The Public Domain Groundhog Day 2026 art contest
A lot of great works have entered the US public domain in recent years. In 2026 alone, the copyrights for Betty Boop, the first Nancy Drew mystery The Secret of the Old Clock, and Blondie and Dagwood, from the Blondie comic strip, have expired. That means these works are free to copy or use however you see fit.
In 2025, Popeye, Tintin, and Buck Rogers’ copyrights expired. 2024 saw Steamboat Willie, featuring early versions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, enter the public domain, and 2022 featured the arrival of Winnie-the-Pooh.
For this year’s Groundhog Day art contest, we’re asking you to create a piece of art featuring characters or works that have entered the public domain within the last five years. So anything from 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, or 2026 is fair game. Design a cover of a Nancy Drew mystery called “Nancy Drew and the Case of the Missing Shadow” or a Mickey Mouse cartoon with Mickey and Minnie visiting their local groundhog. If you’re a singer, you can modify and record a public domain song and make it applicable to Groundhog Day. For example, you could record a version of “Georgia on My Mind” called “Punxsutawney on My Mind.” The sky’s the limit!
If you’d like to participate, send an image of your artwork or a recording of your song to:
groundhog@countdowntogroundhogday.com
Include any additional information you would like to share about your submission in your email.
Entries must be the original artwork of the submitter – no AI please. There will be prizes for the top 3 vote-getters.
First Place: $35 Amazon.com Gift Card or equivalent (digital)
Second Place: $15 Amazon.com Gift Card or equivalent (digital)
Third Place: $5 Amazon.com Gift Card or equivalent (digital)
Submission Start Date: Saturday, January 10th, 2026
Submission End Date: Saturday, January 24th, 2026 (all entries must be received by midnight ET)
Voting will begin on Sunday, January 25th, 2026 on the Countdown to Groundhog Day website, open to all users. Voting will end on Saturday, January 31st, 2025 at 11:59PM, Eastern Time (ET). The winning entries will be posted on the Countdown to Groundhog Day website and the winners notified via email on or about February 1st, 2026 (Groundhog Day Eve!).
Good luck! We look forward to seeing your entries!
Tags: art contest, groundhog day, groundhog day art, groundhog day art contest, public domain art contest, the public domain