Program 01
XC Creative Art Contest, for grade 6 - 12, encourages originality and embraces cross-disciplinary mediums, aiming to reshape the meaning of creativity and redefine art itself.
New Categories Introduced: We’ve added Theater, E-Book, and Experimental Photography this year. Theatre is a new group submission category, expanding opportunities for collaboration compared to last year. See more information.
​XC Creative Art Contest
Cross-Disciplinary Categories
FREE to Enter
Win Cash Award up to $1000
Submit up to 3 works
Timeline
8 . 20 - 10 . 20
Submission Period
11 . 3
Preliminary Review: Finalist announcement
December
Award Ceremony
Judging Process
Preliminary Judging
We are implementing a dual-judging process, in which each category will be evaluated by two judges, each with a unique perspective and expertise.
Learn more about the judges
Final Evaluation
Our Main Judge will review the finalists selected by the preliminary judges and determine the Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mention awards.
Learn more about contest awards
Finalist & Beyond
Free to Enter
The contest is FREE to enter! Each student can submit up to 3 artworks across categories.
This is an open theme contest, you can submit previous works made by you.
Learn more about submission at Q&A
$25 Fee to Advance
If your piece is selected as part of the top 10%, you'll be invited to move forward and asked to pay a $25 fee to help cover judging costs. As a nonprofit, this fee supports the administration of the contest.
Top 10% awardees include Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mention recipients.
Learn more about Payment Info
Competition Category
New Categories in 2026
In 2026, we are expanding our competition categories to create more opportunities for creative expression. By broadening our artistic scope, we aim to welcome more participants and provide a platform for diverse talents to be seen and celebrated.
Science + Art
Interactive E-Book
3D Printing and Art
Kinetic Sculptures
Artistic Circuits
Architectural 3D Modeling
Drawing Robots
Theater
Theater NEW
A brand new category! Lights, stage, action. Submit your production through your teacher or group manager.
Performance Video
Our Judges
William Norton
Main Judge
Gallery Director, Independant Curator, Artist based in New York
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Kahori Kamiya
Artistic Judge
Artist based in New York
Yingjie Lao
Science Judge
Electrical Engineer, Professor at Tufts University
Yiming Wu
Music Judge
Classical Music Composer, Educator based in Boston
Michael Shi
Photography & Media Judge
Street & Theater Photographer based in New York
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Vincent Yee
Literature Judge
Author, Educator based in Boston
Cross-disciplinary art education helps students think outside the box, connect ideas from diverse perspectives, and solve problems in creative ways—skills they’ll need to adapt and learn quickly in a fast-changing world.
Feng Zhang
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Investigator, McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT
Core Member, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
James and Patricia Poitras Professor of Neuroscience, Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, MIT
Creativity in my view, is the courage to step outside your comfort zone.
William Norton
Main Judge, XC Creative Art Contest
Independant Curator based in NYC, New York
Gallery Director, PeepShow Space
Why cross-discipline ?
Amid the global educational trend led by the STEAM philosophy, this competition centers on "cross-disciplinary innovation" and offers youth a comprehensive growth journey—from creative ideation to international showcase. Whether the goal is to enhance college competitiveness or to cultivate lifelong creativity, this international event, which integrates science, art, and technology, will serve as a key milestone in a child's academic and career development. Act now and let your child’s creativity shine on the global stage!
Requirements
Info
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Students need to add their basic information (name, nationality, email, parent’s info, school district, school teacher)
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Students need to add their art study information ( Who helped them if any, which art studio they went to if any)
Artworks
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Students need to add their art information:
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Artwork title
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Its category
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Material/medium
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Dimensions (canvas size, paper size, or if installation HxWxL, if video then frame rate/video length.
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Some Writing
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Students need write a brief explanation of their thought process and what does their art mean to them. As well as if they got any inspiration from other artists.
Done!
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Once you successfully submit, you should see a congratulative message.
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​If you are selected to the second round of review, you should receive a notification through your email.
Awards
Gold
​Medal &
E-Certificate
Silver
​Medal &
E-Certificate
Bronze
​Medal &
E-Certificate
Honorable Mention
E-Certificate
$1000 Cash
Top 1 winner will receive a $1000 Cash prize!
$150 Cash
Top 2 - 6 winners will receive a money prize of $150
Recommendation Letter
Top 15 winners will receive Recommendation Letter
Exhibition
Top 30 winners will have an option to join the Award Exhibition
2026 Sponsors
Organizer & Title Sponsor
Foundational Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
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2026 Donors
In-kind Donation
Individual Donation
Elizabeth Song
Lin Yuan
Jung Ping Ng
Airong Wang
Qin Zhao
Shuo Wu
Hongying Xiao
Anonymous Donor
Xinhua Zhang
Our 2025 Sponsors
Organizer & Title Sponsor
XC Art Center
Funder
Massachusetts Cultural Council
Gold Sponsor
Coldwell Banker Realty - Alina Wang Team
Mayflower Art Center
Boston High School Education
Abundance
U+ Education
Bronze Sponsor
US Bank
AoPS Academy Lexington
In-Kind Sponsor
Cummings Property
Our 2025 Donors
Individual Donation
Ivan Zhong
Jia Li
Xiaowei Chen
Apple Li
Jeff Zhang
Yan-Hui Liu
Di Chen
Anonymous Donor
In-Kind Donation
LEGO Discovery Center
Canva
Blick Art Materials
Xtreme Craze
J.P. Licks