LIVE Art & Word Contest Seeks Entries

LIVE@NMU will kick off its fifth annual LIVE Art & Word Contest as a way to help break the stigma surrounding mental health issues and suicide, engage individuals, encourage positive mental health and showcase the talents of both high school students and adults from across the Upper Peninsula.

The theme for this year's contest is "INCLUDE (others)," which coincides with the second letter of LIVE. The broader definition of the theme means "to understand that we are all different and that is a good thing. Everyone has their own individual talents and by working together we can make our communities a place everyone feels accepted."

There are two age categories in this year's LIVE Art & Word Contest: high school students and adults (18+). Individuals in both categories can submit visual art or written word entries created between Sept. 15, 2025 and Feb. 15, 2026. Submissions may include poetry, paintings, photography, graphic arts, short story, quilting or any other art form that addresses the "INCLUDE (others)" theme. The grand prize will be $500, with other cash prizes in both age categories.

Each entry into the LIVE Art & Word Contest will be judged in three ways. A group of individuals with a background in mental health and prevention will judge each entry on its ability to convey the theme of INCLUDE (others). This will count for 45% of the total score. A second group of individuals with backgrounds in the visual art and written word will judge the entries on their artistic quality for another 45% of the total score.

Community members will then have the opportunity to vote for their favorite entries. This gives LIVE@NMU the opportunity to showcase the talent of U.P. residents, as well as open the conversations around mental health and suicide. Social media scores will count for 10% of the total score for each entry.

"I am excited to be a part of LIVE@NMU and bring the LIVE Art & Word Contest to the entire U.P.," said Ella Harbison, LIVE@NMU president. "To be able to engage the community in a way that helps to break the stigma against mental health and suicide is what makes the LIVE Art & Word Contest so important."

For more information on the LIVE Art & Word Contest, and to find the official rules and entry forms, go to https://nmu.edu/live-at-nmu/live-art-word-contest.

Media Contact: Amy Poirier, LIVE@NMU staff adviser, 906-227-2826 or [email protected]