ODOT calls on Oklahoma’s young artists to show how teamwork can ‘Keep Our Land Grand’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Release #26-031
ODOT calls on Oklahoma’s young artists to show how teamwork can ‘Keep Our Land Grand’
It takes all of us to work together to keep Oklahoma clean, beautiful and grand. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is calling on students across the state to bring that message to life in this year’s Keep Our Land Grand Art Contest.
Formerly known as the Trash Poster Contest, the Keep Our Land Grand Art Contest continues ODOT’s tradition of using students’ creativity to spread an important message: keeping Oklahoma grand is a team effort, and everyone has a part to play.
The statewide contest runs through Friday, Oct. 30, and invites students to create original artwork around this year’s theme of teamwork. The refreshed competition includes drop-off locations in each county and voting by local county commissioners. Artwork dropoff locations can be found at the Art Contest website.
What does teamwork look like to you? Maybe it’s a group of friends picking up litter after a baseball game or neighbors working together to care for their community. Students are encouraged to think creatively and show how working together can make a difference.
Nearly 2,200 students from almost 200 schools entered the contest last year, representing 67 counties across the state. Artistic interpretations are encouraged to show how students, families, communities and neighbors can work together to prevent litter and take pride in the places they call home.
“Keeping Oklahoma clean and beautiful doesn’t happen because of one person’s efforts, it takes all of us working together,” Rhonda Fair, Director of Community Engagement said. “We want to see how Oklahoma students interpret teamwork and show, through their artwork, what we can accomplish.”
Students in four grade divisions are invited to enter, K–2nd, 3rd–5th, 6th–8th and 9th-12th. Art can be created using pencils, crayons, markers, paint, colored pencils or other supplies to create an original piece of two-dimensional art inspired by the theme of teamwork and the goal of litter prevention. Artwork should be 8.5 inches by 11 inches in landscape format with the entry form attached to the back of the artwork for consideration.
Fourteen state winners will receive cash prizes and recognition at a special awards celebration planned for March 2027. Prizes include $300 for first place in each grade category and the Calendar Cover. The Postcard of the Year, a returning stand-out award selected among all participants, and second place in each grade category place winners will receive $200. All winners will be featured in ODOT promotional materials and the annual Keep Our Land Grand calendar.
Litter remains an ongoing challenge for Oklahoma, with ODOT investing nearly $6 million annually in litter cleanup efforts. Those efforts are strengthened by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and thousands of volunteers who participate in cleanup initiatives, including the Great American Cleanup.
The Keep Our Land Grand Art Contest gives students a fun and creative way to join those efforts and remind others that teamwork starts with each of us doing our part.
Whether it’s picking up a piece of litter, encouraging a friend to do their part in keeping Oklahoma clean or joining a community cleanup, small actions can add up when people work together.
The contest is made possible through partnerships with organizations committed to keeping Oklahoma clean and beautiful: Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma/OCCEDB, Color Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Native Plant Society, Oklahoma Biological Survey, Oklahoma Monarch Society, Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department, Division of State Parks, and Oklahoma City Beautiful. Special thanks to KOLG sponsors: Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, Oklahoma’s Credit Union, HNTB, ACEC-OK and Stantec.
Learn more about the Keep Our Land Grand Art Contest by visiting http://www.oklahoma.gov/odot/kolg.
