Annual Chicagoland Children’s Stories & Art Exhibition

2026 Participation Rules and Parent/Guardian or Authorized Adult Consent

Effective Date: July 13, 2026

These Participation Rules and Consent Terms apply to the 2026 Annual Chicagoland Children’s Stories & Art Exhibition, organized by Snowlike Studio, LLC under the 365 for Kids brand.

Please read this document carefully before submitting a child’s artwork.

By completing an individual submission form, coordinating a group submission, or agreeing to the required consent statements, the submitting adult confirms that they:

are at least 18 years old;
have read and understood these Rules;
have authority to submit the child’s artwork;
have obtained all permissions required for participation and publication;
agree to the uses described in this document.

1. About the Exhibition

The Annual Chicagoland Children’s Stories & Art Exhibition is a free educational and cultural initiative inviting children and teens to create original visual artwork inspired by stories.

The 2026 exhibition theme is:

“If Stories Could Come Alive”

Artwork may be inspired by:

a book;
a fairy tale;
a myth;
a legend;
a folktale;
a family story;
an audio story;
another age-appropriate storytelling source.

The exhibition is intended to encourage reading, listening, imagination, creativity, artistic expression, and community participation.

2. Organizer

The exhibition is organized by:

Snowlike Studio, LLC — 365 for Kids
636 Remington Rd, Suite C
Schaumburg, IL 60173
United States

Email: info@snowlikestudio.com
Phone: (224) 201-3767

In these Rules, “365 for Kids,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Snowlike Studio, LLC and the 365 for Kids brand.

3. Who May Participate

The exhibition is open to children and teens living in the Chicagoland area.

The 2026 age categories are:

Ages 6–9
Ages 10–13
Ages 14–17

The participant must fall within one of these age categories on the submission deadline.

Participation is free.

Children may participate:

individually through a parent or legal guardian;
through a school, library, art program, community organization, youth organization, child-welfare agency, foster-care program, residential child-care program, group home, crisis nursery, or another participating organization;
through another authorized adult who has obtained all permissions required for submission and publication.

4. Exhibition Timeline

The planned 2026 schedule is:

Submission Deadline: November 1, 2026
Exhibition and Award Results Announced: December 10, 2026
Virtual Exhibition Opens: December 10, 2026
Official Exhibition Catalog Published: December 10, 2026

365 for Kids may adjust a date when reasonably necessary because of technical, administrative, safety, legal, or other circumstances.

Important changes will be announced on the official exhibition webpage or communicated to the submitting adult or organizational coordinator.

5. Individual and Group Submission Options

There are two ways to participate.

A. Individual Submission

A parent, legal guardian, or other authorized adult may submit one child’s artwork through the official individual submission form.

B. Group or Organizational Submission

Schools, libraries, youth organizations, child-welfare organizations, foster-care programs, residential child-care programs, group homes, crisis nurseries, community organizations, and similar programs may submit artwork for a group of children through a simplified batch-submission process.

Organizations interested in a group submission should contact 365 for Kids before sending artwork or participant information.

The group-submission method will be agreed upon in advance and may be adapted to:

the number of participating children;
the organization’s technical capabilities;
the organization’s privacy and security policies;
the type of permission available;
the organization’s preferred method of communication.

A group submission may be accepted through:

one or more email messages;
a restricted shared folder or upload link;
a simple document or list accompanying the artwork;
the organization’s own secure transfer system;
another practical method agreed upon with 365 for Kids.

Organizations will not normally be required to complete the standard individual form separately for every child.

6. Organizational Coordinator

An organization making a group submission must designate one adult coordinator.

The coordinator will serve as the main contact for:

submission instructions;
delivery of artwork files;
confirmation of permissions;
correction of missing information;
certificates;
withdrawal or removal requests;
exhibition and award announcements.

The coordinator must be authorized by the organization to communicate with 365 for Kids.

