Competitions

We sponsor six juried competitions per year. The forty winners of each competition receive a four-page, full-color spread in New American Paintings. Five of the annual competitions focus on geographic regions (Northeast, South, Midwest, West and Pacific Coast), and the sixth is only open to current Masters of Fine Arts candidates who are attending schools based in the United States, and current year graduates.

Eligibility: Our competitions are open to all artists working within the United States. We define the activity of painting broadly, and all styles and media are welcome, as long as the work is singular. There are no educational requirements to apply to our regional competitions, only the MFA competition. Artists applying to the MFA competition may also apply to their respective regional competition in the same calendar year. Regional competitions open 60 days prior to the deadline.

 

Why apply? Meaningful exposureNew American Paintings has a targeted readership of more than ten thousand art collectors, art world professionals and art ethusiasts who have a deep interest in contemporaary painting and discovering new artists. 
 

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Artist FAQs (Image Requirements)

West

West Competition

AZ, CO, ID, MT, NE, NV, KS, ND, NM, OK, SD, TX, UT, WY
Competition Status:
2023 competition is now OPEN

Juror: TBD

Deadline:
April 30, 2023

Accepting
submissions now

Apply

Pacific Coast

Pacific Coast Competition

CA, OR, WA, AK, HI
Competition Status:
2023 competition is now OPEN

Juror: TBD

Deadline:
June 30, 2023

Accepting
submissions now

Apply

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Northeast

Northeast Competition

CT, DE, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT
Competition Status:
CLOSED: entries for this competition are currently under review.

Juror: , Associate Curator of Contemporary Art, The Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD

Deadline:
September 11, 2022

MFA Annual

MFA Annual Competition

Current Candidates and Graduates from 2019 - 2022
Competition Status:
CLOSED: entries for this competition are currently under review.

Juror: , Director of Exhibitions, Faena Art

Deadline:
November 7, 2022

South

South Competition

AL, AR, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV
Competition Status:
CLOSED: This competition is currently under review.

Juror: , Wieland Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art , High Museum of Art

Deadline:
January 8, 2022

Midwest

Midwest Competition

IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, MO, OH, WI
Competition Status:
2023 competition is now CLOSED: Entries are under review

Juror: , Associate Curator, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, St. Louis, MO

Deadline:
February 28, 2023