Dogwood Arts 2026 Synergy Exhibition > Register & Apply

2026 Synergy Student & Art Educator Exhibition Application 

Synergy showcases gifted K-12 art students alongside their teachers and current art interns/student-teachers from East Tennessee. See the results of the artistic student-teacher synergy that happens every day in our schools! Awards and scholarships are presented to encourage further development of these art students’ artistic aptitude.
  • Number of Submissions: This application allows up to 10 student artwork applications PER ART EDUCATOR (no more than two per student). Art Educators may also submit 2 pieces of their own work for consideration in the Educator Exhibition. 

-Complementary framing of accepted student work by ExpressFrame. All work is framed in a black frame.-

Exhibition Prospectus
Please read the full Exhibition Prospectus prior to filling out your application 

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2026 Exhibition Schedule

  • December 1, 2025: Application Open 
  • January 7, 2026: Application Deadline
  • January 20, 2026: Notification of Acceptance Date
  • January 26 - 31, 2026: Student artwork delivered or shipped to ExpressFrame [Store Hours: Mon-Fri 10 am-6 pm, Saturday 10 am-5 pm] Knox County Teachers may also drop off/ship student work to Heather Casteel’s Office for framing by January 23rd.
  • March 2, 2026: (11 am - 7 pm) Student 3D Work and all Educator Work Drop-Off Date at the Clayton Center for the Arts.  Artwork not dropped off by 7pm on March 2nd will not be included in the show.
    • Please contact Dogwood Arts to arrange alternative drop accommodations if necessary.
  • March 3, 2026: Exhibition Installation
  • March 4 - 26, 2026: Exhibition Open (Monday-Friday 9 am-6 pm)
  • March 26, 2026: Closing Reception, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm at Clayton Center for the Arts (Awards at 6:30 pm)

A Closing Reception and Awards Ceremony will be held at the Clayton Center for the Arts (502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804) on March 26th from 5:30-7:30PM. Awards will be presented at 6:30pm. All artists, families, and friends are encouraged to attend this wonderful celebration!

Due to feedback, we have adjusted our application dates to help facilitate educators' schedules. We hope this adjustment is beneficial to your schedules.

Student Awards

  • Best In Show Student: $200 
  • First Place in Grade Levels K-12 (13 total): $50 Cash Each

Educator Awards

  • Best In Show Educator: $500 
  • Second Place: $250 
  • Third Place: $150
  • Best in Show Student’s Educator: $100 
  • 3 Honorable Mentions: $50 Each
Jare
1st place 2024
Jared Worsham Synergy 2024

User Entry Process Tutorial

You can leave this video on your call site's homepage (or embed it on any page) for a quick tutorial your users can watch to help them with the submission process.