7. Group Submission Information

For each participating child, the organization may be asked to provide only the minimum information necessary to identify and present the artwork, such as:

a unique participant code;
an approved public display name, initials, or creative name;
age category;
artwork title;
story or source that inspired the artwork;
a short description, when available;
the corresponding artwork file name;
confirmation that the required permission has been obtained.

The exact age, city, organization name, or other identifying details may be omitted when additional privacy is appropriate.

The organization may submit all artwork files together rather than uploading each artwork separately.

Each child may still submit only one artwork.

8. Authority to Submit a Child’s Work

An individual submission must be completed by:

the child’s parent;
the child’s legal guardian; or
another adult who has documented authority and the required permission to submit and authorize publication of the work.

For a group submission, the organizational coordinator confirms that the organization has obtained all permissions required for each participating child.

Depending on the child’s circumstances, permission may need to come from:

a parent;
a legal guardian;
an authorized agency representative;
a school or program official with appropriate authority;
another person or entity legally permitted to approve participation and publication.

Possession of a child’s artwork alone does not give an employee, teacher, volunteer, caregiver, or organization authority to publish it.

9. Simplified Organizational Certification

To reduce administrative work, 365 for Kids may allow one authorized organizational certification to accompany an entire group submission.

Through that certification, the organizational coordinator confirms that:

all necessary individual permissions have been obtained;
the organization has retained any permission documentation required by its policies or applicable law;
each child’s participation is voluntary;
each artwork was created by the participating child;
each child and responsible adult have been informed about the virtual exhibition and catalog;
the public display information supplied for each child is approved;
the organization is authorized to submit the group.

365 for Kids will not normally require copies of every individual permission form unless additional verification is reasonably necessary because of a privacy, legal, safety, or authorization concern.

10. Children in Foster Care, Residential Care, or Agency Care

For a child in foster care, residential care, state care, agency care, or another protected placement, the submitting organization is responsible for determining whose permission is legally and institutionally required.

The organization must obtain that permission before submitting the artwork.

365 for Kids will not publicly state or imply that a child:

is in foster care;
lives in a group home;
receives residential services;
is under agency or state care;
has any other child-welfare status.

For increased privacy, these participants may be identified by:

first name only;
initials;
a creative name;
a participant code;
age category rather than exact age;
no city;
no organization name.

The name or logo of a child-welfare or residential organization will be published only when:

the organization has expressly authorized it; and
publication will not improperly reveal the placement or care status of a participating child.

11. One Artwork per Participant

Each child or teen may submit one artwork for the 2026 exhibition.

This limit applies to both individual and group submissions.

An organization may submit multiple artworks together, but each artwork must represent a different participating child.

Submitting multiple entries for the same child under different names, codes, email addresses, or organizations may result in the additional entries being removed.

12. Artwork Requirements

The submitted artwork must:

be an original work created by the participating child or teen;
be created by hand using a traditional visual-art medium;
be meaningfully connected to the 2026 theme;
be inspired by a story or storytelling source;
reflect age-appropriate effort and participation;
be suitable for a children’s educational and community exhibition.

Traditional media may include:

pencil;
colored pencil;
crayon;
marker;
pastel;
watercolor;
tempera;
acrylic paint;
collage;
mixed traditional media.

Artwork may be created at home or as part of a supervised activity in a school, library, art class, youth program, residential program, community organization, or another appropriate setting.

13. Adult Assistance

Adults may provide reasonable age-appropriate assistance, including:

explaining the exhibition theme;
reading or discussing an inspiring story;
helping prepare art materials;
offering encouragement;
helping a younger child title or describe the work;
photographing the finished artwork;
submitting or organizing the files.

The artistic concept, choices, and central work must be created by the participating child or teen.

Artwork created primarily by an adult is not eligible.

14. Prohibited or Ineligible Work

The following are not eligible:

AI-generated images;
images created substantially through generative-AI tools;
copied or traced illustrations when copying forms the main part of the work;
downloaded, stock, or internet images presented as the child’s own work;
artwork created primarily by an adult;
work that infringes another person’s copyright, privacy, trademark, or other rights;
hidden advertising or unauthorized commercial promotion;
work that is unlawful or unsuitable for the intended audience.

