Local children interested in sharing their original artwork with the public still have time to get involved in a countywide art contest in March.

The first-ever “Share Your Colors” Children’s Community Art Contest for children ages 4–14 will be held at the Chilton County YMCA in Clanton.

The deadline to submit artwork is March 1, and the showcase and judging of artwork will take place March 8 from 2–4 p.m. at the YMCA.

The jurors will be local artists Sue Anne Hoyt and Joseph Frye, who both have Master of Fine Arts degrees.

Hoyt is on the Chilton County Arts Council’s board of directors and said the idea to hold the contest came from her desire to change out the artwork on the walls at the YMCA while also giving children a chance to enter their artwork in a juried show and have it displayed in a public place.

“I thought people might want a fresh look in here for a while,” Hoyt said. “I thought it’s kind of a chance for the children in Chilton County to share with the community in kind of a public venue.”

Submissions should be two-dimensional original artwork and will be judged on artistic merit, use of color and originality, Hoyt said.

The entry fee is $5 per submission, and each child may submit no more than two pieces of artwork.

Hoyt said proceeds from entry fees would help to defray the cost of refreshments provided to the public at the showcase March 8.

The guidelines for submissions are: names must be on the back of artwork; size – 2D, minimum 8-by-10, maximum 20-by-24; subject – artist’s choice; material – artist’s choice (crayons, markers, paint, ink, colored pencil, paper, cardboard, mixed media); title pieces (artist’s name, medium); and work must be ready to hang.

Winners of the contest will be awarded a 30-day exhibit on the walls of the Chilton County YMCA.

Hoyt said about 20 winners would be selected as having achieved “artistic excellence” instead of being ranked and receiving first place, second place and so on.

Hoyt said the name of the contest, “Share Your Colors,” is indicative of what she and Frye will look for when choosing winners.

“I didn’t want it to be a bunch of black and white drawings,” she said. “We wanted color in there.”

Hoyt said the contest is also an effort to “fill the gaps in” and afford children that might not have art class at school an opportunity to make art and exhibit it.

“That’s so important for them to see their work in kind of a gallery setting, where it is seen against other artwork,” Hoyt said. “There’s a lot to be learned from that.”

Hoyt said the contest could become an annual event if participation is good.

“If the community shows an interest in it, I would like to do that,” Hoyt said.

All artwork should be dropped off at the Chilton County YMCA, located at 405 Ollie Ave. in Clanton.

Everyone that submits artwork in the contest is encouraged to attend the showcase March 8, and winners need to commit to having their artwork displayed at the YMCA for 30 days following the showcase.

For more information, call the YMCA at (205) 755-2382.