Reflections Art Program

Do you enjoy art, music, and dance — or love writing, filming, and photography?
Join us and have fun unleashing your inner artist with PTA Reflections!

2026-2027 Theme:
"What My Culture Means to Me"

Entries Due:
October 9, 2026

How It Works

Read the rules. Review the Illinois PTA Reflections Program Rules in Brief before you start.
Choose your category. Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, Visual Arts, or Accessible Arts — official guidelines for each are below.
- Entry and Category Guidelines — tips for creating in your category.
Create your entry. Make an original piece inspired by this year's theme, shown above.
Write your title and artist statement. Every entry needs an original title and a 10–100 word statement.
- Creating Your Title and Artist Statement — tips and suggestions for writing a successful title and artist statement.
- Understanding the Reflections Review Criteria — the national scoring rubric and tips for using it to guide your creative process.
Submit your entry. Complete the Reflections Student Entry Form.

Important: Visual Arts and Photography entries must also be delivered in physical form to the Patterson Main Office by the deadline above.

Questions?

Contact reflections@pattersonpta.com

Submit Reflections Student Entry Form Here

About the Program

What is Reflections? "The PTA Reflections program provides access to the arts and opportunities for recognition to help students explore their own thoughts, feelings and ideas using art." — National PTA
Who can enter: Students in Pre-K through grade 12, grouped by division — Primary (Pre-K–2), Intermediate (3-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12), and Accessible Arts (all grades welcome).
Accessible Arts Division: open to students who identify as having a disability and may receive services under IDEA or ADA Section 504, with accommodations so every student can participate fully.
How entries are judged: Interpretation of Theme, Creativity, and Technique. "A well-developed concept is more important than technique." — Illinois PTA
Scale: Over 300,000 students nationwide take part each year.

Celebrating Our Reflections Winners

Some of our Reflections entries have gone on to be recognized at the regional, state, and national level. Congratulations to these Patterson students!