America’s Most Artistic Kid Celebrates Small Hands Making Bold Art
There’s a moment every parent recognizes.
A quiet kitchen. A stack of paper. A child hunched over a table, tongue slightly out, completely focused. The world disappears. Time slows. And somehow, in a mess of crayons, paint, or markers, something magical happens.
Kids don’t create art to impress anyone.
They paint dragons that can fly, mountains that sparkle, and skies that are every color except blue. They invent new rules for trees, clouds, and gravity. They don’t worry about perspective or technique. They trust the process. They lean into happy accidents.
Bob Ross would’ve loved that.
That spirit—the fearless kind of creativity that only kids seem to have—is exactly what America’s Most Artistic Kid is celebrating.
This isn’t about polished masterpieces or perfect brushstrokes. It’s about imagination in its rawest form. The kind that starts on the kitchen table, the driveway, or the living room floor (sometimes dangerously close to the furniture).
One young artist will be voted America’s Most Artistic Kid, earning:
$20,000
A chance to appear on a special episode of The Joy of Painting
Their artwork displayed at the Minnetrista Museum as part of the Bob Ross exhibit
Another artist will be personally selected by Nicholas Hankins, Certified Ross Instructor® and host of The Joy of Painting with Nicholas Hankins, proving that sometimes art finds you, even when you’re not looking for a trophy.
Along the way, kids will join David Arquette, actor, artist, and Certified Ross Instructor®, for exclusive virtual workshops that encourage creativity, curiosity, and confidence. Because art isn’t about being fearless. It’s about creating through the fear.
And this competition supports something bigger than art itself. The competition is benefiting Blood Cancer United, helping fund research and support for patients and families fighting blood cancer.
So if your child loves to draw before they can spell, paint before they can explain, or create worlds that don’t exist yet—this is for them.
Let them make a mess.
Let them chase the idea.
Let them see where it leads.
After all, every artist starts somewhere; and sometimes, it starts with a crayon. 🎨