Submissions may not contain material that is:

sexually explicit;
exploitative;
hateful or discriminatory;
threatening;
excessively graphic or violent;
intentionally humiliating;
otherwise inappropriate for a children’s educational and community exhibition.

Being inspired by an existing story does not permit direct copying of another illustrator’s artwork.

15. Photographing and Submitting the Artwork

A clear photograph or digital image of the finished artwork must be provided.

The image should:

show the complete artwork;
be in focus;
be well lit;
avoid strong reflections or shadows;
be photographed as straight-on as reasonably possible;
contain no unnecessary personal information.

Do not include the child’s face in the artwork photograph.

Do not include a visible:

full legal name;
home address;
personal phone number;
personal email address;
school identification;
case information;
confidential document;
other private information.

365 for Kids may crop, resize, straighten, or make reasonable brightness and color adjustments for exhibition and publication purposes.

We will not intentionally change the central content of the child’s artwork.

16. File Names for Group Submissions

Organizations may use a simple participant code instead of a child’s name in the artwork file name.

For example:

ORG-001.jpg
ORG-002.jpg
ORG-003.jpg

The accompanying group list may connect the participant code with the approved public display information.

A file name should not contain:

a child’s full legal name;
a case or placement number;
a home address;
medical or family information;
foster-care or residential-care status.

17. Information Requested for Individual Submissions

An individual submission form may request:

child’s first name;
last-name initial;
approved public display name;
age or age category;
city and state;
artwork title;
story that inspired the artwork;
short description;
parent, guardian, or authorized-adult name;
adult email address;
adult relationship to the child;
required confirmations and consent.

Only the adult’s contact information should be used.

A child should not provide a personal email address.

18. Information That Should Not Be Submitted

Do not submit unnecessary sensitive information about a child, including:

full home address;
personal telephone number;
private social-media account;
medical information;
mental-health information;
disability information unless specifically necessary and authorized;
family legal circumstances;
foster-care or residential-care status;
immigration status;
child-protection or court information;
other confidential family or agency information.

Descriptions of the artwork should focus on the story, artistic idea, characters, setting, or imagination—not on private family circumstances.

19. Public Identification of Participants

A participant may be identified publicly only through information approved by the submitting adult or organization.

Public information may include:

first name and last-name initial;
first name only;
initials;
approved creative name;
age or age category;
city and state, when authorized;
artwork title;
inspiring story or source;
short artwork description;
participating organization’s name, when authorized and appropriate.

Adult contact information will not be published as part of the exhibition.

Parents, guardians, and organizations may request more limited identification.

20. Review and Acceptance

Submissions will be reviewed for:

age and geographic eligibility;
connection to the theme;
originality;
compliance with artwork requirements;
completeness of the required information;
adult or organizational authorization;
technical quality of the image;
suitability for a children’s educational exhibition.

All eligible artworks received by the deadline are intended to be included in the exhibition, subject to final administrative, technical, privacy, copyright, and safety review.

365 for Kids may decline or remove a submission that:

does not meet the published rules;
is incomplete;
lacks appropriate permission;
contains prohibited content;
presents a privacy, safety, copyright, or legal concern;
cannot reasonably be displayed because of insufficient image quality;
was submitted using inaccurate or misleading information.

We may contact the submitting adult or organizational coordinator for clarification, replacement files, or missing information.

21. Virtual Exhibition and Other Publication

Accepted artwork may be displayed or reproduced in:

the official virtual exhibition;
online exhibition galleries;
the 365 for Kids website;
the official exhibition catalog;
digital or printed exhibition materials;
participant certificates;
award materials;
official 365 for Kids social-media channels;
newsletters;
partner communications;
press or media materials directly related to the exhibition;
future exhibition archives;
materials promoting this exhibition or related educational and community initiatives.

Only the artwork and approved participant information may be used.

Photographs of participating children will not be requested or published as part of the standard exhibition process.

