prizes by grade level and category, as outlined below. Please note that only individual artworks created by a single student are eligible for awards. Collaborative or group work is not eligible for award consideration.

Yes. All artwork that meets eligibility, content, and display requirements will be exhibited.

Yes. Awards are presented by grade group and category. You can find a full listing of available awards at each grade level in the exhibition Prospectus. If there are not enough submissions in a given category, categories may be consolidated.

First Friday Opening Reception

Friday, March 6, 5:00–8:00 p.m.

The Bear Gallery will be open to the public for the full First Friday reception.

Friday Award Announcements (during First Friday):

• Grades 6–8: Award announcements at 5:30 p.m.
  
• Grades 9–12: Award announcements at 6:30 p.m.

Award announcements take place during the First Friday reception. Guests are welcome to attend the full 5:00–8:00 p.m. reception.

Grades K–5 Reception & Awards

Sunday, March 8 | 2:00–3:00 p.m.

• K–5 award announcements: 2:30 p.m.

Fairbanks Arts does not broker the sale of student artwork in Up With Art. We do not share the contact information of a student artist with the public, nor do we take personal information from a member of the public to then pass on to a student or their family. Up With Art is a celebration of arts education in our public schools; once a student is aged 18+ there are other exhibition opportunities they can participate in with Fairbanks Arts where they may have an opportunity to sell their artwork.

Yes. By submitting artwork, parents, guardians, and teachers grant Fairbanks Arts Association permission to photograph, display, and use images of student artwork for Fairbanks Arts publicity and exhibition-related purposes, including display in the FNSB Mayor’s Office. All artwork will be properly credited to the student artist.

Artwork must be picked up on Sunday, March 29, 2026, from 12:00–6:00 p.m. Artwork should not be removed before this date.

Please contact gallery@fairbanksarts.org or call 907-251-8386 ext. 3 to arrange an alternative pick-up time. Artwork will not be discarded, and must be retrieved.