California is one of the country’s most scenic states: drive down Highway 1, go for a hike through the redwoods in the north, the Hollywood Hills in the south, or explore the Mojave desert, and you’ll begin to understand why the state has inspired artists from David Hockney to Ed Ruscha. The combination of adventure and beauty that California offers is really unparalleled. The colors, sights, and quirks tend to awaken creative murmurs in those of us who still feel anxious drawing a stick figure.

As a way of highlighting all that California has to offer, Atlas Obscura is launching a “California Dream Art Show” to celebrate the state’s most exciting and family-friendly attractions. We’re asking kids and their families to submit a piece of art —a drawing, painting, collage, or anything else that can be digitally scanned—that represents a California destination on our Atlas. The winner will receive $5,000 to put towards the California trip of their family’s dreams.

At Atlas Obscura, we believe that a glass-filled trash dump can be just as beautiful as a dramatic seaside pirate tower. In that same spirit of open-minded enthusiasm, we won’t be awarding this prize based on which piece of art is the technical “best”—we want artists of all ilks, ages, and skill levels to apply! We hope this contest will encourage all sorts of artistic expression. After all, Salvation Mountain probably wouldn’t exist if its creator held himself to strict art-school standards. So go ahead, kids: take a spin in the Atlas, and create some art that celebrates a place you’d love to explore in the Golden State.

Here’s How It Works:

If you want to participate in the “California Dream Art Show” and have a chance to win $5000 towards your California dream trip, all you have to do is choose a place in California on the Atlas and draw it. Drawings, paintings, collages, watercolors, and even marker art is encouraged!

In order to submit your artwork and be eligible for the trip giveaway, follow these steps before April 23, 2023 at 11:59pm EDT:

1. Select a California place from the Atlas to illustrate. Here is a list of places to inspire your artwork.

2. Take a picture of your artwork and format it horizontally - use the image at the top of this article as your inspirational guide.

3. Review the ‘California Dream Art Show’ Sweepstakes Terms & Conditions below.

4. Complete the Art Submission Form where you’ll be able to upload your artwork, sign and upload the Material Release Form, and confirm your eligibility to win.

One winner will be selected at the close of the giveaway on April 22, 2023. Sweepstakes Official Rules below. Good luck!

California Dream Art Show Sweepstakes Official Rules

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. THIS SWEEPSTAKES IS INTENDED FOR PLAY IN THE UNITED STATES ONLY AND WILL BE GOVERNED BY U.S. LAW. DO NOT ENTER IF YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE AND LOCATED IN THE UNITED STATES AT THE TIME OF ENTRY. OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES, 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, WHO ENTER FROM WITHIN THE UNITED STATES.

1. Eligibility: The California Dream Art Show Sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”) is open to: legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are the age of majority in their state of residence (19 in AL and NE, 18 in all other states), all at the time of entry. Employees, contractors, directors, officers, and agents of Visit California (“Sponsor”), its parent company, affiliates, subsidiaries, distributors, sales representatives, advertising and promotion agencies, and other service agencies involved with the Sweepstakes, and members of their immediate family (spouse, parent, child, sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where the reside) and household of each such individual (whether or not related) are not eligible to enter or win.

This Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited. Participation constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules and Sponsor’s decisions, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Sweepstakes. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.

2. Sponsor: “Visit California”
3. Sweepstakes Period: The Sweepstakes begins on April 14, 2023 at 6:00am Pacific Time (“PT”) and ends on April 23, 2023 at 11:59pm PT (the “Sweepstakes Period”). All entries must be received before the Sweepstakes Period’s end time/date to be valid for the Sweepstakes.
4. How to Enter: To enter the Sweepstakes, follow these instructions:
   1. (1) select one California based place from https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/california;
   2. (2) Create your artwork of that selected place;
   3. (3) Provide your contact information, upload a photo of your artwork, and upload an art release form in the the art show submission form here. Complete all of the foregoing steps to receive one (1) entry into the Sweepstakes. Entries will not be judged, but must comply with all requirements set forth herein, including the content requirements. Submitted content must be hand drawn using markers, crayons, paint, collage or colored pencils and cannot include photographs, images, or other digital content.

