A solar-powered, babysitting car aimed at reducing pollution while providing a safe and fun environment for kids was one of nine award-winning designs in the 2023 Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest. The program seeks to inspire creativity in youth and encourage innovative ideas for future mobility.
Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest
Youth, ages 4-15
FY23 Winners of the Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest
About the U.S. Contest
The Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest is designed to inspire creativity in youth, ages 4-15, and help them imagine the future of mobility.
Nine U.S. art contest winners are selected each year: the top three in three age categories (4-7 years; 8-11 years; and 12-15 years). There are three judging criteria for the artwork: execution, uniqueness, and artistry.
Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan held the first worldwide contest in 2004. Nearly 90 countries now host their own national contests. The FY23 fiscal year marks the 12th time that the contest has been presented in the United States.
INQUIRIES: Contact us by clicking HERE!
Eligibility
The Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest accepts artwork submitted by parents or legal guardians of children between four (4) and fifteen (15) years of age who are legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia. See the Official Rules and Artwork Guidelines for full details.
How to Enter
STEP 1. Review Artwork Guidelines and Official Rules: Be sure that all submitted artworks comply with terms and conditions as noted and outlined in the contest’s Artwork Guidelines and Official Rules.
STEP 2. Design an Artwork: Youth create an original drawing by hand using crayons, color pencils, ink pens, markers, watercolor or acrylic paint and/or using digital tools on a computer.
STEP 3. Submit the Artwork with Entry Form: Submit the original drawing accompanied by a completed Online Entry Form or a Mail-In Entry Form postmarked no later than the current year’s deadline.
Submit by Mail: Download the Mail-In Entry Form, then print, complete, sign and send by USPS mail: Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest; c/o CauseConnect; 5535 Memorial Dr., Suite F-666; Houston, TX 77007-8021. Regardless of the postmark date, any Submissions mailed via USPS or any other physical delivery method must be received no later than the deadline on the Official Rules or the Submission may not be reviewed. NOTE: No tracking available for UPS or FedEx.
Submit Online: To access the correct online entry form, click on the button of the age category below that aligns with the age of the youth applicant at the time of the artwork submission. Produce either a digital photograph of the artwork (if completed by hand) or an image file of the artwork (if drawn using digital tools on a computer) to upload on the online entry form. Uploaded files should be no smaller than 1MB and no larger than 5MB in size. Acceptable digital file formats are GIF, JPEG, JPG, PNG, and PDF. Artwork digital files must be titled in the following way: [LAST NAME, FIRST NAME-Artwork Title].
Online Entry Forms by Age Category
To access the proper Online Entry Form, click on the appropriate age category based on the age of the youth applicant at the time of artwork submission.
Age Category 1
4-7 Years
Age Category 2
8-11 Years
Age Category 3
12-15 Years
Judging Criteria
Execution of Concept
33.4%
Artwork expresses a youthful design and concept for future mobility and stimulates sympathy, resonance, and/or emotion.
Does the youth’s artwork express its theme and concept in an understandable way?
Uniqueness of Concept
33.3%
Artwork theme is from an age-appropriate point of view and the design is different or set apart from artwork by previous winners.
Is the dream or future car depicted in the artwork a product of the youth’s unique imagination?
Artistry of Concept
33.3%
Artwork design will be rated a panel of judges on the areas of composition, coloring, and technique to ascertain the artistry of concept.
Is the design of the youth’s artwork solid? Are colors in balance? Does it have enough detail?
Artwork Guidelines
ORIGINALITY: Artwork must be an original design drawn solely by a young person between the ages of 4 and 15 years of age and cannot have been previously published, won prior awards, exhibited, or displayed publicly (i.e., disclosed beyond the youth’s immediate circle of friends and family) through any means.
SUBJECT MATTER: Artwork must include an unbranded car of the youth’s dreams, and include a written description.
HAND-DRAWN: Artwork must be drawn entirely done by hand on using crayons, color pencils, ink pens, markers, watercolor or acrylic paint, and/or by using digital tools on the computer.
