We’re excited to kick off the 2nd Annual 4th of July T-Shirt Design Contest! This year, we’re leaning into the America 250 theme as we start looking ahead to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. While this theme is open to interpretation, designs that incorporate America 250 in a creative way — alongside patriotic and 4th-of-July elements — will receive extra consideration. Think classic Americana, hometown pride, fireworks, freedom, and the history and future of our country — whatever America 250 means to you. We’re looking for original artwork that people will be proud to wear all summer long.
This contest is part of the City of Lake City and Columbia County Board of County Commissioners 4th of July/America 250 celebration:
- Entry is FREE and open to everyone ages 16 and up
- designs must be 100% original and done solely by the artist – no AI generated content, stock imagery, or templates will be accepted
- Verification of process may be requested
- all entries must include “America 250” and “July 4th, 2026” to be considered
- entries must be family friendly
- entry deadline: 5 pm on Monday, April 13th. No late entries will be accepted.
- Entry details:
- accepted formats: transparent PNG, SVG, EPS, PDF (scalable vector graphics preferred)
- size: 300 dpi and 8 in x10 in when printed
- should be easily readable from a distance with bold, legible fonts. Avoid complex shading, overly intricate details, or fonts that are difficult to read
- the shirts will be white so keep that in mind when choosing colors – keep color palette to 2-4 colors that are well separated and will look good if color changes are necessary
- designs should be simple, high-contrast, and print-friendly – overly detailed artwork does not tend to look good when screen printed
- No limit on number of entries – submit as many as you want! (Submit one entry per form below.)
The winning design will become the official 2026 4th of July t-shirt and will be featured on our website, social media, and in promotions throughout the next few months. They will be for sale at the Gallery and around town for just $10 each. We’re looking forward to seeing how you bring this year’s theme to life!
