My Town
On view at the Lyme Art Association from June 6 – July 17, 2026
Interested in participating? Please click the below button and fill out the online submission form.
Calling Young Artists!
This summer, Lyme Art Association invites young artists ages 5–18 to participate in our annual Young Artists Exhibition with the theme My Town. The exhibition will be on view June 6–July 17, 2026, and the submission deadline is May 31, 2026.
What does home look like to you? It might be the street where you live, your favorite park, your school, your neighborhood, a local shop, the shoreline, the woods behind your house—or even a memory, tradition, or moment that captures what your town feels like.
Inspired by Connecticut’s rich history and the America 250 Connecticut themes, My Town encourages young artists to explore what makes their community unique—its people, places, culture, and everyday life. Artwork may be realistic, imaginative, or personal, and we welcome all mediums and styles.
We can’t wait to see your creative visions of the places you call home!
Family Day & Awards Ceremony date to be announced.
Click button to see the 2026 online gallery My Town.
Entering the Exhibition
Each artist may submit two pieces. If two artworks are entered, LAA may choose, based on the number of submissions, to display only one piece, if there is a space limitation.
Any 2-dimensional hand drawn or painted mediums are welcome – from paints to pencils or pastels to markers and crayons. Choose your best work!
Artwork must be framed, with a wire (much preferred) or sawtooth hanger. Framed pieces should be no bigger than 18 x 24 inches. We will not accept unframed pieces.
- To enter, please fill out the online submission form. Submission Form
- Also, please attach an exhibit entry tag to the back of each piece with the artist’s name, title of piece, and artist’s age. Exhibit Entry Tag
- Please also email a photo of your piece before it is in the frame to paul@lymeartassociation.org.
Important Dates
We will be accepting artwork through June 1 from 10 am – 5 pm. The deadline for submission is May 31, 2026. Fill out the online form, and then bring your art with its exhibit entry tags to the Lyme Art Association at 90 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT.
Art will be available for pickup after July 17, 2026.
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Family Day and Awards Presentation:
Time and Date To Be Announced.
We are planning a family celebration featuring prizes for each age group (5-7, 8-10, 11-13, and 14-18), certificates for each artist, and fun activities for all!
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For more information, contact Paul Michael at paul@lymeartassociation.org or 860-434-7802.
Support for this program generously provided by the Chelsea Groton Foundation.
Previous Youth Exhibitions
WET: A World of Water, June 6 – 27, 2025
In June of 2025, Lyme Art Association extended a warm invitation to artists ages 5 to 18 to create their depictions of the world of water. Artwork featuring rivers, oceans, water-dwelling plants and animals, boats, swimmers, and water in any other form were welcomed!
2025 Young Artist Show Award Winners
Ages 5-7:
1st Place: Maddy Pietruszka
2nd Place: David Ojeda
3rd Place: Asher Lawrence
Ages 8-10:
1st Place: Kiarra Yang
2nd Place: Yulia Chen
3rd Place: Hugo Gostkiewicz
Ages 11-13:
1st Place: Pheobe Chen
2nd Place: Mason Li
3rd Place: Sophia Lin
Ages 14-18:
1st Place: Danlu Li
2nd Place: Jennifer Hui
3rd Place: Ayla Jolly-Ballentine
2024 Youth Exhibition: Hope Is a Thing with Feathers, June 7 - July 18, 2024
In the summer of 2024, Lyme Art Association extended a warm invitation to artists ages 5 to 18 to interpret the beloved poem, Hope Is a Thing With Feathers, by Emily Dickinson. We encouraged young artists to delve into the rich imagery of the poem, exploring themes of hope, resilience, and the boundless possibilities that take flight. Artists were encouraged to respond to the poem by creating artworks that feature our feathered friends, the joys of flying through the air, or any other responses that emerge.
2024 Young Artist Show Award Winners
Ages 5-7:
1st Place: Lexi Graves, “Bird at Sunset”
2nd Place: Killian O’Reilly, “Shine Through”
3rd Place: Eli Palmer, “Flying Cardinal”
Ages 8-10:
1st Place: Stephanie Chen, “The Higher We Fly”
2nd Place: Hannah Li: “Umbrellas”
3rd Place: Olivia Xu, “Heart of Love”
Ages 11-13:
1st Place: Jennifer Hui, “Prayers and Peace”
2nd Place: Julia Ren, “Global Warming”
3rd Place: Sophia Lin, “Descendants of Icarus”
Ages 14-18:
1st Place: KO Parlagreco, “Early Bird”
2nd Place: Vivian Chen, “Space to Dream”
3rd Place: Tejal Chaudhari, “2 Parrots”
Images from 2023's Young Artists Exhibit - The Beauty Within
June 24 - July 16, 2023
Almost 100 works are included in this year’s young artists show, and culminated into two lovely shows, “The Beauty Within”, which focuses on figurative art and portraiture of inspiring people and heroes; while “Beauty All Around Us” focuses on the beauty of beloved objects in one’s life.
Participating artists, ages 5 – 18, came from Lyme, Old Lyme, New London, Niantic and even Hawaii, and included students from Lizhai Art School and Barn for Artistic Youth.