Miranda Richardson / news@whmi.com

Governor Gretchen Whitmer is on the search for a young artist and writer to both be part of this year's State of the State address. She’s announced an art contest for the 2026 State of the State program cover, as well as the first-ever writing contest.

For the new contest, Whitmer is asking young Michiganders to write their best short story or essay answering the question: “What do you love most about Michigan?”

The winning student’s writing will be featured during the address, coming up on Wednesday, Feb. 25. Meanwhile, she’s also looking for students to come up with a creative design for the program cover following the theme: "Michigan’s Bright Future"

The cover will represent what Michigan’s bright future looks like to that winning student. A wide range of creative supplies are encouraged for the art contest, such as crayons, markers, paints, or any other materials.

Submissions are due the night of Feb. 15, before the clock strikes midnight. The links to submit both artwork and writing are posted below.