2026 YOUNG ARTISTS AND AUTHORS SHOWCASE (YAAS)
Voices of Today, Visions of Tomorrow

Sister Cities of Long Beach organizes the local Young Artists and Authors Showcase (YAAS) to encourage young artists to express the values of international friendship and cultural exchange through artwork, photography, music, literature, and poetry. Selected submissions will advance to the Sister Cities International global competition.

This year’s theme is Voices of Today, Visions of Tomorrow, inviting young artists and authors to raise their voices during a historic moment as the United States celebrates 250 years since its founding, and Sister Cities International honors 70 years of building global friendships and cultural understanding. It reflects the ongoing journey from the country’s founding ideals toward a more interconnected, peaceful world.

 Share your vision of a world where today’s voices shape tomorrow’s global community!

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Submission Deadline: March 1, 2026

  • Students must be between 12 and 18 years of age at the time of the deadline.
  • Student entries must be submitted through Sister Cities of Long Beach.
  • All entries must conform to Sister Cities of Long Beach policy on plagiarism found here.
  • All entries must be submitted and received with a completed application by the deadline. Submit entries by uploading them along with the application below.
  • No student may enter submissions into more than one category.
  • The student must be affiliated with and have a direct point of contact with Sister Cities of Long Beach.
  • Photographs of all artists’ work (in the case of the Musicians Showcase, artists’ names and names of the pieces) will be published to Sister Cities of Long Beach website.
  • Each International category’s Grand Prize Winner will receive $1,000.
  • Each International category’s 2nd Place Winner will receive $500.
  • Each International category’s 3rd Place Winner will receive $250.
  • International winners will be announced at the Youth Leadership Summit.

Submission categories:

  1. Classic Art
  2. Digital Art
  3. Photography
  4. Original Music
  5. Literature
  6. Poetry
Submission Categories Requirements

International winners will be required to send framed versions of their original artwork to the Sister Cities International National Office in Washington, DC, at their own expense. Further details will be shared with winners in early summer 2026. The winning artwork will also be featured on the Sister Cities International website after the announcement.

ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE MADE IN ENGLISH

If you have any questions, contact us at info@sistercitiesoflongbeach.com