Southern Indiana Center for the Arts is sponsoring an Indiana Bicentennial Art Contest for all Jackson County youth.

The contest is designed to teach youth about how Jackson County was formed and to build an appreciation for the county’s heritage. Creating a unique art entry encourages students in kindergarten through high school to observe, understand and share what they have learned about Jackson County.

Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are invited to submit their artwork from Tuesday through May 31 at the center at 2001 N. Ewing St. in Seymour. First-, second- and third-place entries will be selected for each grade level. Entries must be original and are limited to one per student. Judging will be in June.

Once entries are judged, they will be displayed at The Peoples Bank branch locations and other designated places around the county throughout the remainder of this year. The Peoples Bank is a co-sponsor of the contest.

Notecards will be made using the 13 first-place entries, and those will be sold in “baker’s dozen” packages at the Jackson County Visitor Center, which also is a co-sponsor.

An entry may be multicolor, black and white or a single color. It may be rendered in ink, paint, pastel, crayon or pencil. Techniques may include scratchboard, airbrush, linoleum printing, paper collage, dry brush, crosshatch, pointillism, etc. No photography or computer-generated art is accepted.

Students are encouraged to include an original message along with their artwork. The message should explain something about what the student has learned during research or observed during visual excursions around the county. It also may be a statement encouraging others to learn about Jackson County.

Information: 812-522-2278