This year, the International Art Museum of America (IAMA) in San Francisco welcomes youth artists to participate in the third annual International Youth Art Contest and Exhibition, offering the opportunity to exhibit their artwork on the global stage in an international museum. Through this program, IAMA aims to honor the creativity, talent, and hard work of young artists as they begin their artistic journeys. Children ages 5–18 are invited to participate, and will be scored in age groups of 5–6, 7–10, 11–14, and 15–18 years old. This year, the program is proudly supported by Zynga, which will present the Zynga Digital Art Award 2026, host an exclusive masterclass on game design and creative career pathways, and contribute a special exhibition highlighting how game art is created and brought to life for players.
The winners and finalists of the 2025 IAMA International Youth Art Contest Age Group 5-6 with IAMA President KC Hsieh
Finalists of the digital first round of the contest will be selected to move on to the second round and will have the opportunity to compete for global recognition, cash prizes, certificates of honor, and trophies. More than 700 finalist artworks will be exhibited in the museum’s 10,000 square foot Grand Exhibition Hall for viewing during the Awards Ceremony on July 19th, and will remain open to the public until August 2nd. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to be recognized through sponsored distinctions such as the Zynga Digital Art Award 2026, highlighting excellence in digital art.
Kedarnath Kalidindi, Honorable Mention at the 2025 International Youth Art Contest Awards Ceremony
Along with several hundred participants’ friends and family, the ceremony will be attended by Guy Djoken, President and CEO of the U.S. Federation for UNESCO Clubs, Centers, and Associations. Jury committee member Dr. Adam Caldwell, professor at San Francisco’s Academy of Art University, will also attend the ceremony to help select the winners. This year’s event will also include an exclusive Zynga-led masterclass exploring game design and creative career pathways for youth participants.
Chairman of Jury Committee Professor Caldwell congratulating participants at the 2025 International Youth Art Contest Awards Ceremony while 300 people attended
IAMA Director Hsieh Kuang-chung stated that last year’s exhibition and competition attracted enthusiastic participation from 1,600 young artists from 65 countries, and he expects an even larger group to participate this year. The exhibition and competition serve not only as a platform for artistic exchange, but they also allow the world to see the issues that young people care about and their creative perspectives. “Our mission is to create an outstanding international stage for young people, allowing art to become a bridge connecting the world and bringing peace and blessings.”
Although the exhibition has no theme, many of the 2024 IAMA International Youth Art Contest submissions incorporated similar themes of the natural environment, cultural appreciation, community, and self-perception and expression. The International Youth Art Contest strives to uplift and highlight the voices of the next generation of artists and activists as they creatively express themselves and advocate for meaningful change for the most pressing issues of the world they will soon inherit.
Kate Fieldhouse, Honorable Mention at the 2025 International Youth Art Contest Awards Ceremony
Located in the heart of San Francisco, the International Art Museum of America was voted the “Best Art Gallery” and was a finalist for the “Best Museum” of the Bay Area for 2024 by SFGate. As a part of the Museums For All program, IAMA aims to provide enriching experiences, access to art, and educational programming to all residents and visitors of San Francisco. The International Youth Art Contest offers these talented young artists the opportunity to exhibit their work in a major museum with a noteworthy collection of Chinese paintings and sculptures featuring artists such as HH Dorje Chang Buddha III, Dr. Yuhua Shouzhi Wang, Li Keran, and Qi Baishi, as well as European oil paintings by Rosa Bonheur, Maurice de Vlaminck, Edward Ladell and more.
Charlotte Wu, Third Place at the 2025 International Youth Art Contest Awards Ceremony
IAMA’s mission is to increase visibility for youth art through creative cultural exchange, as well as amplify the voices of the next generation of artists and activists. IAMA hopes to expand the International Youth Art Contest as a means of increasing access to educational art programming in diverse communities, including our own community right here in the Tenderloin. The IAMA Youth Art Contest gives young artists a global stage to creatively express themselves about issues dear to their hearts.
Registration for the 2026 IAMA Youth Painting Exhibition and Competition is now open. Registration website: