A hot-pink psychedelic piano anchors a park recital as a pipa player in orange performs for rows of children.

The annual design contest

Paint the loudestthing on theblock

Every year, decorated pianos appear in parks, on sidewalks, and in plazas. It is a unique and beautiful way to bring music into our everyday lives.

How the contest works

  1. Submit a design

    Anyone can participate. Send us a design for the piano you wish to decorate: a sketch, a concept, a story.

  2. Judging

    Entries are evaluated on creativity, originality, and execution by our panel of judges.

  3. The reveal

    Winners are announced on the day of the event, and the winning pianos take pride of place in the most prominent public locations.

Event day

On event day the pianos come out. Local artists and community members decorate them, pianists of all skill levels are encouraged to come and play, and the street fills with live performances, food vendors, and entertainment.

Anyone can enter. You don't need to be a professional artist. Some of our best-loved pianos were painted by school classes and first-timers.

A lone player at an upright in the middle of a car-free Main Street, festival tents and mountains down the avenue.

Enter the contest

Tell us about your design idea: a sketch, a theme, a story. We'll reply with dates and details for this year's event.

Looking for a canvas outside the contest? Design a piano year-round →

This opens your email app with the message prefilled. You can also write to us at [email protected].