Symphony In Color Events

Welcome to Symphony In Color!

Important 2026 Dates:
January 9 @ 5pm: Deadline for submitting preliminary artwork online
January 12: February 4, 2026 Contest weeks and judging
January 16: Finalists notification via email
January 23 @ 5pm: Deadline for mailing finalist artwork via UPS
January 30: Winning school & parent notification
March 1: Awards tea for gold ribbon winners

🎼 Our Story
Symphony In Color began in 1951 by the former Women’s Committee as The Committee’s Choice Awards. It was created to help children connect with classical music. The contest was later renamed Symphony In Color. The top prize was named the Pacini Award to honor Renato Pacini (1910–1989), a passionate educator and long-time member of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Renato Pacini—fondly known as “Patch”—played a key role in shaping youth-focused “Lollipop” concerts, now called the Discovery Concerts, and was deeply committed to arts education for children.

🌟 Our Purpose
Symphony In Color aims to:
Inspire children to appreciate symphonic music.
Encourage creativity and artistic interpretation through visual media.
Promote critical thinking and strengthen cross-curricular connections between music, art, and literacy.
Increase awareness of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s cultural impact in Indiana.
Build a lifelong engagement with the arts.

🏆 Awards & Recognition
Each year, 100 students are honored for their artistic achievements: A panel of judges selects 100 Finalists to receive a Certificate of Merit. From those 100, 36 Gold Ribbon Winners are selected and featured in an exhibit at the Hilbert Circle Theatre, and then all 100 finalists are exhibited at the Indiana State Museum.
🏆 Pacini Award - The panel of artist judges also selects one student from the 36 Gold Ribbon winners to award the highest Pacini Award, which includes a cash $ prize.
🗳️ People’s Choice Award - At an annual Preview Luncheon, Symphony staff, musicians, and guests vote for their favorite artwork among the 36 Gold Ribbon pieces. The People’s Choice Award winner also receives a cash $ prize.
👩‍🏫 Maestro Award - The Maestro Award honors the teacher with the most Gold Ribbon winners. The recipient receives a certificate and $500 for classroom art supplies.
Up to 10 Honorable Mentions may be selected by judges and volunteers for standout artwork that does not make the top 100 chosen by the judges
All participants receive a Certificate of Participation
🎉 Only 6 pieces per school may be submitted—so each student has already stood out among peers before reaching the statewide stage!

🍰Awards Tea
Each year, Gold Ribbon winners are celebrated at a special Awards Tea at the Hilbert Circle Theatre. Students receive a Certificate of Excellence and pose for photos in a memorable event for families and educators.
📸 Awards Tea Moments: candid event photos: students receiving awards, family celebrations, etc.
Artwork on Display at Hilbert Circle Theatre and Indiana State Museum

🖼️ Gallery
Experience the creativity of Indiana’s young artists! Below is a selection of winning artwork from past Symphony In Color contests. Click on any image to enlarge and view artist details.

❤️ Get Involved
Whether you're a teacher, parent, music or art enthusiast, Symphony In Color is your chance to support young artists and celebrate the power of music and creativity.

📥 Learn how to participate or volunteer.
Teachers – Click Here For Symphony In Color (ISO SIC webpage link)
Volunteers – Click Here (SignupGenius Link)