Hawai‘i's teen artists have grabbed their pens, pencils, and tablets to give a fresh face to old favorites. The Ki‘i Kon Art Contest is a call to action for creatives between the ages of 13–17, challenging them to reimagine the cover of the book or graphic novel they love most. Presented by the Friends of the Library of Hawai‘i and the Hawai‘i State Public Library System, the contest is a perfect blend of literature and visual arts.
Exclusively for the hand-drawn aficionados and digital design wizards, the contest features two separate categories for submission. Walking away with the top honors, the grand prize winners in both the physical and digital art categories will score an all-expenses-paid trip to meet a big-name comic or graphic artist, as reported by an announcement from the Friends of the Library of Hawai‘i. Not to leave anyone behind, the second and third places are poised to collect their own haul of pretty cool prizes.
The clock is ticking for entries, with a hard stop on January 15, 2026, at 11:59 PM HST. The submission process sounds like a no-brainer: teens are to upload their artistic endeavors via an online form, alongside basic information like name, age, and the title of the book cover they're giving a makeover. But remember, authenticity is key—no AI-generated art will make the cut here. Full contest details and that all-important submission form can be found over at the contest's dedicated webpage.
