Arts in the Airport 2025:
Contest Entry Information
18th Annual High School Visual Arts and Photography Competition / Exhibition
Important Dates
- February 24-28, 2025 – Art Center Kit Pick-Up
- Friday, April 11, 2025 – Final Exhibition Painting Delivery and Photo Submission (selected students)
- April 14-21, 2025 – Finals Judging
- Wednesday, May 7, 2025 – Arts in the Airport Event
2025 Arts in the Airport Finalists
Painting Finalists (listed alphabetically by student last name):
- Heart of Memphis: Blues, Beats, and Beyond, Zaisha Ali, Collierville
- Memphis Sanitation Strike Exhibit at Civil Rights Museum, Ashley Arriaga, White Station
- Beale Blues, Kamsiyochukwu Azogini, Collierville
- Memphis Unveiled, Allison Baker, Rossville Christian Academy
- Skateland, Cannon Barron, White Station
- Music of Memphis, Ramata Barry, Whitehaven
- Memphis Unraveled, Samuel Beard, Christian Brothers
- Jazz Night, Breanna Bey, Ridgeway
- Starry Lights, Brooke Biggins, Collierville
- Memphis is my Music Life, Ni’kloe Bland-Polk, Ridgeway
- Rhythm Road, Katya Davenport, Collierville
- My Beale Street, Naina Maria Deepak, White Station
- Rock N Soul: The Complete Memphis Music Story!, Rosie Deng, Collierville
- The Trolley, Alexis Dickerson, Whitehaven
- Birds of the Memphis Zoo, Maura Farney, Arlington
- Tiger Tunes, Olivia Flora, Arlington
- Walking in Memphis, Aubrey Frye, Lakeland Preparatory School
- Ja Morant, Antwan Groves, Whitehaven
- Night at the Orpheum, Isabella Ivy, Collierville
- Notes of Memphis, Nishta Iyengar, Collierville
- Aretha’s Respect, Stephanie Johnson, Craigmont
- A Hue for Every Heartbreak, Maguire Jones, Arlington
- Blues and Bridges: The Sound of Memphis, liliana Khodor, Ridgeway
- The Peabody, Kai Le, Lakeland Preparatory School
- Cycling through the Greenline, Lena Le, Collegiate School of Memphis
- Made in Memphis, Sean Lee, Collierville
- The Best to Ever Blues, Amiyah Long, Collierville
- Memphis Pride, Yocelin Lopez, Collegiate School of Memphis
- We are Memphis!, Daniela Mascote, Craigmont
- Memphis Sundown, Kennedi Mathieu, Whitehaven
- The King of Memphis, Savannah Miller, Lakeland Preparatory School
- Signs of Memphis, Sierra Morris, Germantown
- My Mind, Dean Mumaw, Christian Brothers
- The Garden, Thy Nguyen, Collierville
- Shangri-la, Megan O’Connor, Collierville
- The Sun at 706, Jasmine Parham, Whitehaven
- Night at Gibsons, Elyse Poloni, Collierville
- Queen of the South, Alyssia Pope, Collegiate School of Memphis
- Walking with Marc Cohn, Jameelah Rashada, Whitehaven
- Memphis Glazed, Colbie Robinson, Ridgeway
- Memphis Made, Meiya Rollins, Arlington
- Mirages of a Garden, Kimberlin Sandoval, Kingsbury
- Love at Auto-Zone Park, Suhani Sarang, White Station
- Memphis Mosaic: A Portrait of the City, Shreyashree Seth, Collierville
- Memphis Blues, Anthony Smith, Kirby
- I Want Amour of Memphis!, Savannah Stone, Collierville
- Memphis Made, Jamya Townsel, Whitehaven
- Memphis Jones, Simon Vidal, Collierville
- The Trolley, Gabryela Williamson, Arlington
- Memphis Blues, Zoey Yale, Lakeland Preparatory School
Photography Finalists (listed alphabetically by student last name):
- Reflection of Memphis, Asma Abdullah, Bartlett
- Another Day at Central BBQ, Zahra Altareb, White Station
- Nature’s Checkmate (Memphis Botanic Garden), Sayla Antara, Bartlett
- Memphis Sanitation Strike Exhibit at Civil Rights Museum, Ashley Arriaga, White Station
- Streets of soul: The Memphis Arrival, Maly Ba, Whitehaven
- Dyer’s on Beale, Cannon Barron, White Station
- The River, Shi’Ann Bryson, City University School of Liberal Arts
- Blooming, Jannin Carrillo, Collegiate School of Memphis
- Gateway to Memphis: Winter’s Embrace, Naina Maria Deepak, White Station
- B King, Megan Garrett, Bartlett
- Creation of Sanitation Strike, Makyla Grant, Whitehaven
- The House of Aretha Franklin, AndreYa Gray, City University School of Liberal Arts
- Elvis Presley House, Jordan Guy, City University School of Liberal Arts
- Stax Records, Will Hargrave, Christian Brothers
- Night at The Orpheum, Grant Henderson, Christian Brothers
- Tranquility, Dante Hike, Whitehaven
- Night Lights on Beale Street, Henry Jennings, Christian Brothers
- The Street, Xyarai Johnson, City University School of Liberal Arts
- The Alley of Colors, Emmitt Kraus, Christian Brothers
- Beale Street Awakens, Dylan Lane, Christian Brothers
