
Children's Illustration Contest 2026
IMAGO POR LAS ARTES, together with IMAGO ART LLC, and with the valuable support of VoLo Foundation, invite all children who love art to participate in the 7TH EDITION OF THE CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATORS CONTEST. This year’s theme is: "From my Window".
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In this edition, we invite children from around the world to open their window—real or imaginary—and discover the landscape waiting on the other side. Inspired by the artwork “Suspiros de sal” by Salvador Dalí, we invite children to use the suggested template to look at what surrounds them with fresh eyes: the changing colors, the winds that whisper stories, and the creatures that share this planet we call home with us.
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They may paint a tree, a passing cloud, a memory, a wish… even a possible future. Because every window is a doorway to sensitivity, to wonder, and to the way each child understands and dreams the world.
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Thanks to the support of the VoLo Foundation, this year, illustration also becomes an act of love for the Earth: a way to tell, through the voice of childhood, what it feels like to grow up on a planet that needs our creativity, our awareness, and our action.
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We invite children to ask questions that come from the heart:
What does your window tell you?
Is it a landscape you want to protect?
A world you dream of transforming?
This is the moment to draw it. Because when a child creates, the world breathes a little better. And when imagination embraces nature, a light capable of changing the future is born.
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Let’s open the window. Let’s look with wonder.
And let the Earth speak to us… so we can illustrate it.
Contest Stages
Open call: Monday, January 12, 2026.
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Submission period: January 19 to February 20, 2026.
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Jury Panel meeting: Friday, March 13, 2026.
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Winners Announcement: Sunday, March 22, 2026 (Instagram Live)
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Illustration workshop for winners: via Zoom; date TBD.
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Exhibition of winning illustrations: April 2026 at IMAGO Cultural Center
Contest Rules
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The contest is open to children aged 4 to 12 from anywhere in the world and of any nationality.
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Participation is FREE.
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Categories:
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Category A: Ages 4–6
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Category B: Ages 7–9
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Category C: Ages 10–12
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The theme of the 7th edition is “FROM MY WINDOW.” Style and technique are FREE. We recommend downloading the attached template to create the illustration. Participants may use it or simply draw inspiration from it to create their own window and what they see through it.
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Illustrations can be created on any type of paper or surface.
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Submission format: Digital, high-resolution JPG.​
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Each participant may submit only one illustration.
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The work must be original and involve minimal adult assistance.
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Illustrations must be submitted between January 19 and February 20, 2026. By clicking the button below, you can complete the application and send your illustration.
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Contest results will be announced on Sunday, March 22, 2026, during an Instagram Live session on the IMAGO POR LAS ARTES and IMAGO accounts.
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The Jury will consist of children’s book illustrators, writers, VoLo Foundation members, and art directors from publishing houses.
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Participants and/or their representatives expressly waive any proprietary/economic rights derived from the dissemination of the work by IMAGO POR LAS ARTES, IMAGO, and VoLo Foundation.
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Submitting an illustration implies full acceptance of the contest rules. Submissions that do not meet the requirements will be disqualified.
Jury
The Jury panel for the 7th edition of the Children's Illustration Contest 2026 is:​
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Sergio Andricain. Writer and Specialist in Children's and Youth Literature.
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Antonio Orlando Rodriguez. Writer and Specialist in Children's and Youth Literature.
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Arianna Squilloni. Editor A BUEN PASO
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Nono Granero. Author and illustrator.
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Thais López. President and founder VoLo Foundation.​
Prizes
Winners and honorable mentions in each category will receive:
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Contest yearbook.
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Participation in a 2-hour virtual illustration workshop with author and illustrator Nono Granero.
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Digital and physical participation certificate (when applicable)
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These prizes are available for all winners worldwide. Shipping costs are not included.



