October 28, 2015 Louisville, KY.  If you know a young artist whose talent comes alive on canvas, the Kentucky Derby Festival wants to hear from you. The Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation invites school students to participate in the 2016 Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation Student Art Contest Presented by The Fillies, Inc. The contest is open to students in grades K-12 and is now accepting submissions. Applications and contest information are now available online at www.kdf.org. All work must be turned in to respective area coordinators or the Festival office by February 19, 2016.

Students from public, private and parochial schools in all Kentucky counties, as well as Clark and Floyd counties in Indiana are invited to participate. Students who are not enrolled in art classes at their school may also create artwork at home, but entries must still follow all contest criteria.

Applications and contest information are available on the Kentucky Derby Festival’s website at www.kdf.org. The competition date has been extended through the spring.  All work must be turned in to respective area coordinators by February 19, 2016. In previous years, the competition ended in the fall.

Respected arts professionals from the community will judge entries in March. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in the spring.  The award winning student artwork will be on display at the Republic Bank Parade Preview Party on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at the Kentucky Exposition Center.

The Foundation’s Student Art Contest is presented by Fillies, Inc. The Fillies, Inc. was founded in 1959 kicking off a tradition of volunteer service to the local community.

About KDFF:  The Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation, a 501 C 3 not-for-profit charity, receives and manages charitable contributions on behalf of the Kentucky Derby Festival, Inc., its supporters and the general public. The Foundation preserves the Festival’s impact on the community by developing projects that highlight the Festival’s influence on the area’s cultural heritage.  It works to further the Festival’s educational and charitable mission through exhibitions and performances.

About KDF: The Kentucky Derby Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation.  It entertains more than 1.5 million people annually. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.