Limit: Three (3) original entries per person/household during the entire Sweepstakes Period. Only posts made by eligible entrants, of original drawings shall be valid for entry.

Sponsor is not responsible if an entry is not timely submitted. Individuals who do not follow all of the instructions and/or abide by these Official Rules or other instructions of Sponsor may be disqualified. Automated entries are prohibited, and any use of automated devices will cause disqualification. Entrants may not enter with multiple e-mail addresses nor may entrants use any other device or artifice to enter more than the allotted number of times or as multiple entrants. Any entrant who attempts to enter with multiple e-mail addresses, under multiple identities, or uses any device or artifice to enter more times than is allowed will be disqualified and forfeits any and all prizes won, in Sponsor’s sole discretion. Multiple entrants are not permitted to share the same e-mail address. Should multiple users of the same e-mail account enter the Sweepstakes and a dispute thereafter arise regarding the identity of the entrant, the authorized account holder of said e-mail account at the time of entry will be considered the entrant. “Authorized Account Holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, on-line service provider or other organization which is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses or the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address. Potential winner may be required to show proof of being the Authorized Account Holder.

Entry Requirements: As used herein, “Entry”/”entry” (and/or “entries”/“Entries”) refers to all content you submit in connection with the Sweepstakes (including, but not limited to, the drawing, descriptions, explanations, etc.), if any.

Entrants represent and warrant that their Entry is the original work of such entrant, it has not been copied from others, it has not previously won awards, it does not violate the rights of any other person or entity, and publication of the Entry via various media including Web posting will not infringe on the rights of any third party. Any such entrant will indemnify and hold harmless Sweepstakes Parties (defined below) from any claims to the contrary. Any entrant whose Entry includes likenesses of third parties or contains elements not owned by the entrant (such as, but not limited to, depictions of persons, buildings, trademarks or logos) must be able to provide legal releases for such use including Sponsor’s use of such Entry, in a form satisfactory to administrator, upon request, prior to award of prize and/or naming of entrant as a winner.

By submitting an Entry, you agree that your Entry is gratuitous and made without restriction, and will not place Sponsor under any obligation, that Sponsor is free to use or otherwise disclose the ideas contained in the Entry on a non-confidential basis to anyone or otherwise use the ideas without any additional compensation to you. You acknowledge that, by acceptance of your Entry, Sponsor does not waive any rights to use similar or related ideas previously known to Sponsor, or developed by its employees, or obtained from sources other than you.BY SUBMITTING AN ENTRY, ENTRANT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HIS/HER ENTRY MAY BE POSTED ON THE PUBLIC INTERNET.

All Entries you submit must conform to the additional submission requirements set forth herein:

• Entry must comply with these Official Rules;
• Entry cannot be sexually explicit or suggestive, unnecessarily violent or derogatory of any ethnic, racial, gender, religious, professional or age group, profane or pornographic, contain nudity or any materially dangerous activity;
• Entry cannot promote alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, firearms/weapons (or the use of any of the foregoing), any activities that may appear unsafe or dangerous, or any particular political agenda or message;
• Entry cannot be obscene or offensive, endorse any form of hate or hate group;
• Entry cannot defame, misrepresent or contain disparaging remarks about Sponsor or its products, or other people, products or companies;
• Entry cannot contain or infringe on the trademarks, logos, or trade dress owned by others, or advertise or promote any brand or product of any kind (other than Sponsor’s brands/products), without permission, or contain any personal identification, such as license plate numbers, personal names, e-mail addresses or street addresses;
• Entry cannot infringe on copyrighted materials owned by others;
• Entry cannot contain materials embodying the name or other indicia identifying any person, living or dead, without permission;
• Entry cannot communicate messages or images inconsistent with the positive images and/or goodwill to which Sponsor wishes to associate (as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion); and
• Entry cannot depict, and cannot itself, be in violation of any law.

