Mia Shrank Creates Blend In Stand Out, a National Youth Art Contest Centered on Multicultural Identity

Mia Shrank

Blend In Stand Out Logo

Blend In Stand Out Flyer

Blend In Stand Out

WARREN, NJ, UNITED STATES, May 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- When young people don’t see themselves or their experiences reflected in the media around them, art can become a way to create that representation for themselves. For Mia Shrank, that idea became the foundation for Blend In Stand Out, a national art contest inviting middle and high school students to explore identity, culture, and belonging through original artwork.

Blend In Stand Out encourages participants to create work rooted in lived experience. Students are invited to submit artwork in any medium that explores the experience of being caught between worlds. Contestants use art to reflect the perspectives that shape how they see the world. Submissions opened on April 20, 2026 and will close on June 10, 2026, with winners expected to be announced in late July.

Blend In Stand Out was inspired by Shrank’s own experience navigating her multicultural identity and the need to lead with different sides of herself. “The name comes from an experience I think a lot of multicultural students have experienced firsthand, the constant pull between blending into one culture and standing out as another,” Shrank explained. “You learn to code switch or translate yourself differently depending on your audience. Art has always been the place where those parts of me can exist at the same time without having to choose.”

Unlike many traditional youth art competitions, Blend In Stand Out was intentionally designed to prioritize accessibility and representation. The contest is completely free to enter and open to students nationwide regardless of their background, with an emphasis on creative work rooted in identity and personal experience.

Before launching Blend In Stand Out, Shrank researched existing youth art competitions to better understand gaps in accessibility, cost, geographic reach, and representation. She found that many national contests focused primarily on identifying students’ “best” artwork while offering few opportunities for young artists to meaningfully explore identity and personal perspectives through their work. “Blend In Stand Out asks a different question,” Shrank explained. “Moving beyond technical mastery, contestants are challenged to use their art as a mirror, reflecting their identity and the vibrant cultural crossroads they inhabit. I wanted students from immigrant, diasporic, and multicultural backgrounds to feel like their stories were not just accepted, but genuinely valued.”

Shrank independently designed and launched every aspect of the competition, developing the contest’s brand identity and logo before building and launching the full website, blendinstandout.org. Despite not having a technical background, she taught herself how to build and manage the professional competition website using a combination of classroom knowledge, independent experimentation, and emerging AI tools. The platform includes contest information, key dates, submission guidelines, judging criteria, and a professional submission system featuring student agreement and parent consent workflows for participants under 18. Shrank also recruited a judging panel of art professionals from across the industry while building outreach lists connecting the contest with middle and high school art teachers nationwide.

At its core, Blend In Stand Out is designed to create larger conversations around identity, self expression, and navigating multiple environments while giving young artists a space where their experiences feel genuinely seen and valued. As the contest continues to grow, Shrank hopes to reach more students, educators, and young artists across the country while building a stronger creative community.

To support Shrank and learn more about Blend In Stand Out, visit blendinstandout.org or follow @blendinstandout.art on Instagram. Students, educators, and community members are encouraged to share the competition with young artists ahead of the June 10 submission deadline.

About Mia Shrank
Mia Shrank is a student at Watchung Hills Regional High School in Warren, New Jersey. She serves as the Social Chair and player for the school’s Unified Flag Football Team, a program run in partnership with the New York Jets and Special Olympics that brings students together with and without special needs through inclusive athletics. Shrank is also the incoming Vice President of CARE Club, a student-led organization focused on peer mentorship, inclusion, and community building for students with special needs.

Contact
Mia Shrank
miashrankcollege2027@gmail.com

Media Contact

Paige Torres
SBU PR
publicrelations@studentbrandingu.com

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