Dallas, TX - Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is proud to announce the winners of its 2026 Student Art Contest, an annual tradition that highlights the creativity and talent of young artists across North Texas. This year’s theme, “Discover New Horizons,” encouraged students from kindergarten through 12th grade to capture the excitement, adventure, and limitless opportunities that come with riding public transit. 

A panel of judges reviewed 812 submissions and selected the entries that most powerfully reflected this year’s theme. In total, 30 students have been named winners. One grand prize winner, chosen from all K–12 submissions, will receive a $1,250 cash award generously sponsored by The Advocate. 

Additional winners will receive prizes such as a one-year membership to the Perot Museum, gift cards to Half-Price Books, and admission tickets to popular attractions, including the Dallas Zoo, Dallas World Aquarium, Nasher Sculpture Center, and the Frontiers of Flight Museum. Rusty Taco will also provide a breakfast taco bar for the school that submitted the most qualified entries. 

All winners will be recognized during an awards ceremony at the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) on April 25, where their artwork will be officially unveiled. 

Here are this year’s winners: 

2026 Student Art Contest 

• Best of Show: Iñigo Pio Millora – 8th Grade, J.L. Long Middle School in Dallas, Tx 

• K-2nd Grade Winner: 

• 1st Place: Devarshi Galla – 2nd Grade, Canyon Ranch Elementary School, Irving, Tx 

• 2nd Place: Renyi Lu – 2nd Grade, The Lamplighter School, Dallas, Tx 

• 3rd Place: Aditi Singh – 2nd Grade, University Academy, Coppell, Tx 

• Honorable Mention – Jaswanth Udayakumar – 2nd Grade, Uplift North Hills Preparatory, Irving, Tx 

• Honorable Mention – Ivan Moc – 1st Grade, Dallas Arts Studio, Carrollton, Tx 

• Honorable Mention – Oliver Wang – 1st Grade, Parish Episcopal School, Dallas, Tx 

• 3rd-5th Grade Winner: 

• 1st Place: Mason Jiang – 5th Grade, Dallas Arts Studio, Carrollton, Tx 

• 2nd Place: Claire Liu – 5th Grade, Denton Creek Elementary, Coppell, Tx 

• 3rd Place: Lynnsie Tam – 4th Grade, Gulledge Elementary, Plano, Tx 

• Honorable Mention: Jane Han – 5th Grade, Rosemeade Elementary, Carrollton, Tx 

• Honorable Mention: Hanyi Lu – 4th Grade, St. Marks School, Dallas, Tx 

• Honorable Mention: Avyan Ragi – 3rd Grade, Robertson Elementary, Little Elm, Tx 

• 6th-8th Grade Winner: 

• 1st Place: Aarya Doddapaneni – 6th Grade, The Hockaday School, Dallas, Tx 

• 2nd Place: Omar Rodriguez – 8th Grade, Lorenzo de Zavala Middle School, Irving, Tx 

• 3rd Place: Anshuk Gotur – 7th Grade, Coppell Middle School North, Coppell, Tx 

• Honorable Mention: Queena Tang – 8th Grade, Austin Academy For Excellence, Garland, Tx 

• Honorable Mention: Saharsh Abbaraju – 8th Grade, Falak Art Studio, Coppell, Tx 

• Honorable Mention: Leak Park – 6th Grade, Dallas Arts Studio, Carrollton, Tx 

• Honorable Mention: Nina Vargas – 8th Grade, Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy North, Dallas, Tx 

• 9th-12th Grade Winner: 

• 1st Place: Montana Wulff 11th Grade, Booker T. Washington HSPVA, Dallas, Tx 

• 2nd Place: Julia Shaw – 12th Grade, Homeschool, Terrell, Tx 

• 3rd Place: Sarah Wanek – 11th Grade, Plano Senior High School, Plano, Tx 

• Honorable Mention: Helen Janeway – 9th Grade, Booker T. Washington HSPVA, Dallas, Tx 

• Honorable Mention: Diya Mukundan – 12th Grade, Sunnyvale High School, Sunnyvale, Tx 

• Honorable Mention: Cristopher Tolentino – 9th Grade, Trinidad Garza Early College High School, Dallas, Tx 

• Honorable Mention: Alexis York – 10th Grade, Falak Art Studio, Coppell, Tx 

• Honorable Mention: Daisy Caro – 9th Grade, Booker T. Washington HSPVA, Dallas, Tx 

• Honorable Mention: Samuel Smay – 12th Grade, Lakewood Presbyterian School, Dallas, Tx 

• Honorable Mention: Olivia Johnson – 9th Grade, Booker T. Washington  HSPVA, Dallas, Tx 

DART invites the public to enjoy the inspiring creativity of these talented young artists. The selected artwork will be showcased in the Dallas Museum of Art’s M2 Gallery from April 8 through May 24. 

DART extends its appreciation to all participating students, educators, and community partners whose support helped make the 2026 Student Art Contest a success. A list of our partners is included below: 

Title Partner: Advocate