22. Official Exhibition Catalog

Accepted artwork may be included in an official digital or printed exhibition catalog.

The catalog may be:

printed and distributed;
provided to award recipients or participating partners;
published and offered for sale through Amazon or another online or physical retailer;
purchased voluntarily by participating families or members of the public;
retained as part of the exhibition archive.

No participant is required to purchase the catalog, and participation in the exhibition is not conditioned on making a purchase.

The participating child or lawful rights holder retains copyright ownership of the original artwork.

Participation does not create a right to royalties, sales proceeds, licensing fees, or other financial compensation from the publication, distribution, or sale of the catalog.

Revenue from catalog sales may be retained by Snowlike Studio, LLC — 365 for Kids to help cover publishing, production, administration, exhibition, and program-related expenses.

The publication or sale of the catalog does not transfer ownership of the child’s original artwork or copyright to 365 for Kids.

23. Ownership of the Artwork

The participating child or the child’s lawful rights holder retains copyright ownership of the original artwork.

Submission does not transfer ownership of the work to 365 for Kids.

The child or rights holder may continue to:

keep the original physical artwork;
display it elsewhere;
reproduce it independently;
enter it in another program when that program permits;
otherwise use it subject to applicable law.

The original physical artwork should not be mailed or delivered unless separate written instructions are provided.

24. Permission Granted to 365 for Kids

By submitting the artwork and providing the required publication authorization, the submitting adult or authorized organization grants Snowlike Studio, LLC — 365 for Kids a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to:

receive and review the submission;
store the submitted image and related information;
reproduce the artwork;
crop, resize, straighten, format, or prepare the image for display;
publish and publicly display the artwork;
include it in the virtual exhibition;
reproduce and include it in the official exhibition catalog and publish, distribute, market, and sell copies of that catalog through Amazon or other retail and distribution channels;
include it in approved digital and printed exhibition materials;
identify the participant using the approved public information;
share it through official exhibition and 365 for Kids communication channels;
promote the exhibition and related educational initiatives;
preserve reasonable archival and administrative copies.

This license does not prevent the child or rights holder from using the artwork elsewhere.

It does not authorize 365 for Kids to sell the child’s original physical artwork.

25. Editing and Formatting

365 for Kids may make reasonable technical or editorial adjustments, including:

image cropping and resizing;
brightness or contrast correction;
spelling corrections in titles or descriptions;
standardized capitalization and punctuation;
formatting for the website or catalog;
shortening a description when space is limited.

We will not intentionally change the central artistic meaning or claim authorship of the child’s work.

26. Judging and Awards

Awards are planned for first, second, and third place in each age category.

Individual and group-submitted artworks are eligible for awards when they meet the same participation requirements.

Judging may consider:

connection to the exhibition theme;
originality and imagination;
age-appropriate artistic expression;
thoughtful interpretation of the inspiring story;
effort and presentation;
overall visual impact.

Judging decisions are final, except when an administrative error is confirmed.

Submitting an entry does not guarantee an award.

Prize details are published on the official exhibition webpage.

27. Certificates

Every accepted participant is intended to receive a Certificate of Participation by email.

For an individual submission, the certificate will be sent to the submitting adult.

For a group submission, certificates may be sent together to the designated organizational coordinator for distribution.

Certificates will use the approved display information supplied with the submission.

The submitting adult or organization is responsible for checking spelling and accuracy.

28. No Participation Fee or Reimbursement

Participation is free.

365 for Kids does not reimburse personal or organizational expenses associated with participation, including:

art supplies;
printing;
photography;
internet or telephone service;
staff time;
transportation;
books;
postage;
other preparation or submission expenses.

29. Withdrawal Before Publication

A parent, legal guardian, authorized adult, or organizational coordinator may request withdrawal before the exhibition and catalog are finalized.

Requests should be sent promptly to:

info@snowlikestudio.com

Use the subject line:

Art Exhibition Withdrawal Request

Include enough information to identify the entry, such as:

approved public display name or participant code;
artwork title;
name of the submitting adult or organization;
email address used for the submission.