ENTRIES POSTED TO THE WEBSITE IS NOT EDITED BY SPONSOR AND ARE THE VIEWS/OPINIONS OF THE INDIVIDUAL ENTRANT AND DO NOT REFLECT THE VIEWS OF SPONSOR IN ANY MANNER. Any waiver of any obligation hereunder by Sponsor does not constitute a general waiver of any obligation to entrants. Sponsor reserves the right to waive the Entry submission requirements set forth herein in its reasonable discretion.

Sponsor reserves the right, in its reasonable discretion, during or upon completion of the Entry Period, to request that any entrant resubmit his or her Entry which fails to comply with the Sweepstakes entry requirements prior to any drawing.

By submitting an Entry, Entrant grants Sponsor or its third party designee the right and license to use, post, modify, or otherwise publish the Entry, alone or together with other Entries on its owned and controlled platforms and/or social media.

5. Drawing and Odds: On or around April 24, 2023, Sponsor will randomly select one (1) potential winner from amongst all entries received. Odds of winning a prize depend on the number of eligible entries received.

On or around April 24, 2023, potential winners will be notified via email.

Potential winners are subject to verification. If any potential winner is found not to be eligible or not in compliance with these Official Rules, if attempted notification or any prize is returned as undeliverable, if any required steps or required documents are not completed and/or returned within the required number of days, if a winner cannot be verified, or if a winner is otherwise unable or unwilling to accept and claim the prize as stated, then winner may be disqualified and the prize may be forfeited in Sponsor’s sole discretion. Winner will be required to complete, sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability Release, and, where lawful, a Publicity Release, within five (5) days of attempted notification or prize may be forfeited. Sponsor is not responsible for any change of email address, mailing address and/or telephone number of entrants.

6. Prize (1): One (1) verified winner will receive one (1) $5,000 check made payable to the winner, which can be used towards a California vacation to visit the place drawn in the winner’s entry.

Any difference between the amount spent on the trip (if any) and the check, will not be awarded and shall be the sole responsibility of the winner.

Because COVID-19 is a novel virus, winner agrees and acknowledges that there is always a risk with travel and Sponsor shall not be responsible for any such risk or outcome (as applicable).

Limit: one (1) prize per person/household. Prizes are non-transferable and no cash equivalent or substitution of prize is offered, except at the sole discretion of the Sponsor. If a prize, or any portion thereof, cannot be awarded for any reason, Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize with another prize of equal or greater value. Prize winners will be solely responsible for all federal, state and/or local taxes, and for any other fees or costs associated with the prizes they receive, regardless of whether it, in whole or in part, is used.

