Submit to 2027 Paint the Plow

About this call for art

The Town of Leesburg Commission on Public Art (COPA) and the Friends of Leesburg Public Arts (FOLPA) invite your school or organization to be a part of the Town of Leesburg’s “Paint the Plow” art project. Four (4) painted plows will be selected as this year’s winners. Each plow will be showcased in the 2027 Leesburg Kiwanis Halloween Parade as well as the 2027 holiday parade. The painted plow blades will also be visible while plowing our Town streets.

Artwork Theme: “Leesburg Snow Day”

We encourage the students to think about what you do on a Leesburg Snow Day. Do you sled? Maybe you enjoy making art or music, playing board games with friends, or maybe you like to cozy up to a fireplace with hot cocoa.

Project Description: The Town of Leesburg’s Commission on Public Art (COPA) is seeking art submissions for this year’s Paint the Plow project. Artwork should be themed to “Leesburg Snow Days” and submitted no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, January 29, 2027. All submissions will be reviewed by COPA prior to sending their final recommendations to the Leesburg Town Council. You will be notified via email if your school has a winning design. Plow blades will be delivered to your school on an agreed date. Each school will be reimbursed for up to $125 for paint and supplies. Please keep in mind what adheres to metal and follow LCPS Safety Directives for consumable material use with students.

Artist Eligibility: This contest is open to Leesburg Schools Fine Arts Departments (public or private) and/or Leesburg PTAs (public or private), Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts. Students submitting on behalf of their school must be sponsored by a faculty member at the school.

Deadline: Blades must be painted no later than Friday, May 28, 2027. The Town of Leesburg will schedule a pick-up date following completion.

Online Voting: Online voting will take place via Survey Monkey the first week of June. The school that receives the most votes will win $300 for their school program. Second place will receive $200, third place will win $100, and fourth place will win $50 to go to the program. This prize money is in addition to the $125 reimbursement for supplies.

CRITERIA: The artwork theme for this year is "Leesburg Snow Day.” Artwork must be an original student design and students must paint the plow. School staff may help direct the selection of students and designs, but students must implement the project:

• Artwork may incorporate a school or group logo, emblem and/or mascot in the design.
• Artwork must be original.
• Up to three (3) designs may be submitted from each school/group.
• COPA must approve the artwork. If a design is deemed inappropriate for this purpose, COPA may ask that the design be modified, or they will not use the submitted design.
• Only one (1) design per school/group will be chosen.
• The Leesburg Town Council has final say in the approval process.

There will be up to four (4) winning schools. Selection of paint materials will be up to the school administrator/art teacher/project coordinator. Consideration should be given to durable paints that provide coverage and good wear. Bright colors are recommended as both parades are in the evening.

Each plow blade is 12’ wide by 3’ high and primed with orange paint. The rubber flap will be removed for painting and the parades, but not for plowing snow. The plow blade cannot be modified with the addition of extra material or ornaments. The plow blade will be delivered to a flat, secure location. If the recipient is part of an LCPS campus, it will be placed on LCPS school property as specified by the LCPS school administrator. Winners will be contacted to determine delivery location.