For a group submission, the organizational coordinator may submit the request on behalf of the participant after confirming their authority.

We will make reasonable efforts to process a timely request.

A request received after production or publication has begun may not prevent inclusion in materials already finalized, printed, scheduled, distributed, or released.

30. Removal After Publication

A parent, legal guardian, authorized representative, or organizational coordinator may request removal of artwork from online pages and channels controlled directly by 365 for Kids.

We will make reasonable efforts to remove future online display after verifying the requester’s identity and authority.

However:

printed catalogs already produced cannot be recalled;
distributed physical copies cannot be retrieved;
downloaded, shared, reposted, or screenshot copies may remain available;
search-engine caches may not disappear immediately;
press, partner, or third-party websites may retain previously authorized material;
backup copies may remain temporarily;
limited records may be retained to document permission and publication history.

Removal does not invalidate publication or exhibition uses lawfully completed before the request was processed.

31. Participant Safety and Well-Being

Parents, guardians, educators, caregivers, and supervising organizations are responsible for:

selecting age-appropriate materials;
supervising children as appropriate;
following product safety instructions;
deciding whether the activity is suitable for each child;
protecting the child’s private information;
ensuring that participation is voluntary;
avoiding pressure related to awards or public recognition.

A child should not be required to reveal private experiences, family circumstances, placement status, or traumatic events through the artwork or description.

The artwork may be entirely fictional and imaginative.

32. Privacy

Personal information collected through the submission process is handled according to the 365 for Kids Privacy Policy.

The exhibition is also governed by the 365 for Kids Terms and Conditions.

Only information approved for public display will be published.

Information submitted for administrative communication, permission verification, or certificate delivery will not be included in the public exhibition unless separate permission has been provided.

33. Submission Services and File Transfer

Individual or group submissions may use Google Forms, email, restricted shared folders, or other services agreed upon with 365 for Kids.

Those services may process information according to their own privacy and security practices.

Organizations and families should use only the submission method provided or approved for them.

Private upload links or folders must not be posted publicly or shared with unauthorized persons.

34. Changes, Postponement, or Cancellation

365 for Kids may reasonably modify, postpone, suspend, or cancel part of the exhibition because of:

insufficient eligible participation;
technical failure;
privacy or security concerns;
legal or regulatory requirements;
illness or emergency;
circumstances beyond reasonable control;
another substantial administrative need.

When reasonably possible, important changes will be announced through the exhibition webpage or sent to the submitting adult or organizational coordinator.

365 for Kids is not responsible for personal or organizational expenses if the format or schedule changes.

35. No Guarantee of Permanent Online Display

Online galleries may remain available for an extended period, but permanent hosting is not guaranteed.

365 for Kids may later reorganize, archive, migrate, or remove exhibition pages.

Previously printed catalogs and authorized archival records may remain available.

36. Adult and Organizational Confirmations

By making an individual or group submission, the submitting adult or organizational coordinator confirms that:

they are at least 18 years old;
they are the child’s parent or legal guardian, or are otherwise properly authorized;
all permissions required by the parent, guardian, agency, school, organization, or applicable policy have been obtained;
the artwork was created by the participating child or teen;
the submission does not knowingly violate another person’s rights;
the information supplied is accurate;
the child’s participation is voluntary;
the child’s private care or placement status will not be publicly disclosed;
they have reviewed the Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions;
they understand that accepted artwork may be displayed online and included in a digital or printed catalog;
they grant the permissions selected in the applicable submission process.

37. Questions and Contact Information

Questions about individual participation, group submissions, consent, publication, or removal requests may be sent to:

Snowlike Studio, LLC — 365 for Kids
636 Remington Rd, Suite C
Schaumburg, IL 60173
United States

Email: info@snowlikestudio.com
Phone: (224) 201-3767 – Text messages are preferred for faster response times.

Please include:

Annual Chicagoland Children’s Stories & Art Exhibition

in the subject line.