Call for Entries Opens July 1st! Osaka University of Arts Launches "Find the Da Vinci of the Century!" High School Art Competition 2026 to Discover and Support Young Creators

Osaka University of Arts (School Corporation Tsukamoto Gakuen / Location: Minamikawachi-gun, Osaka / President: Kunihiko Tsukamoto) will commence accepting entries on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, for the art competition "Find the Da Vinci of the Century!" High School Art Competition 2026, which aims to discover and support young high school creators. Leonardo da Vinci, the great master of the Italian Renaissance, was known not only for his paintings and sculptures but also as a "universal man" and "man of all-around genius" through his work in architecture, natural science, and music. Under the slogan "Find the Da Vinci of the Century!", Osaka University of Arts will hold an art competition for high school students, inviting submissions from various artistic genres, including linguistic expression. For the winners, multiple awards are prepared, including the "Da Vinci Grand Prize," which offers a full tuition waiver or scholarship at schools within the Osaka University of Arts Group. We look forward to receiving applications from talented young high school creators.

For more details, please visit the "Find the Da Vinci of the Century!" High School Art Competition 2026 website.

Osaka University of Arts will continue to support young people with future potential in realizing their dreams and showcasing their talents.

"Find the Da Vinci of the Century!" High School Art Competition 2026 Website: https://davinci.osaka-geidai.ac.jp/

Last Year's Event

The 2025 competition, which marked its 19th year, received 1,970 entries from 505 high schools nationwide, from which various awards, including the "Da Vinci Grand Prize," were selected. The award ceremony was held on Sunday, November 23, 2025, at the Osaka University of Arts Theatre. The "Da Vinci Grand Prize" was awarded to Ichigo Yamashina from Nara Prefectural Koen High School of Arts for his work "Concerto 'Katsurin no Kasumi' ~for Orchestra and Piano~." Furthermore, an exhibition of award-winning and selected works was held from Tuesday, November 25, to Saturday, November 29, 2025, at the Exhibition Hall of the Osaka University of Arts Art Information Center.

Entry Guidelines

・Categories: Type A

・Fine Arts (Painting / Sculpture)

・Design (Poster / Free Creation / 3D Design (including Product Design))

・Crafts (Crafts) *Materials are not restricted

・Photography (Photography) *Videos up to 3 minutes are also acceptable

・Architecture (Architecture)

・Character Design (Character Creation / Manga / Figures / Animation)

Type B

・Literature (Short Story)

・Film (Film / Video)

・Art Planning (Event/Art Project Proposals)

・Music (Performance (Vocal/Instrumental) / Composition)

・Theater (Acting / Dance / Popular Dance / Short Play)

・Broadcasting (Video/Audio Works / Announcing / Vertical Short Drama)

・Art Science (Original works using generative AI)

・Eligibility: High School Students

*Students enrolled in high schools or technical colleges as of April 1, 2026.

・Application Period: Wednesday, July 1, 2026 – Thursday, September 3, 2026, until 17:00 JST.

*The website is expected to be busy just before the deadline, so please apply with ample time.

・Number of Submissions: Up to 2 works per person.

・Judging Method: First screening, second screening, and final screening.

・Announcement of Results: First Screening Passers Announcement: Mid-September 2026 (Type A)

*Results of the first screening will be notified to passers via email and will also be available on the website.

*For Type B, the first and second screenings are combined, and results will be announced when selected entrants are announced.

Selected Entrants Announcement: Late October 2026

*Results of the second screening will be notified via email.

Award Winners Announcement: Sunday, November 22, 2026

・Awards: ・Da Vinci Grand Prize: Full tuition waiver (4 years) or Scholarship (¥500,000)

・Gold Prize: First-year tuition fee waiver or Scholarship (¥300,000)

・Silver Prize: First-year tuition fee waiver or Scholarship (¥200,000)

・Bronze Prize: First-year tuition fee waiver or Scholarship (¥100,000)

・Chairman's Award: Admission fee waiver or Scholarship (¥100,000)

・Category Excellence Award: Admission fee waiver or Gift certificate (¥30,000)

・Junior College Special Award: Admission fee waiver or Gift certificate (¥30,000)

・Osaka College of Art Special Award: Admission fee waiver or Gift certificate (¥30,000)

・Special Award: Admission fee waiver or Gift certificate (¥10,000)

・Selected Entrant (Second screening passers): Gift certificate (¥5,000)

*First-year tuition fees include admission fees, first-year tuition, and facility fees.

*Scholarships include taxes.

*Those wishing for a waiver must apply to and be admitted to Osaka University of Arts, Osaka University of Arts Junior College, or Osaka College of Art affiliated with Osaka University of Arts.

*For full tuition waivers, the duration is 2 years for Osaka University of Arts Junior College and 2 or 3 years for Osaka College of Art.

*This cannot be combined with other tuition waiver systems provided by the university.

How to Apply: Please fill out the required information on the application form.

For other details, please refer to the URL below.

"Find the Da Vinci of the Century!" High School Art Competition 2026 Website:

https://davinci.osaka-geidai.ac.jp/

Award Ceremony: Sunday, November 22, 2026, 11:00 AM

Osaka University of Arts Theatre

Exhibition: Tuesday, November 24 – Saturday, November 28, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Osaka University of Arts, Art Information Center 1F Exhibition Hall