Neighborhood Services Department Launches “Canvas Voices” Youth Art Contest to Celebrate Montgomery’s Communities

The City of Montgomery's Neighborhood Services Department is inviting teens across the city to step into the spotlight through a new creative competition, Canvas Voices, a youth-driven art contest designed to uplift and celebrate local neighborhoods. The event will take place on March 29, 2026, giving young people a powerful platform to represent the beauty, strength, and stories of their communities.

Canvas Voices encourages teens to explore their identities and express their experiences through several artistic categories, including mixed media art, drawing, spoken word, digital art, recycled art, and photography. Organizers say the goal is to help Montgomery's youth "showcase their talent, build confidence, strengthen leadership skills, and be part of a powerful community movement."

Participants will also have the opportunity to compete for a cash prize and public recognition, making the contest not just a celebration of creativity but also an investment in emerging young leaders across the city.

To help teens prepare, the Neighborhood Services Department is offering free Open Art Studio Time every Wednesday and Thursday from 3:30-5:00 p.m. throughout February and March. These sessions will be held at the E.L. Lowder Branch Library, located at 2590 Bell Road, Montgomery, Alabama, providing a supportive space for young artists to work, learn, and develop their submissions.

City officials are encouraging all interested teens to get involved, emphasizing that Canvas Voices is more than a contest-it's a chance to uplift every corner of Montgomery through creativity and youth expression.