Miami-Dade County opens Baynanza 2027 Art Contests to K-12 students and amateur photographers

Miami-Dade County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) is now accepting submissions to its annual Baynanza 2027 Art Contests. Ahead of Miami-Dade County’s signature Baynanza Cleanup Day, DERM invites K–12 students and amateur photographers each year to submit artwork and photographs that express what Biscayne Bay means to them and to our community. The winning artwork will be used to design T-shirts, posters, stickers and other promotions for Baynanza. The art contests are organized in partnership with Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, and submissions are open until December 4, 2026.

Launched in 1982, Baynanza is a community-powered tradition to protect one of South Florida’s most vital ecological treasures. Since then, Baynanza has grown into a countywide event taking place in all 13 County districts and bringing together thousands of volunteers to spend a day cleaning up Biscayne Bay and other waterways across our County.

“This year’s art contests are more exciting than ever since they mark 45 years of Baynanza,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “These initiatives give our local children and teenagers a creative outlet for sharing their talent and helping everyone learn about our beautiful Biscayne Bay and explore ways to better protect it.”

Miami-Dade students are invited to submit their creative designs highlighting the significance and fragility of Biscayne Bay, which is one of South Florida’s most important ecological systems. The art contests are organized around age groups: 

• Sticker Contest - Elementary school students 
• Poster Contest - Middle school students 
• T-shirt Contest - High school students 
• Amateur Photography Contest - Residents of all ages 

Finalists in each category receive tickets to Vizcaya, with the first-place winners having their designs featured on materials handed out at the event. 

"Involving Miami-Dade's children and families is essential to inspiring the next generation to care for Biscayne Bay,” said Loren Parra, DERM Director and Miami-Dade County’s Chief Resilience Officer. “When young people learn about the Bay through creativity and self-expression, they begin to understand how their everyday actions affect the environment around them. These contests not only spark imagination—they also help build awareness, responsibility, and a lifelong connection to our natural resources.” 

The art submission deadline is Friday, Dec. 4, 2026. All winners will be announced at the Baynanza Kickoff held early in the new year. For more information, please click on the links above to the specific contests. If additional details are needed, please email [email protected]. 

Baynanza art contests in the fall build excitement for the Biscayne Bay Cleanup Day expected to take place on Saturday, April 10, 2027. During Cleanup Day, thousands of volunteers pitch in at more than 30 sites throughout the County to remove tons of trash and debris from Biscayne Bay’s shores and other waterways.