Camas Culture Art Block

Everybody has a culture! Share and celebrate yours through art.

The 250th anniversary of the United States of America will be happening in 2026 and towns all across the nation will be holding events in their communities to celebrate! The Camas Culture Art Block on 5th Avenue in Downtown Camas celebrates the wide variety of cultures that call Camas home. Alongside our Fourth of July celebrations, the new Camas Culture Art Block artwork will be unveiled on July 4, 2026. As a result, the theme for this installment is:

What’s YOUR American Story?

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Camas Culture Art Block Art 2026 Submissions

REQUIREMENTS:

  1. The artist must be of high school age, and a current resident of Camas, WA.
  2. Artwork must express the artist’s personal experience of culture in America. *Because this is public artwork on a privately owned building, submissions must be family friendly. See Judging for more information.
  3. Artwork must be original, and fit the image quality and formatting for printing. *Traditional artforms are preferred, though use of AI as a minor part of the creative process of combining and transforming imagery is acceptable. See Image Requirements for more information.
  4. Artist statement must clearly explain the meaning and significance of the artwork. See Artist Statement for more information.

Thank you for applying, sharing your talent, and helping to celebrate culture in our community!

Please see application here which also includes further Artist Statement Guidelines and Judging Information.

IMAGE REQUIREMENTS:

Artwork must be formatted horizontally, proportioned twice as wide as it is tall, 1:2 ratio.

Any traditional 2D art media, digital art, photography, or 3D art is eligible to submit, however art may not be entirely created through AI prompts. Traditional artforms are preferred, though use of AI as a minor part of the creative process of combining and transforming imagery is acceptable.

All artwork must be well lit and photographed using a DSLR camera in order to scale up for high quality printing. 3D artwork must be photographed with a neutral gradient background.

If you need help photographing your artwork, email miranda.wakeman@camas.wednet.edu to arrange for this service.

Digital images must be:

➔ 48” tall x 96” wide and 300 dpi
➔ 14,400 pixels x 28,800 pixels
➔ JPG or PDF format

Digital images of the artwork will be printed on 4’ x 8’ metal panels for outdoor display; original artwork remains the property of the artist. Panels will remain the property of the Downtown Camas Association.

IMPORTANT DATES AND NOTES:

September 2025:  Teachers share prompts with students.

Oct – Dec 2025:  Suggested: Develop your proposed artwork & statement. Get feedback from an art teacher or mentor before submitting.

January 5, 2026:  Submission window opens

March 31, 2026:  Final Deadline to submit 

April 2026:  Opportunity for content/technical feedback and revisions

May 15, 2026:  Selections announced

July 4, 2026: Artwork unveiled!

Everyone is invited to the Ribbon Cutting & Art Unveiling Event on July 4th to celebrate the amazing artists and the stories they represent! Block party event, food, activities…more details to come.

Submit Your Artwork and Application Here!

Thank you for applying, sharing your talent, and helping to celebrate culture in our community!

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History of the Camas Culture Art Block

The Camas Culture Art Block in Downtown Camas was created to increase representation and celebrate the many diverse cultures of people living in Camas through art. In 2024, Maria Navarro Alejandres, a senior from Hayes Freedom High School, looked to the Downtown Camas Association (DCA) for guidance in executing a public art piece representing her culture, as her senior project. The DCA Design Committee had an idea percolating for a few years to bring a large-scale art installation to 5th Ave and the ideas blended into the concept for the Camas Culture Art Block. 

For the initial Camas Culture Art Block installation in 2024, all high school students in Camas were invited to submit artwork that highlights and celebrates their cultural background. The semi-permanent display of six art pieces will be updated periodically. The art is showcased on the Ziply Fiber building at 5th & Cedar.

The high school student artists that currently have their art shown include Xander Acain, Maria Navarro Alejandres, Shalaka Deshpande, Charlie Irwin, Blu A. Jimenez and Bailey Lim. Individual artist statements (see links above) are available at the art block describing the meaning and significance of the artwork as it relates to  their culture and also what they hope their audience will learn, feel or grow from their artwork. We thank them all for their artful contributions to Downtown Camas!

The Ribbon Cutting & Art Unveiling Event in May of 2024 celebrated the amazing artists and the cultures they represent. Click here for photos of the event.

The DCA, Maria and her art mentor Ms. Wakeman were awarded the 2024 WA State Excellence on Main Award for Outstanding Special Project for this effort. We are grateful to Maria and Ms. Wakeman and to Ziply Fiber for this meaningful collaboration!

For the full press release, visit here.
For the press release on the WA Main Street Excellence on Main Award, visit here.