T-Shirt Design Contest :: Applications Open through
February 27, 2026 at 5pm!

 


SmartARTS + Southern Tide T-Shirt Design Contest
Open to SmartARTS students in grades 8–12

Contest Dates: February 16–27, 2026
Deadline: Friday, February 27 at 5:00pm

👉 Teacher Application Portal {OPENS FEB 16th}

👉 Download Student Waiver (PDF)



Quick Overview


What is this?

A creative t-shirt design contest inviting SmartARTS students in 8th–12th grade to design a shirt inspired by the theme Inspiring the Arts, in partnership with Southern Tide.

Who can enter?

Students in grades 8–12 attending a SmartARTS program school, which include:

Beck Academy. Berea HS, Berea MS, Carolina HS, Greenville HS, Greenville Middle Academy, League Academy, Mauldin HS, Northwest MS, Riverside HS, Sterling School Charles Town Center, Wade Hampton HS, West Greenville School, Woodmont HS

What’s the big prize?

A 90-minute job-shadow experience at Southern Tide Headquarters in Greenville, plus a gift certificate and printed shirts for the winner’s class.


How to Participate


For Students

  1. Design a t-shirt that follows the design guidelines below
  2. Submit your design to your teacher by February 23rd

For Teachers

  1. Review student submissions
  2. Select up to five (5) designs from your class
  3. Print and collect signed parent waiver forms for each selected student
  4. Submit those designs and waivers through the Teacher Application Portal no later than 5pm on Friday, February 27, 2026

👉 Download Student Waiver (PDF)


Design Requirements


All designs must:

  • Include the Southern Tide Skipjack

  • Reflect the theme Inspiring the Arts

  • Use no more than six (6) colors

  • Be submitted digitally as a PDF or JPG

  • Be original student work


Judging & Selection Process

  • Teachers submit up to five designs per class

  • SmartARTS + Southern Tide select 10 finalists

  • Southern Tide selects 1 winning design

Judging Criteria:

  • Theme alignment (Inspiring the Arts)

  • Creativity & originality

  • Use of the Skipjack

  • Visual impact & design quality

  • Feasibility for screen printing


Prizes


First-Place Winner Receives:

  • $250 Southern Tide gift certificate

  • 90-minute job-shadow experience at Southern Tide HQ
    (aligned with the student’s career interests)

  • 30 t-shirts donated to the winner’s class

Total Approximate Retail Value: $300


Important Dates

  • Contest Application Opens: February 16, 2026

  • Student Submissions Due to Teacher: February 23, 2026

  • Teacher Applications Due: February 27, 2026 at 5:00 PM

  • Winner Notified: On or about March 27, 2026


Official Rules & Legal Information


SmartArts + Southern Tide T-shirt Design Contest
Official Rules

👉 Download Official Rules (PDF)

Eligibility: The Contest is open to students in 8th -12th grade at a SmartARTS Program school. This Contest is governed exclusively by the laws of the United States. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. All federal, state and/or local rules and regulations apply.

Sponsor and Administrator: Southern Tide, 84 Villa Road, Suite 101, Greenville, SC 29615.

Contest Period: February 16–27, 2026. Contest closes at 5 PM on Friday, February 27, 2026.

How to Enter: NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS CONTEST.

Eligible students should submit their t-shirt design prior to February 27, 2026 to their teacher.

T-shirt designs should comply with the following rules:

  • Designs must include the Southern Tide Skipjack.
  • Designs must bring the theme Inspiring the Arts to life.
  • Designs must use no more than six colors.
  • Designs must be submitted digitally as a PDF or JPG and attached to the teacher’s application.

Each teacher will select the top five designs from their classroom to submit to the SmartARTS + Southern Tide judging team.  A Southern Tide judging team will then review and select 10 finalists.  From the 10 finalists, Southern Tide will select one winner.  The winner will be selected based on the following criteria:

  • Alignment with the contest theme (Inspiring the Arts)
  • Creativity and originality
  • Incorporation of the Southern Tide Skipjack
  • Visual impact and overall design quality
  • Feasibility for screen printing (including color limitations) 

The winner will receive the Prizes as detailed below. Odds of winning depend on the number of correct entries received.  Sponsor will notify the winner on or about March 27, 2026.

First Place Winner Prize:

  • $250 Southern Tide gift certificate.
  • 90-minute job-shadow opportunity with a Southern Tide employee at ST HQ aligned with the winning student’s career goals.
  • 30 t-shirts donated by Southern Tide to the winner’s class.

Total ARV of all the Prizes is $300

Winner Notification: The winner will be notified through their teacher.   

To Claim Prize:  Potential finalists and winner will be notified by their teacher and will be required to complete and sign an Parent Consent and Waiver (collectively, the “Required Documentation”).  If Sponsor is unable to verify potential winner’s eligibility; if potential winner fails to sign and return the Required Documentation within the required time period or fails to comply with these Official Rules; if a potential winner is unable or unwilling to accept the prize as stated; or if the potential winner cannot be verified as eligible for any other reason, the potential winner is disqualified and an alternate winner will be selected from among the eligible entries.

Prize Restrictions: Prizes cannot be redeemed for cash or substituted for any other items by the winner. The winner cannot assign or transfer prize. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a comparable prize of like or greater value, including cash, for any prize, for any reason. Each winner is responsible for all local, county, state, and federal taxes on prizes based on the value of the prizes set forth in these rules.

Release and Publicity: By entering, entrants represent that they are eligible, and agree (a) to be bound by these rules and the decisions of the judges, (b) to release Sponsor, its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents from any and all liability for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind caused by any prize or resulting from acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize, and (c) to Sponsor’s use of entrants’ personal information as described in the Privacy Policy located at www.southerntide.com. Except where prohibited by law, entry constitutes permission to use entrants’ names and photos, for posting, and/or any in any other media including for advertising and publicity purposes, without compensation.   

General Conditions and Limitations of Liability: Sponsor is not responsible for error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operations or transmission, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to or alterations of entry materials, or technical, network, telephone equipment, electronic, computer, hardware, or software malfunctions of any kind, or inaccurate transmission of or failure to receive entry, winner(s) or other information by Sponsor or entrants for any reason whatsoever. Sponsor is also not responsible for any injury or damage to any entrant’s or any other person’s computer related to or resulting from playing or downloading any materials in the Contest, or for entries that are late, misdirected or incomplete. All entry materials may be maintained as part of Southern Tide’s promotional records. All entrants acknowledge that they own all of the intellectual property rights in all designs submitted to Sponsor and will not submit any designs to which they do not have the rights of ownership and will indemnify Sponsor for any intellectual property infringement. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel or modify the Contest. This Contest is subject to all applicable laws and regulations and is void where prohibited or restricted by law, including without limitation, in jurisdictions requiring registration, filing, trust account, or posting of a bond, or any other requirements or disclosures that are not expressly satisfied by these rules. Sponsor is not responsible for typographical or other errors in the printing, offering, or administration of the Contest, or in the announcement of the prize. 

Disputes: Except where prohibited, entrant agrees that: (1) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the United States District Court for the South Carolina (2) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Contest, but in no event attorneys’ fees; and (3) under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, indirect, punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased.  All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the entrant and Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of South Carolina, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of South Carolina or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of South Carolina. 

Winner List: For a list of the winners, send a separate, self-addressed, stamped envelope no later than one year following the end of the entry period, to: Southern Tide, 84 Villa Road, Suite 101, Greenville, SC 29615  Attention: SmartARTS T shirt Design Contest.

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