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250 Years in the Making
Freedom
Rising.
An 18-Month Community Art Calendar · July 2026 – December 2027

America didn't become free in a day. Freedom didn't happen all at once. It's still being created — by ordinary people making extraordinary things with their hands, their voices, and their refusal to quit.

Open to all ages. All skill levels. No experience required.

Selected artists will be featured in a printed calendar and public exhibition.

Submit Your Art → Sponsor an Artist →

Takes less than 5 minutes to submit.

Submission Deadline: May 31, 2026  ·  Limited selections (18 winners)
The Project

One Community. 18 Months. One Shared Story.

We're calling on artists of every age and ability to submit original artwork inspired by freedom — what it looks like, what it cost, what it means to you right now.

"18 winning pieces. 18 months of beauty on someone's wall. One community telling its own story."

Amateur, student, emerging, or just someone who makes things with their hands. This is where you step in.

All Mediums Welcome

Painting  ·  Drawing  ·  Photography  ·  Digital Art  ·  Collage  ·  Mixed Media  ·  Printmaking  ·  and whatever else you call it

🖨 Print Contest Flyers →
The Vision

Your Art. On the Wall.

This is what we're building — a calendar, an exhibit, and a story told by real people from this community.

Calendar Preview

Full-Page Feature

Your work as a full-page monthly spread — printed, distributed, and hanging in homes across the community for 18 months.

Gallery Exhibit

Displayed Publicly

All 18 winning pieces shown at live exhibits in Minneapolis, Monticello, and online — timed to America's 250th birthday.

Community Impact

Art That Does Something

Every entry fee and calendar sale supports recovery programming through Freedom Force Ltd. Your art funds real work.

Contest Details

What You Need to Know

Open to all ages and skill levels. If you make things, this is for you.

Selected Artists

What You Receive

Featured placement in the printed calendar, inclusion in public exhibits, artist credit on all materials, and a copy of the final calendar.

Format

18-Month Wall Calendar

July 2026 through December 2027 — timed to the America 250 celebrations.

Winners

18 Winning Pieces

One artwork featured per month, with full artist credit on every calendar printed.

Theme

Freedom

What it looks like. What it cost. What it means to you right now, in this place, in this moment.

Who Can Enter

Everyone

All ages, all mediums, all skill levels. Amateur, student, emerging, or just someone who makes things.

Key Dates

Full Timeline

  • May 31 — Online submission deadline
  • June 1–4 — 36 finalists selected & notified
  • June 5–8 — Finalists submit original artwork
  • June 15 — 18 winners announced
  • July 1 — Calendars available
  • July 4–15 — Art exhibits
Accepted Mediums

All Mediums Welcome

Painting, drawing, photography, digital, collage, printmaking, mixed media — and whatever else you call it.

Entry Fees

Ready to Enter?

Submit your artwork and pay your entry fee online — all in one step. Click the button below to get started.

Category Entry Fee Who Qualifies
Adult $40 Ages 18 and up
Student $30 Ages 13–17
Entry fees are collected at the time of submission — payment is built into the entry form. Fees are non-refundable. High-resolution digital files required (minimum 300 DPI). Have a sponsor code? Enter it in the form when prompted. Questions? Email kari@freedomforcemn.org
Need a Hardship Waiver?

Entry fees should never be the reason your art stays home. If cost is a barrier, email kari@freedomforcemn.org with your name, a brief description of your situation, and the medium you work in. We review every request personally and respond within 48 hours. If approved, you'll receive a waiver code to enter at no cost.
Submit Your Artwork →
The Celebration

Three Exhibits. One Big Week.

When the calendars are ready, we celebrate — live art exhibits featuring all 18 winning pieces, July 4–15, 2026.

Exhibit One

Minneapolis

A live gallery exhibit featuring all 18 winning pieces. Location TBA. Open to the public July 4–15, 2026.

Exhibit Two

Monticello, MN

A community exhibit bringing the winning artwork home to central Minnesota. July 4–15, 2026.

Exhibit Three

Online Gallery

All 18 winning pieces displayed in a free online gallery — live July 4–15, 2026, accessible anywhere.

🗓  All three exhibits run July 4–15, 2026 — timed to America's 250th birthday. Calendars available for purchase at all locations and online.
Support the Project

Can't Enter? Sponsor Someone Who Can.

Cover an artist's entry fee, sponsor a calendar month, or make a general donation. Every dollar supports community art and recovery work right here.

Become a Sponsor →

Add Your Voice to It

Freedom has been rising for 250 years. Your art could be on someone's wall for the next year and a half of it.

Submit Your Art → Sponsor an Artist →
Submission Deadline: May 31, 2026  ·  All Ages Welcome  ·  All Mediums Accepted

Want to spread the word?   🖨 Print a Flyer →

Proceeds from Freedom Rising benefit Freedom Force Ltd — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing peer support for people in recovery who want to build a life, not just sobriety. No insurance billing. No middlemen. Real support from real people.