Entering your artist era? Take this bucket of junk and show us your stuff.

The objective of the STEAM “Bucket of Junk Competition” is to create a 3-D sculpture using only the items in your bucket. A sculpture is defined as a “three-dimensional work of art” that can be viewed from 360 degrees. This is open to anyone. You don’t even need to be in 4H to enter!

Timeline:

• Registration deadline: Begins July 1 at 8:30am and goes until we are out of buckets!
• Bucket pick-up: Begins Wednesday July 1 8:30am-4pm, CCE Admin Building (4487 Lake Ave. Lockport)
• Finished artwork Drop off: Tuesday August 4 3pm-6pm, Training Center Aud (4487 Lake Ave. Lockport)
• Sculptures will be judged on Wednesday, August 5, 2026. Winners will be chosen in both of the Family and Individual Categories. There will be prizes for the winners.

General Rules:

• Contest is limited to Family division (must include at least 1 youth) and an Individuals division (ages 16 and up including adults). Please only one(1) entry per family/household. Space is limited on first come first serve, based on date and time of your email.
• There is a $10 fee but $5 is refunded when the bucket is returned.
• When you drop off your sculpture, you MUST bring back the provided Home Depot bucket, in order for your sculpture to be accepted. Please remember to also bring in the completed Contents List.
• Sculptures will remain on display from August 5, 2026, through the entirety of the Niagara County Fair. Sculptures are to be picked up on the last day of the fair, Sunday Aug 9th, between 4pm and 7pm in the 4-H training center or Monday August 10 by 4:30pm.

Presentation:

• All sculptures must be received presentation ready. Sculptures not meeting this requirement will not be judged.
• The judges must know where you used each item in the bucket. Please note: You must use each item provided. You do not need to use the entire item in your sculpture, but there must be enough used to make it visible. The only optional pieces in the bucket are the packaging on the different items, i.e., cardboard package, plastic bag, etc. However, if you want to use it, you may, they are just not mandatory.
• You may NOT add any additional items to your sculpture. Only the items in the bucket are permitted to be part of your sculpture. There will be a list of contents in each bucket provided. Please indicate on the list where each item was used. Please return this list filled out when you drop off your sculpture.
• You may cut, weld, melt, paint, shave, curl, staple, glue, tape or sew these items to make your sculpture.
• You may connect your entry to a solid base for stability if needed. The base cannot be part of your sculpture. The base must also be smaller than the sculpture and is NOT to be painted. The base will not be considered part of your sculpture, so it will not be judged.
• Your sculpture will be displayed in the Training Center Auditorium for the duration of the 2026 Niagara County Fair.
• The bucket and contents list need to be returned when you bring in your sculpture. The bucket may not be used as part of the sculpture/display.
• Any sculpture larger than 20” L x 20” W will be automatically disqualified.
• Your sculpture must be finished when it arrives. NO painting, construction, etc. will be allowed after your sculpture has been dropped off and accepted.

Judging Criteria:

• Creativity & Originality…20%
• Use of materials…20%
• Craftsmanship & stability…20%
• Aesthetic appeal…20%
• Theme/Story presentation…20%

(This includes the difficulty of the piece and how well it was made)

HOW TO REGISTER FOR THIS CONTEST:

Contact Christina Wright by email or phone to reserve your bucket. Contact info is below. Registration will close on June 27, or after all buckets have been reserved, whichever comes first.