#iCANendthetrend Creative Arts Challenge
#iCANendthetrend wants you to be a part of our prevention efforts against the use of tobacco products. Use your creative and artistic skills to promote vaping prevention across Kentucky through the creation of original artwork. This year’s theme is: Breathe Easy, Be Free, Make Change: How has the use of tobacco products impacted you or someone you know? Elementary through high school-aged students are encouraged to submit artwork that reflects the impact tobacco use has had on themselves or their peers, families, friends, or community. This is your chance to share your voice through creative art and make a difference. The top 3 winners will be chosen from each age group and will receive a monetary prize. All submissions must be completed and submitted by 11:59 pm on April 14, 2025.
Artwork Requirements
- Submissions must be original art, developed for this Challenge, and cannot have been submitted elsewhere.
- Photos, videos, audio recordings, graphics, original drawings, and paintings or other images are allowed.
- Note: Winning entries that include identifiable images of people (e.g., a picture showing their face or other distinctive features) will need to provide a photo release (PDF) from the person/people in the photo prior to the award.
- Artwork may be produced using any medium, including computer software or applications, but the image and text should be clear if the image is printed on an 8 ½″ by 11″ piece of paper.
- Copyrighted materials are not allowed in any submission unless explicit written permission from the copyright holder is provided at the time of Challenge submission. Proof of the right to use copyrighted material must be included with your email submission (this can be included as another attachment to your email).
- Titles and descriptions must be submitted in English or accompanied by an English translation.
- If text in a language other than English is included in the artwork itself, an English translation of the text must be provided as a separate document that is attached to your email submission.
- The artwork file must use the following naming convention: “Title of Artwork (a shortened version is acceptable)_FirstInitialLastName.”
- The example file name for artwork: Picturing Better Health for All_WAddams
- Artwork must be submitted as a PDF, JPEG, PNG, or TIFF file.
Submissions may be disqualified for the following:
- Plagiarism: Entries may be screened, using a plagiarism software package, to validate the originality of the work
- Falsification of any information submitted
- The use of vulgar language in the artwork submitted
- Use of copyrighted material without permission
- Inclusion of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in your art (information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual's identity, such as your name, social security number, date, place of birth, emails, etc.)
2025 Results
Thank you to all of our art challenge participants this year! Each art challenge entry we received this year was unique, creative, and inspiring. We would like to take the opportunity to publicly recognize this year's art challenge winners. Please stay tuned for our 2025-2026 Art Challenge!
High School
1st Place - “Exhaled Youth” By Sydney - Fayette County
“My artwork is an image of a woman who has smoked away her youth. In the image, you can see a young woman smoking a cigarette, and in this cloud of smoke, you can see her older self. This image helps to raise awareness of the physical effects of smoking and how it can damage your appearance and prematurely age you. It promotes the idea not to smoke away your youth, which is a harmful effect of smoking.”
2nd Place - “Vaping Chains You Down” By Eric - Fulton County
“My art shows how vaping can chain you down and cost your life. It cost you your mind, body, soul, and honor. Most of all, your money and your dreams.”
3rd Place - “An Addiction To Die For” By Mackenzie - Fayette County
The serious addictions that nicotine and tobacco cause are represented by the undead hand, because cravings for vaping and smoking can take you out of the present like a 'zombie'. The physical effects of smoking are also severe and can lead to cancer and death, which is referenced in the title. Addictions aren't 'controllable' or healthy, and it can lead to you pouring more money and time into drugs than important things like being social, enjoying hobbies, and everyday life. You become fixated on consuming more and more, like a zombie.
Middle School
1st Place - “Don’t Vape You’ll Get Trapped” By Yuno & Emma - Fayette County
“This artwork shows the transition between a vape user's childhood, where they get introduced into vaping, and adulthood, where they are addicted to the vape. By using vibrant colors, we demonstrated how people make vapes look attractive, as seen in the illustrated vape store. Big bulletin boards in the street that urge people to start vaping, and the brain feeling "addicted" and "dependent" on the vape,e were the main focus of the poster.”
2nd Place - “Peer Pressure” By Sofia - Maddison County
“This piece supports this year's art challenge theme by highlighting the eerie feeling of being peer pressured into something you don't want to do, such as vaping or smoking cigarettes.”
3rd Place - “Two Breaths” By Nathan - Bullitt County
“You Have Two Choices. Two Breaths, for these could determine the outlook of your future years.”
Elementary School
1st Place - “Nicotine Project” By Emalyn - Garrard County
2nd Place - “Breath Easy Be Free Make Change” By Kennedy & Marley - Fayette County
3rd Place - “The Fog of The Lost Souls” By Sierra - Garrard County
“It describes how other people have suffered the effects from vaping and nicotine products. It also illustrates how people became lost in their destructive habit, and the ripple effects that those choices carry onto their loved ones.”