PAPER SIZE: Artwork should be created on paper sized up to 15.7 to 21.7 inches (400mm x 500mm) but no smaller than 8.5 to 11 inches (215.9mm x 279.4 mm). The recommended paper size is 11×17 inches.
DIGITAL FILES: Image files of Artwork (e.g., digital photograph of a hand-drawn Artwork or a digital image of the computer-created Artwork) should be no smaller than 1MB and no larger than 5MB in size. Acceptable digital art file formats are GIF, JPEG, JPG, PNG, and PDF. Artwork digital files must be titled in the following way: [LAST NAME, FIRST NAME-Artwork Title]. Printed copies may be requested if the Artwork is selected for an award.
INELIGIBLE CONTENT: Artwork must not contain lewd, obscene, sexually explicit, pornographic, disparaging, defamatory, libelous, or otherwise inappropriate content or objectionable material as determined by Toyota in its sole discretion; images that are copyrighted, trademarked, private, public or in any other way that affects the intellectual rights of any person or entity; material or elements not owned/created by the youth and/or subject to the rights of third parties or Images of people who are readily recognizable; commercial content, logos, or images of cars by manufacturers other than Toyota; personally identifiable information of person(s) other than youth or family members; any commercial content or logos other than that of Toyota. In addition, artwork that has been collaboratively drawn by multiple individuals or has been created by a person other than the youth is ineligible. Artwork submitted without a signed or completed entry form is also ineligible. Last, Artwork that resembles previous contest submissions, as determined by Toyota, or that resembles famous paintings, is ineligible.
For the complete list of requirements, download and read the Official Rules and Artwork Guidelines.
Opt-In for Contest News
Opt-in for the latest news, updates, and announcements about the Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest for youth, ages 4 to 15.
U.S. Awards
A total of nine U.S. youth receive awards — three awards per age category.
*NOTE: MENTIONS OF THIRD PARTIES IN CONNECTION WITH AWARDS ARE FOR REFERENCE AND IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES ONLY AND NOT INTENDED TO SUGGEST ENDORSEMENT, SPONSORSHIP, OR AFFILIATION WITH TOYOTA OR THE CONTEST.
Free Resources for Teachers, Parents, Kids!
Teachers!
Use and adapt our free lesson plan on car design to meet your classroom needs for your students!
Parents!
Have fun with your kids using our at-home family activities!
Kids!
Design your own Dream Car and color your favorite cars using our at-home art activity book for children!
TOYOTA DREAM CAR USA ART CONTEST
News
Check out award-winning designs by kids! Three-dimensional models created by university students and based on imaginative designs by grade school artists are now on display to the public at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California, and the Toyota Center for Innovation in STEM Education on campus at the California State University Dominguez Hills […]
Teachers! Enter Student Artworks for Your Chance to Win Prizes! Teachers who enter student artworks from their classrooms to the Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest are eligible for prizes to support their professional development. Check out these opportunities for art educators! SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR TEACHERS! SchoolArts is a national art education magazine committed to promoting excellence, […]
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about the Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest? Well, we’ve got answers.
What are the dates of the next Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest?
The FY23 Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest will accept mail-in and online artwork submissions starting October 1, 2022 and ending at 12 midnight on January 31, 2023.
How much money can young artists win if their artwork is awarded?
In addition to achievement certificates, cash prizes are awarded to each of the top three winners in three different age categories: Gold Award = $750 (first place), Silver Award = $500 (second place), and Bronze Award = $250 (third place).
Are resources available to help parents and teachers encourage their students to create artwork?
Yes, many resources available to inspire, guide, and encourage children, ages 4 to 15, to create artwork to enter in this annual competition. Check out our free teacher lesson plan, activity book with coloring pages and design prompts, and at-home family activities for parents and legal guardians.
What type of artwork can be submitted in the FY23 competition?
Hand-drawn, colored, or painted drawings, watercolors, paintings, marker illustrations, and pencil drawings. Acceptable file types of digital artwork are PDFs, JPGs, JPEGs, GIFs, and PNGs. See the Official Rules and Artwork Guidelines for more details. To enter, complete an Online Entry Form or download and print our Mail-In Entry Form.
FY23 U.S. Contest Winners
