Rules and categories

• Your entry must be new artwork inspired by this year's theme. Do not reuse work made for something else, like homework unrelated to Reflections or a piece from another competition.
• Each entry is the original work of one student. An adult may not change the creative side of your work, and working with other students is not allowed (except in the Accessible Arts Division).
• Other people may appear in or perform your work, but the work itself must be your own creation.
• Your title and artist statement must be in your own words.

• The student, or at least one person from the student's household, must be a current member of Rice PTA. A parent or guardian should join by October 31.
• You may enter one or more arts categories, with no limit on how many entries you submit in a category.
• Check one grade division on each entry.
• An entry form needs the student's signature and a parent or legal guardian signature if the student is under 18. Entering means you accept the official rules.

• Every entry needs a title and an artist statement.
• The artist statement must be 10 to 100 words, and describe what inspired the work and how it relates to the theme.
• Each entry needs its own title and statement written for that piece.
• List your entry details on the form: editing software used, background music for dance and film, musicians and instruments for music, word count for literature, materials and size for photos and visual arts.

Technology may help you develop, enhance or present your work. It may not provide the main design or idea, and an entry can't be made only from generated or platform-provided elements.

• Texas PTA rules prohibit PowerPoint templates and generative elements, such as algorithmic techniques and artificial intelligence.
• If you used digital tools, describe the tools and method in the “Additional Details” field, in 10 to 50 words.
• Design platforms like Canva should be used sparingly, if at all. They are fine for editing your own photos or footage, resizing or cropping your own work, or adding background music to your own video.
• They should not be used to build a film from templates or slides, to collage other people's graphics, or to add graphics, text or icons to a photograph.

Plagiarized entries are disqualified. Plagiarism means using another person's ideas, writings or inventions as your own. Copyrighted material is not allowed, with these exceptions:

• Recorded music in dance and film entries is allowed if you cite it on the entry form (title, composer and performer).
• You may include portions of copyrighted works, such as photos or printed or digital media clippings, as long as you use them to create a new and different work of art.
• Public places, well-known products and trademarks may appear if they are incidental and a small part of the whole, and your work does not try to link you to a brand.

• You keep ownership of your work, but entering gives PTA permission to display, copy, print, publish and share it for PTA purposes. PTA is not responsible for lost or damaged entries.
• Entries are reviewed at the local, council, state and national levels, and each PTA picks its own judges.
• Parents and students must not contact judges to dispute a decision. All reviewer decisions are final.
• Texas PTA posts state results in March. National award recipients are told by email in May.