Emily Carr University Opens High-Stakes Teen Art Contest for 2026

Emily Carr University has opened its Teen Art Contest, pulling young artists from across Canada into a tight, high-stakes call. The offer is direct: submit work that proves you’re testing your limits, and two students will walk into the university’s top summer programs with full scholarships.

The school ties the contest to its hundredth year, using the moment to broadcast what it wants from the next generation — curiosity, risk, and a clear willingness to make work that matters. Submissions cap at three pieces. Each needs an image file and a short statement. Teachers can submit letters, and a teacher who backs a winning student earns a course of their own.

Eligibility lines are sharp. Teens must be under nineteen by July 1, 2026, enrolled in a Canadian school, and fall into either the junior or senior category. The juniors compete for a place in the Junior Arts Institute. Seniors for the Summer Institute for Teens. Both programs build toward post-secondary pathways the school has been widening fast.

Inside ECU’s studios, these teen programs operate as early training grounds. Students move through drawing, painting, animation, design and portfolio development in short, concentrated bursts. Many use the summer tracks to prepare for formal applications. The contest raises the stakes by tying real access to the work they are making now.

Entries close Jan. 16, 2026. Winners land in February. For teens watching the admissions system grow more competitive every year, this contest becomes more than a scholarship. It’s a chance to push through the door before the line forms.

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