7. Release: As a condition of entering, entrants agree (and agree to confirm in writing): (a) to release Sponsor, Atlas Obscura, Inc., and each of their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, retailers, and agents, and each of their officers, directors, employees and agents (collectively, “Sweepstakes Parties”), from any and all liability, loss or damage incurred with respect to the awarding, receipt, possession, and/or use or misuse of any prize or any item or trip redeemed therewith; (b) under no circumstances will any entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and entrant hereby knowingly and expressly waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, consequential, or any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses and/or any rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased; (c) all causes of action arising out of or connected with this Sweepstakes, or any prize awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action; and (d) any and all claims, judgments, and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred (if any), excluding attorneys’ fees and court costs.
8. Publicity: Except where prohibited by law, winner grants (and agrees to confirm this grant in writing, if requested) permission for Sponsor and those acting under its authority to use his/her name, photograph, social media handle, and/or likeness, for advertising and/or publicity purposes in any and all media now known or hereinafter invented without territorial or time limitations and without compensation.
9. General Conditions: Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, undelivered, incorrect, or inaccurate entry information whether caused by Internet users or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Sweepstakes or by any technical or human error which may occur in the processing of the entries. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify the Sweepstakes, or any part of it, if any fraud, bugs, virus, technical failures, or any other factor beyond Sponsor’s reasonable control impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Sweepstakes, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. In the event of cancellation, Sponsor will randomly award the prizes from among all eligible, non-suspect entries received prior to cancellation. Sponsor is not responsible for computer system, phone line, hardware, software or program malfunctions, or other errors, failures or delays in computer transmissions, the website, or network connections that are human or technical in nature. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process, the website, or the operation of the Sweepstakes or to be acting in violation of the Official Rules of this or any other promotion or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.
10. Binding Arbitration: Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Sweepstakes shall be settled by binding arbitration in a location determined by the arbitrator as set forth herein (provided that such location is reasonably convenient for claimant), or at such other location as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties, in accordance with the procedural rules for commercial disputes set forth in the Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures of JAMS (“JAMS Rules and Procedures”) then prevailing, and judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator(s) may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. The arbitrator shall be selected pursuant to the JAMS Rules and Procedures. The arbitrator shall apply California law consistent with the Federal Arbitration Act and applicable statutes of limitations, and shall honor claims of privilege recognized at law. In the event that the claimant is able to demonstrate that the costs of arbitration will be prohibitive as compared to the costs of litigation, Sponsor will pay as much of the claimant’s filing and hearing fees in connection with the arbitration as the arbitrator deems necessary to prevent the arbitration from being cost-prohibitive. If any part of this arbitration provision is deemed to be invalid, unenforceable or illegal (other than that claims will not be arbitrated on a class or representative basis), or otherwise conflicts with the rules and procedures established by JAMS, then the balance of this arbitration provision shall remain in effect and shall be construed in accordance with its terms as if the invalid, unenforceable, illegal or conflicting provision were not contained herein. If, however, the portion that is deemed invalid, unenforceable or illegal is that claims will not be arbitrated on a class or representative basis, then the entirety of this arbitration provision shall be null and void, and neither claimant nor Sponsor shall be entitled to arbitrate their dispute. Upon filing a demand for arbitration, all parties to such arbitration shall have the right of discovery, which discovery shall be completed within sixty days after the demand for arbitration is made, unless further extended by mutual agreement of the parties. THE ARBITRATION OF DISPUTES PURSUANT TO THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL BE IN THE ENTRANT’S INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. THE ARBITRATOR MAY NOT CONSOLIDATE OR JOIN THE CLAIMS OF OTHER PERSONS OR PARTIES WHO MAY BE SIMILARLY SITUATED. DO NOT ENTER THIS SWEEPSTAKES IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO HAVE ANY CLAIM OR CONTROVERSY ARBITRATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE OFFICIAL RULES.

BY PARTICIPATING IN THE SWEEPSTAKES, EACH ENTRANT AGREES THAT TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW: (1) ANY AND ALL DISPUTES, CLAIMS AND CAUSES OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR CONNECTED WITH THE SWEEPSTAKES, OR ANY PRIZE AWARDED, WILL BE RESOLVED INDIVIDUALLY THROUGH BINDING ARBITRATION AS SET FORTH ABOVE, WITHOUT RESORT TO ANY FORM OF CLASS ACTION AND (2) ENTRANT’S REMEDIES ARE LIMITED TO A CLAIM FOR MONEY DAMAGES (IF ANY) AND ENTRANT IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO SEEK INJUNCTIVE OR EQUITABLE RELIEF. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY SET FORTH ABOVE AND IN SECTION 7, SO SUCH LANGUAGE MAY NOT APPLY TO EVERY ENTRANT.

11. Governing Law & Jurisdiction: This Sweepstakes and its Official Rules are governed by US law and are subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of the Sweepstakes Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of entrants and Sponsor in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of California, U.S.A., without giving effect to the conflict of laws rules thereof, and any matters or proceedings which are not subject to arbitration as set forth in Section 10 of these Official Rules and/or for entering any judgment on an arbitration award, shall take place in California.
12. Entrant’s Personal Information: Please see the privacy policy located at https://www.visitcalifornia.com/privacy-policy/ for details of Sponsor’s policy regarding the use of personal information collected in connection with this Sweepstakes. If you are selected as a winner, your information may also be included in a publicly-available winner’s list.
13. Winner’s List: For a list of winners, mail a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

Atlas Obscura 61 Greenpoint Avenue, Suite 210 Brooklyn NY 11222.

Requests must be received by December 31st, 2023.