Artists of all ages and abilities are invited to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Santa Fe Trail by participating in a virtual art contest hosted by the National Park Service National Trails office. Participants will join a long tradition of artists taking inspiration from the Trail to create inspiring works of art. Submissions will be accepted through Nov. 19, 2021. All submissions will become part of a digital exhibition on the Santa Fe National Historic Trail website intended to encourage creativity and reflection about the Trail’s anniversary.
Art can be submitted in five categories: Young Artist (ages 5-9), Junior Artist (ages 10-13), Young Adult Artist (ages 14-18), Adult Artist (ages 19+), and Advanced Artist (professional adult artists ages 19+). Winners in each category will be featured in a special digital exhibit on the Santa Fe National Historic Trail website and Facebook page.
Educational institutions are encouraged to get their students involved, both in and out of the classroom. Resources for teaching about the trail can be found on the Trail’s education webpage. Educators can contact the National Trails office at ntir_information@nps.gov with questions about submitting student work.
Visit the Santa Fe National Historic Trail website for more information about the submission process and contest rules (go.nps.gov/SantaFeTrailArt2021 ).
About the Santa Fe National Historic Trail
In 1821, a group of Americans ventured west from Franklin, Missouri with the goal of trading in Santa Fe (then Mexico). The route they forged would become known as the Santa Fe Trail, a commercial highway within a web of trade routes that extended to the East coast, Mexico, and Europe. The trail brought together cultures in collaboration and conflict with the trail forever changing lives and landscapes of the west.
In 1987 Congress designated the Santa Fe Trail as a National Historic Trail under the National Trails System Act. Today, the trail is administered by National Trails - Regions 6,7,8 - an office of the National Park Service that works closely with partners - ranging from private landowners to nonprofit organizations - in identification, planning, and interpretation along the trail.
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Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
