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Participant Info

Junior VASE

• Login
• Teacher / Sponsor Registration ← START HERE
• JRVASE Home / Overview
• JRVASE Teacher Resources (UPDATED FOR 2025)
• Student Intent Form (PDF) (PRACTICE ONLY) — English
• Student Intent Form (PDF) (PRACTICE ONLY) — Spanish
• VASE Program Release Form (PDF) — English — Turn in at Event
• VASE Program Release Form (PDF) — Spanish — Turn in at Event
• Regional Director Application
• UIL Eligibility Requirements (External)
• VASE Blue Ribbon Committee

Documentation / Uploads

Please refer to this chart for what you and your students will need to gather to fulfill each program's requirements.

	State VASE	HSVASE	JRVASE
Artwork	N/A: Previously Uploaded for Regional Event	Dashboard Upload	Dashboard Upload
Student Intent Form	N/A: Previously Uploaded for Regional Event	Fill out online	Fill out online
Reference PDF	N/A: Previously Uploaded for Regional Event	Dashboard Upload	Dashboard Upload
Regional Entry Certification Form	N/A	Turn in at event	Turn in at event
State Entry Certification Form	Turned in at Regional Event	N/A	N/A
Universal Artwork Release Form	N/A: Turned in at Regional Event	Turn in at event	Turn in at event
Check-In / Check-Out Attendance Verification Form	Turn in at State event	Turn in at event	Turn in at event

Logistics

All students and their artwork travel to the Junior VASE Regional Event, location set annually by the regional director. Look at the Regional Locator Map to find your event. You can look up your district and find your regional event location and date.

All fees must be paid by the date of your event. All art and forms will be brought to the event with the students and teacher.

Each individual entry will require a $15 entry fee to cover cost of judging, webmaster, accounting, certificates, ribbons and medals and/or handling. All work, forms, and fees must be received by the date for your Regional Event.

To get started, submit a Teacher Registration Form. This will activate your HSVASE Teacher Profile. If you've already activated your HSVASE Teacher Profile, then please click here to login.

Please Note: There must be a director for your region in order for a teacher to participate. If there is no director, you may apply or email to find out how to make this wonderful opportunity available to students in your area.

Teachers may add, delete and update reservations 24 hours a day 7 days a week beginning December 1st. The specific deadlines for your region will be displayed on the first screen when you login.

Each Work Must Include

• An Universal Artwork Release Form - to be signed and returned to the teacher so that it may be turned in at the event.
• A Student Intent Form filled out online - this does not need to be printed out
• An Artwork ID Form - to be printed and attached to the artwork
• A Reference PDF (student photographs, production notes, or sketches compiled by the student into one PDF according to the rules) - to be uploaded
• A photograph of the artwork - to be uploaded with the online entry
• Entry Fee - to be paid online or sent to TAEA with your invoice in advance, by the stated due date

Attaching Forms

• Student Intent Form is completed online according to the rules. This form does not get attached to the artwork.
• The Artwork ID Form — 2D: tape securely on the back of the artwork (all four sides). 3D: attach to the 3D artwork (folded in half, attached to a piece of cardboard or poster board, and attached to the 3D artwork with string or wire). Tape a copy of the Artwork ID Form along with a photo of the artwork on the box (also applies to 2D relief artwork that needs a box).
• Reference PDF is uploaded according to the rules. This form does not get attached to the artwork.

Suggestions for Selecting Artwork for Contest

• A variety of works of art are encouraged. (processes, techniques, media or themes)
• Similar-looking projects are discouraged.
• Try to stay away from entering only one assignment in any level.

Protecting Artwork

• All 2D artwork needs the back covered by a piece of poster board to protect the artwork.
• The front of all 2D artwork needs a piece of paper that forms a flap from the back of the art to cover the front and protect it.
• 2D mixed media artwork or delicate work needs some type of sturdy box with a small photo and blank Student Intent Form (top part only needed) and a photo of the artwork on the outside of the box.
• 3D artwork needs some type of sturdy box with a small photo and blank Student Intent Form (top part only needed) and a photo of the artwork on the outside of the box.

Other Forms

• Universal Artwork Release Forms will be signed so the teacher may turn them in at the event in order for entries to be judged.
• Regional Entry Certification Form SIGNED BY YOUR PRINCIPAL are also turned in.
• Check-In / Check-Out Attendance Verification Form

Judging

By individual jurors based on VASE standards. (See Adjudication Process in the Junior VASE Rules & Policies.)

Awards

Teachers have the options to print out certificates for their students.

• Medals will be awarded according to a rating of 4 in each division.
• Each artwork in each division receiving a 4 will be judged again with the top 10% earning a Platinum Medal.

Pick up all artwork, juror forms, and medals when you receive a text or at the appointed time.

About Junior VASE

Junior VASE is a TAEA-sponsored Visual Arts event recognizing exemplary intermediate, middle school, and junior high student artwork. Any intermediate, middle school, and junior high art teacher who is a current TAEA member may enter artworks from as many students as he/she wishes, but no more than 2 works per individual student.

Mission Statement

The mission of the TAEA Junior Visual Arts Scholastic Event is to recognize exemplary student achievement in the Visual Arts by providing art students a program with a standard of excellence in which to achieve.

History of Junior VASE

The first successful VASE Middle School pilot was held on April 24, 1999. The pilot was designed to determine if a VASE program would benefit the students in middle school art. This event was a tremendous success with 6 districts, 9 schools, and 10 teachers represented. 57 Middle School art students submitted their works of art for the interview process. A second pilot for Junior VASE was in April of 2000 and had 2 school districts, 7 schools and 70 students. After that Junior VASE became an official program for Intermediate, Middle Schools, and Junior High Schools in Texas in 2001. Junior VASE encompass grades 6 through 8.

Regional Events may occur from late March to mid May on a Saturday. The regional event is the culminating event for Junior VASE followed by the Platinum Event. Currently there are events in every region except 2, 5 ,and 9. Several regions have multi events.

To participate, teachers must be a member in good standing with TAEA and submit all required participation information online at http://www.taea.org/VASE/. An entry fee for each regional entry is required, and students may enter two pieces. The artworks are judged by a team of certified jurors.

Events are scheduled within the 20 TEA regional education service centers. Each region has a Regional Director(s) responsible for planning and running of their event. These events can be found on the Regional Locator map of Texas. The locator map will give you the information for your Regional Director and the dates and location for their event. Jurors will look for originality of concept, technical expertise, understanding of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), and the interpretation of the student's stated intent. The jurors evaluate the art using the following standards:

Rating 4 — Excellent
Rating 3 — Strong
Rating 2 — Developing
Rating 1 — Emerging

Students register for four different experience levels depending on the student current Level in art. All Level 1 students (or has completed but not advanced to 2) will compete in Division 1, all Level 2 students (or has completed but not advanced to 3) will be Division 2, All Level 3 students will be in Division 3, and all students in Pre AP art or High School Art I will be in Division 4. Medals are awarded to students receiving a Rating of 4 in each division and will be judged again for the Platinum Event based and 10 % in each Division will receive a Platinum Medal. Images of these artworks will be posted on the TAEA website.