SUMMER FUN & READING CHALLENGE 2026
Call for Artists to Submit Artwork for Summer Fun Tote and Summer/Fall Residency 2026
Deadline: Monday, March 2 at 11:59pm
The New Orleans Public Library seeks a local artist to partner with us for our 2026 Summer Fun & Reading Challenge. The selected artist’s original work will be featured across the city and online including on our limited‑edition 2026 Summer tote bag and throughout promotional materials for the Challenge and Summer programs.
For 2026, the initiative is expanding to include an artist residency, during which the selected artist will lead public workshops at various Library locations. The artist will receive an honorarium and will be credited in all print and digital materials.
The Library is committed to supporting everyone in our city’s neighborhoods and communities as well as preserving New Orleans’ rich history and culture. Thus, your artwork should represent the uniqueness and diversity of our city as well as reflect a love of reading and align with NOPL’s vision and equity statement. We will be looking for an artist who incorporates fun, brightly colored art into a design that appeals to all ages, not just youth, but teens, adults, and seniors as well.
- Submit 3 samples of work
- List website and social media related to your artwork
- Adults 18+ who live in New Orleans or in Southeastern Louisiana
- Willing to present 4 workshops during residency period of June – November 2026
- Artist is able complete paperwork to be a vendor for the City of New Orleans
Countdown to Summer Fun 2026
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How to Participate:
1. There are three ways to sign up: Visit your neighborhood Library, register online at nolalibrary.beanstack.org, or use the app (instructions below). No matter how you register, don’t forget to pick up your registration prize, starting June 1, at your neighborhood Library.
2. Read, complete activities, and log your progress either online, in-app, or on paper. All reading counts: books, audiobooks, being read to, etc.
3. Complete blackout bingo – read 800 minutes and complete four activities (one from each list) – then visit your Library for the completion prize, while supplies last. The last day for completion and picking up prizes is July 31.
Download Bingo Card and Reading Tracker
Descargue su Cartón del Bingo y Registro de Lectura
Feeling Snacky?
We’re offering free snacks for youth age 18 and under, courtesy of Second Harvest Food Bank. Snacks are available Monday – Thursday. Mid-City Library offers snacks 3pm – 4pm, and Central City Library offers snacks 4pm – 5pm.
Summer Events at the Library
Don’t miss the Library’s free summer programs for every age, from children to adults. From The Magical Poodles Show to Stop Motion Animation, we are especially delighted to host a full lineup of workshops and performers for kids, tweens, and teens.
Why Participate in the Summer Fun & Reading Challenge?
Libraries across the country host summer reading programs to encourage reading as a lifelong habit, maintain reading skills that children and teens have achieved throughout the school year, and increase interest in libraries. Also, it’s just plain fun.
Beanstack App Instructions
Click image to enlarge.
Summer Fun & Reading Challenge 2025 Completion Prize
All children, teens, and adults that complete all nine squares of their blackout bingo cards will win a limited-edition tote bag by local artist Sean G. Clark.
Sean Gerard Clark is a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee who has lived and worked in New Orleans for over a decade. Sean has completed multiple artist residencies which include the Joan Mitchell Center, The Santa Fe Art Institute, and Stoveworks. Sean recently received his MFA from Tulane University and is currently an instructor in painting, drawing, and printmaking at Dillard University.
Upcoming Events at the Library
