LibArt Awards

Awards will be announced and presented at the recognition ceremony in late September. Guest jurors are selected for their experience and expertise in a range of related media, and represent a variety of backgrounds and skills, including artists, KU faculty and staff, and community supporters.

The following prizes will be awarded for the 2026-27 LibArt exhibition:

Best in Show: $500

Best in Category: $300 per media category (see below)

Honorable mention: $150 per media category (see below)

Michael and Kathryn Hughes Award: $200

Named in honor of Michael and Kathryn Hughes, whose generosity helps fund the continuation of the LibArt program. The Hughes Award recognizes works that celebrate KU and the student experience.

Dean's Choice: $200

With the goal of encouraging students to explore and engage with KU Libraries, works submitted by first time LibArt participants will be eligible for this award chosen by the Dean of Libraries.

Common Work of LibArt: $200

The Common Work of LibArt award recognizes student artists’ work that represents an artistic connection with themes throughout the KU Reads Common Book. The 2025-26 Common Book, The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green examines humanity’s understanding and impact on the world around us.  

Themes in The Anthropocene Reviewed include: 

  • The individual and collective impact of humanity on the environment and the world around us

  • The effect of mental health on the way we perceive, experience, and understand the world around us

  • The significance of shared experience and community in the human experience 

No Place Like Home: $200

KU Libraries' Wellness, Belonging and Growth Team invite submissions for the 2026 LibArt theme, "No Place Like Home."  Contrary to the 1939 film, "Wizard of Oz" ruby slippers don't have the ability to take us home. Artists are encouraged to reflect on the concept of home-whether that be a place, a person, or community and how home may be taken with someone wherever they go. Submissions may be literal or an abstract interpretation of the theme and are not limited to any discipline or medium. 

Media Categories

  • Drawing — Mark-making done with manual or mechanical instruments on a 2D surface. (eg. pastels, ink, pencil, charcoal, etc. or any combination of drawing media)
  • Painting — Work created by applying paint/pigment to a 2D surface. (eg. watercolor, acrylic, oil, or any combination of different painting media.
  • Mixed-Media — Work made from more than one medium that incorporates a 3D element (breaks the surface plane).
  • Photography — Images created with analog or digital cameras.
  • Digital/Graphic Design — Digitally produced art. (eg. digital collages, digitally manipulated photos, posters)
  • Printmaking — Artwork created by using various techniques to produce one or multiple copies of an original design from the surface of a template. (eg. etching, woodcut, linocut, silkscreen, collagraph, monoprint, etc.)
  • Fiber /Textile — Art that uses varying materials and fibers to produce decorative, artistic objects. (including, but not limited to quilting, knitting, crochet, lacework, embroidery, cross-stitch, beadwork, wool needle felting, appliqué, handmade apparel, rug-making, macrame, etc.)
  • Video/Animation — Works with motion graphics, animation, music videos, short film, cinematography. Maximum video length is 5 minutes
  • Metalsmithing — Artwork that is crafted by metal to create jewelry, sculptures, etc.
  • Ceramics/Pottery—Work made from ceramic materials, including clay. It can take varied forms, including artistic pottery, including tableware, tiles, figurines, and other sculpture.