Felix Bucaro, a Wauwatosa West High School senior, has been named the first-place winner of the 2026 Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award for High School Students. The national competition, open to high school students in grades 10-12 across the United States, was announced March 26, 2026.
Bucaro will receive a $1,000 cash prize and a $100 BLICK Art Materials gift card for his original hand-painted artwork. This year's contest challenged entrants to design an original poster depicting a road rally, automotive, or racing event in the spirit of renowned Dallas-based artist and automotive icon Bill Neale.
Entries were judged on artistry of concept, interpretation of theme, overall artistic impression, and uniqueness and originality.
The Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award honors the legacy of Bill Neale, a World War II Navy veteran, advertising executive, and celebrated automotive artist whose work appeared on the covers and pages of Car and Driver, Automobile, Road & Track, and Cavallino, among other publications. Neale, who passed away in January 2021 at the age of 95, was a founding member of the Automotive Fine Arts Society and is listed in both the Texas Advertising Hall of Fame and the Texas Auto Racing Hall of Fame.
The award is presented by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) and sponsored by The Shelby Foundation, Mecum Auctions, and the Terlingua Racing Team, with the Texas Cultural Trust named as the award beneficiary.
For more information about the Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award, visit billnealeaward.org.