Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets
Student Ekphrastic Poetry Contest
About
The Woodson Art Museum joins the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets for the fourth year of the ekphrastic poetry competition. Wisconsin high school students are invited to participate by writing poems inspired by artwork images from the Museum’s permanent collection. Entries are accepted from October 1, 2025, through January 15, 2026. Submissions must be received before 11:59 pm on January 15, 2026 to qualify.
The Museum will hold a reception for the winning poets, their families, and educators on Saturday, April 11, 2026, where students will have the opportunity to read their poems aloud. After the reception, willing poems and corresponding artworks will be displayed in the Museum to celebrate National Poetry Month. Winners will be notified via email and posted at wfop.org/contests-results.
Cash prizes:
1st place $75
2nd place $50
3rd place $25
Prior to submitting, see the submission guidelines and process on the WFoP website.
Artwork Selections
John Williamson, Twilight in the Wilderness, 1864, oil on canvas, Museum purchase with funds provided by the Nancy Woodson Spire Foundation
Max Ernst, The Bird People, 1942, pastel, charcoal, and frottage on toned paper, Museum purchase with funds provided by the Nancy Woodson Spire Foundation
Kenneth Southworth Davies, Iron, Wood, and Paper, 1960, oil on canvas, Museum purchase with funds provided by the Nancy Woodson Spire Foundation
