The 2026
Competition
Submissions begin January 1st.
Contest closes on March 31st, 2026 at 11:59 PDT.
Prize Pool Status
Change Distribution clause to โ60% of total funds raised from artist submissions and sponsorship donations goes straight to our competition winners. With 10 categories to choose from, we will have a total of 30 total winners.
Taking place at the renowned Gaylord of the Rockies in the beautiful state of Colorado.
The top three winners of each category will have the opportunity to showcase their
paintings with class at this prestigious event. All manufacturers, sponsors, jurors, and
contestants are welcome to attend. This is a great chance to meet and mingle with all
those who have made this great contest possible.
Be apart of something spectacular! The right doors can open for you here.
Don't miss out!
More information coming soon.
Still Life
Composed objectsโflorals, vessels, fruit, toolsโarranged for balance, light, and meaning. Technique and viewpoint turn the ordinary into quiet symbolism, inviting contemplation over detail, texture, and form.
Watercolor
Transparent pigment and water create luminous layers where the paper participates in the image. Edges bloom, light pools, and restraint becomes expressionโideal for atmosphere, gesture, and subtle transitions.
Drawing
Line, tone, and mark-making as the foundation of seeing. From graphite to charcoal, drawing reveals structure and intention, capturing form, proportion, and movement with deliberate economy.
Sacred Realism
The pursuit of the spiritual and infinite on a tangible canvas through the exploration of sacred themes, spiritual connection with nature, and mankindโs connection with the divine.
Portrait
The study of presence: a likeness shaped by light, gesture, and gaze. Beyond resemblance, portraiture seeks character and relationship, honoring sitter and story with sensitivity and craft.
Narrative
Images that carry a story within a single frame. Composition, symbolism, and sequence of cues guide the viewer through conflict, change, or revelationโleaving room for interpretation.
Landscape
Place, weather, and time distilled into color and atmosphere. From rugged coastlines to quiet fields, these works explore horizon, depth, and moodโhow land and sea shape feeling.
Cityscape
Architecture and lived spaces expressed through light, perspective, and pattern. Windows, streets, and rooms become stages for human presenceโseen or impliedโcapturing rhythm and design.
Wildlife
Animals observed in their element: behavior, motion, and habitat. Accurate anatomy meets expressive timing, honoring the vitality and dignity of the species portrayed.
Figurative
The human form as central subject, across styles and media. From classical realism to contemporary surrealism, figure works explore anatomy, gesture, and the narratives our bodies carry.
Application
Eligibility
Open to artists worldwide,
18 years or older
Work must be original, no ai, and
created within the last 3 years
Maximum of 5 works
per category
All submitted images must
be high-resolution
Application Submission grants Art Ascend rights for promotional use for submitted artwork
No graphic violence, pornography, or activism
Meet Our
Master Jury
Seven world-class masters join our juryโartists whose work has shaped galleries and movements worldwide.
Theyโll look for disciplined craft, brave ideas and stories told with clarity and soul. Each juror will give an inciteful review of their top three picks of contestants in each of our ten categories.
Bring your bestโthis is your opportunity for world class masters to review your work.
