- Deadline
- 18 days left
- Entry fee
- $29
- Award
- $65,000
- Location
- Online
- Exhibition window
- Jul 1, 2026
- Applicants notified
- Jul 24, 2026
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About
Submit original paintings in 19 categories for monthly online juried competitions with cash prizes, with monthly winners advancing to annual competition.
Overview
The 16th Annual Salon Art Prize consists of 11 monthly online competitions awarding over $65,000 in cash prizes annually. Paintings in 19 categories are judged blind by guest judges including prominent artists, gallery owners, and museum curators. Monthly winners advance to the Annual Competition held in May 2027.
Key dates
- Submissions open: Wednesday, July 1, 2026
- Early bird deadline: Wednesday, July 15, 2026
- Entry deadline: Friday, July 31, 2026
- Finalists announcement: Friday, July 24, 2026
- Awards announcement: Friday, July 31, 2026
Eligibility
All individuals entering must be at least 18 years of age. Competition is open to residents of any state or country where acceptable by law. Employees or associates of Streamline Publishing, Inc., or their immediate families may not enter.
Entry fees
- Early bird pricing (until July 15): $29 for 1 work, $12 each additional
- Regular pricing (July 16–31): $40 for 1 work, $16 each additional
- All entry fees are non-refundable and must be paid by credit or debit card
Media and entry rules
Original paintings and drawings only. Photography, AI, digital, and printed or painted-over photographs are prohibited. All entries must be original compositions not based on published work. Paintings must be 100% created by the artist entering, not partially by an instructor. Paintings based on another person's photograph (even if copyright-free) are not eligible. For plein air categories: paintings must be completed 100% in plein air, though this may take multiple sessions. A painting can win only once; if entered in multiple categories, it can win in only one category.
Monthly competition awards
- First place: $600
- Second place: $400
- Third place: $300
- Category awards: $50 each
- 19 category awards total
- 19 category honorable mention awards
Annual competition awards
- PleinAir Grand Prize: $15,000 + painting featured on cover of PleinAir Magazine
- Fine Art Connoisseur Grand Prize: $15,000 + painting featured on cover of Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine
- Second place: $3,000
- Third place: $2,000
- Three honorable mention awards: $750 each
- Six best medium awards: $500 each
Entry details
Up to 50 artworks may be submitted per artist. There is a limit of 25 entries per monthly competition. Images must be at least 1920 pixels on the longest side, in JPEG format, sRGB color space. Paintings do not need to be new, fresh, or in your possession; older and sold paintings are accepted. A painting that has not previously won a category award can be re-entered in subsequent competitions.
Contact
- [email protected]
- PleinAir Salon Art Competition website: TheSalonArtPrize.com
- Award
- Over $2,000 in cash prizes each month: First Place $600, Second Place $400, Third Place $300, category awards $50 each, plus honorable mention awards. Annual competition awards over $40,000 including two $15,000 Grand Prizes (PleinAir Magazine cover and Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine cover), plus $3,000 second place, $2,000 third place, three $750 honorable mentions, and six $500 best medium awards.
- Entry fee
- Early Bird Pricing (until July 15, 2026): $29 for 1 work, $12 each additional. Regular Pricing: $40 for 1 work, $16 each additional.
- Entries per artist
- Up to 50
- Theme
- 16th Annual Salon Art Prize
- Eligibility
- All individuals entering must be at least 18 years of age. Competition is open to residents of any state or country where acceptable by law. Employees or associates of Streamline Publishing, Inc., or their immediate families may not enter.
- Audience
- at least 18 years old
Every listing links to the organizer's official page. Always confirm deadlines, fees, and entry rules there before you apply.