Fort Works Art
Fort Worth has never had trouble celebrating talent — as long as it comes with a uniform, a scoreboard, or a season schedule. The Mayoral High School Art Competition was founded on the idea that creativity deserves the same civic applause. Ten years later, it has grown from a small showcase into one of the city’s most anticipated cultural events, a place where student artists are publicly recognized for the same qualities celebrated in their athletic peers.
This year’s exhibition, which runs from May 9 - 23 at the Fort Works Art Gallery, will include an opening reception and awards ceremony on May 9 from 2 to 4 p.m. Mayor Mattie Parker will present awards, meet the artists, and see firsthand the work that marks many students’ first time in a professional gallery setting.
For the students, the experience can be transformative. Seeing a piece they created displayed in a professional gallery, receiving recognition from the city, and watching strangers engage with their ideas offers a kind of validation that is rare at any age — and almost unheard-of in high school. Organizers emphasize that these moments are the heart of the competition: a chance for students to glimpse a future where their creativity is taken seriously.
The 2026 exhibition will feature selected works chosen by a professional museum representative, placing emerging artists in a respected professional context. Cash awards will be given for first, second, and third place, with the top honor, the Amon G. Carter Award, returning for its second year courtesy of the Amon G. Carter Foundation. The winning piece will hang in the Mayor’s Office for one year, signaling the city’s recognition of student artistic achievement.
Opportunities extend beyond the gallery walls. For the third year, one student will receive a scholarship to the Texas Academy of Figurative Art Summer Teen Workshop. This year also introduces the America 250 City Art Poster Project, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, inviting students to create original posters reflecting on Fort Worth’s place in the larger American story.
Open to high school students in grades 9 through 12, the contest is free and accepts submissions through March 28, 2026, via the CaFÉ online entry platform. Over the past decade, the Mayoral High School Art Competition has grown into more than a show — it has become a civic ritual, loudly declaring that Fort Worth values its young artists just as fiercely as its athletes.
Lauren Saba, owner of Fort Works Art and president of Gallery of Dreams, said in a statement last year, “We wanted to build something that gave these kids the same level of public validation their peers receive in sports.”
For questions on how to apply or the competition itself, visit galleryofdreams.org.