- Date Night, Gwendolyn Lausterer, Bartlett
- Pit Stop, Brandon Lee, Christian Brothers
- Guitar, Dejena Lockett, City University School of Liberal Arts
- Rainy Day at Stax, Michael Lucchesi, Christian Brothers
- Poplar at Dusk, Andrew Mayo, Christian Brothers
- Shelby Farms Sunset, Camila Millan, Bartlett
- The Cool Museum, Ayana Milligan, City University School of Liberal Arts
- Memphis Lights, Kenedi Myles, Germantown
- Evening at the Orpheum, Kamora Norman, Whitehaven
- Timeless Memphis: A City of Black & White, Reyma Odetallah, Bartlett
- Coy Day Out, Elyse Poloni, Collierville
- Sunset Over the Roundhouse, Mikey Rodgers, Bartlett
- Building Hope, Meiya Rollins, Arlington
- beaten and battered bowstring bridge, Brynner Salg, Bartlett
- Museum of Memphis, Whitlie Sanders, Whitehaven
- Sweet Treat, Houston Shackelford, Christian Brothers
- Golden Reflections, Michael Simpson, Christian Brothers
- The Famous Motel, Aiyanna Stuckey, City University School of Liberal Arts
- Crosstown Concourse – Memphis’s Urban Village, Lina Taboada, Bartlett
- Live at Hernando Hideaway, Ken Wallace, Overton
- Gateway To Bluff City, Dylan Watts, Christian Brothers
- Darkness, James Wehmeyer, Christian Brothers
- Sunset on Old Man River, Abby Wheat, Bartlett
- A Grizzlies Winter: Where Culture Meets the Cold, Nick Williams, Christian Brothers
- Peace, Jaylen Withers, Whitehaven
- Shelby Sunset, Patrick Yates, Christian Brothers
View the 2024 Arts in the Airport winners: Paintings / Photography
Rules and Regulations
Theme – Painting and Photography:
All visual art and photography pieces presented for submission must contain iconic/historic images which are symbolic of the city of Memphis, including replicas representative of Memphis’ heritage, i.e. blues/jazz/bluegrass music, famous native Memphians, Beale St., downtown Main St. Trolley cars, etc.
Visual Interpretation – Painting and Photography:
It is one of our main goals through this program to provide students with general theme guidelines, while also allowing their creativity and vision to capture the true spirit of our great city of Memphis. We encourage each student to incorporate technical aspects in their submissions, including abstractions, array of colors, lighting, composition, landscapes, environments, etc. Be creative!
Number of Entries Per Student:
Each student will be allowed ONE entry, or if they so choose, are allowed ONE entry into each category for this competition, i.e. one painting, and one photograph. Student entry forms MUST include student name and title of painting/photo in the title, but not the school. For example: “Joe Smith – Memphis Sounds.” In addition, entry forms must be submitted digitally via online form at flymemphis.com. The entry form webpage link will be sent out after January 1, 2025.
Paintings:
Each contestant will need to submit a digital sample of their artwork. The recommended size for preliminary artwork is a 12” x 16” on non-matte canvas or sketch paper (heavy stock). Additionally, each student is allowed to incorporate textiles/materials into their artwork. Submissions can be sent to arts@flymemphis.com. Student submissions MUST include student name and title of the painting, but not the school. For example: “Joe Smith – Memphis Sounds.” Finalists selected in the first round of judging will then submit a 30″ x 40″ canvas by April 11, 2025.
Photography:
Each contestant can submit a high resolution photo to arts@flymemphis.com. The judges will be looking for authenticity and originality as it relates to the overall sample. We encourage each student to avoid filters unless the filter assists in the overall vision. Student submissions MUST include student name and title of the photograph, but not the school. For example: “Joe Smith – Memphis Sounds.”
Sales:
Final selections may be reproduced for the sole purpose of raising funds for the Memphis International Airport Community Foundation to help purchase the necessary art supplies for the contest. Should the artwork be purchased, any monies collected from this transaction shall be remitted to the student artist.
Sold/Unsold Art:
All pieces sold during the one-year exhibition will be delivered to the respective buyers, and all remaining selections will be returned to the original artist (Date may vary, but approximately May 2026).