Official Contest Rules
“Our Poster Won’t Be AI”
Swampus Returns Youth Poster Contest
The “Our Poster Won’t Be AI” Swampus Returns Youth Poster Contest celebrates young artists, imagination and artwork created by hand.
One winner will be selected from each age group, and each winning artwork will become an official 2026 Swampus Returns poster.
1. Eligibility
The contest is open to young artists in the following age groups:
- Ages 7–9
- Ages 10–13
The young artist must be between the ages of 7 and 13 at the time of entry.
All entries must be submitted by a parent or legal guardian.
No purchase is necessary to enter.
2. Contest Dates
The contest opens September 3, 2026.
All entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on September 13, 2026.
Parents or guardians of the winning artists will be contacted after judging is completed.
Swampus Returns takes place October 3, 2026 in New Orleans.
3. Artwork Requirements
Artwork must be:
- Created entirely by the young artist
- Hand-created using traditional art materials
- Created on 8.5″ × 11″ paper
- Created in portrait orientation
- Original artwork created for this contest
Artwork may be full color or black and white.
Traditional materials may include pencils, crayons, markers, colored pencils, paint, ink, collage or similar hand-created media.
4. No Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence may not be used at any stage of the creative process.
This includes using AI to generate:
- Ideas
- Reference images
- Compositions
- Backgrounds
- Characters
- Finished artwork
AI may also not be used to alter, enhance, complete or otherwise modify the submitted artwork.
Parents, guardians and teachers may discuss the contest theme and encourage the young artist, but the creative ideas and artwork must be the young artist’s own.
Imperfections are welcome. Imagination is required.
5. Make It Swampus
Every entry must include the young artist’s own hand-created interpretation of at least one of the following:
- Swampus
- The Swampus Evil Eye on Sustainability
Official Swampus reference images may be used as visual references, but the young artist must create their own interpretation.
Artwork should also reflect the world of Swampus Returns and may be inspired by:
- Louisiana swamps
- Halloween
- Folklore
- Strange or imaginary creatures
- Nature
- Sustainability
- Protecting the environment
- Responsible celebration
We especially encourage young artists to show what caring for our swamps, protecting nature or celebrating more sustainably looks like through their own imagination.
IMPORTANT
6. Required Poster Information
Because winning artwork will become official Swampus Returns posters, every entry must include the following words as part of the hand-created artwork:
SWAMPUS RETURNS
OCTOBER 3
NEW ORLEANS
The lettering may be spooky, strange, swampy, colorful or completely original, but it should be readable.
7. Original Artwork
The artwork must be the young artist’s own original creation.
Entries may not copy copyrighted characters, another artist’s work or artwork found online.
Swampus and the Swampus Evil Eye on Sustainability may be used as references because they are part of the contest, but the young artist must draw and interpret them themselves.
8. Number of Entries
Each young artist may submit one entry.
9. How to Submit
All entries must be submitted through the official Swampus Returns contest entry form by a parent or legal guardian.
The parent or guardian must upload a clear, high-quality photograph or scan of the completed artwork.
The entire piece should be visible and the image should be free of glare, shadows or anything covering the artwork.
Accepted file types may include JPG, JPEG, PNG and PDF.
Parents or guardians should keep the original artwork.
If a young artist is selected as a winner, Krewe of Krampus will arrange to temporarily receive or access the original artwork so it can be professionally scanned or photographed for reproduction.
The original artwork will remain the property of the young artist.
10. Judging
Entries will be judged separately within each age group.
One winner will be selected from ages 7–9 and one winner from ages 10–13.
Entries will be considered based on:
- Creativity
- Originality
- Imagination
- Interpretation of Swampus
- Connection to sustainability
- Overall visual impact
Entries will not be judged solely on technical artistic skill.
The goal is to celebrate each young artist’s imagination and individual expression.
Judging decisions are final.
11. Prizes
One winner will be selected from each age group.
Each winner will receive:
- A $75 gift certificate from David Art Center
- Recognition as a winning young artist
- Their artwork transformed into an official 2026 Swampus Returns poster
- A printed copy of the finished poster
Additional prizes or experiences may be added and announced if available.
Prizes may not be exchanged for cash.
12. Winner Notification
Parents or legal guardians of selected winners will be contacted using the information provided on the entry form.
If Krewe of Krampus is unable to reach a selected winner’s parent or guardian, verify eligibility or obtain the original artwork within a reasonable period of time, another entry may be selected.
13. Artwork Ownership and Permission to Use
The young artist retains ownership and copyright of their original artwork.
By submitting an entry, the parent or legal guardian grants Krewe of Krampus and Swampus Returns a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce, publish, display and use the submitted artwork in connection with:
- The Swampus Returns Youth Poster Contest
- Swampus Returns
- Krewe of Krampus
- Art of the Parade
- Related promotional, educational and archival activities
This permission includes use on websites, social media, posters, printed materials, event displays, press materials and other promotional communications.
For winning entries, permission also includes the right to professionally scan or photograph the artwork and to crop, resize and combine it with typography, logos, event information and other graphic elements necessary to produce an official Swampus Returns poster and related promotional materials.
The original artwork remains the property of the young artist.
14. Artist Recognition
Parents or guardians may choose whether Krewe of Krampus and Swampus Returns may publicly identify the young artist.
When permission is given, the standard public credit will be:
First name + last initial + age
Example:
Artwork by Maya R., age 9
If permission is not given, the artwork may be identified anonymously, such as:
Young Artist, age 9
A child’s private contact information will not be publicly displayed.
15. Parent or Guardian Certification
By submitting an entry, the parent or legal guardian certifies that:
- They are the parent or legal guardian of the young artist and have authority to submit the entry
- The young artist meets the contest eligibility requirements
- The submitted artwork is the young artist’s own original, hand-created artwork
- Artificial intelligence was not used during the creative process
- The parent or guardian has read and agrees to these Official Contest Rules
- The parent or guardian agrees to the Artwork Permission included in the entry form
- The information provided on the entry form is accurate
16. Privacy
Information collected through the contest entry form will be used to administer the contest, communicate with parents or guardians and recognize participating artists as authorized.
Krewe of Krampus and Swampus Returns will not knowingly publish a child’s private contact information.
17. General Conditions
Entries that do not follow these Official Contest Rules may be disqualified.
Krewe of Krampus reserves the right not to display or publish artwork containing material that is inappropriate, discriminatory, hateful or otherwise unsuitable for a family-friendly event.
Krewe of Krampus also reserves the right to modify, postpone or cancel the contest if circumstances beyond its reasonable control make doing so necessary.
Participation in the contest constitutes agreement to these Official Contest Rules.
Questions?
Questions about the contest may be directed to Swampus Returns through the contact information provided on the Swampus Returns website.