Deadline: June 13, 2024 11:59:59pm PST

The Art Renewal Center invites artists from around the globe to enter its 17th International ARC Salon, the world’s largest competition dedicated to 21st Century Realism. From now until the deadline of June 13, 2024, artists can submit works to win cash prizes and the chance for international exposure and recognition. 

The ARC’s most recent salon, the 16th International ARC Salon, received over 5,400 entries from 75 countries, with selected works exhibited at the prestigious Sotheby’s New York in July 2023. With a total of over $130,000 in cash prizes and the chance for promotion in major publications, galleries, and more, this competition provides an incredible opportunity for both established and emerging artists to showcase their talents. With a wide range of categories – including Figurative, Portraiture, Imaginative Realism, Drawing, Landscape, Still Life, Plein Air Painting, Fully From Life, Sculpture, Animals, and a special category for teens – the ARC Salon welcomes a wide range of representational styles and mediums. Don’t miss your chance to compete!

Career Changing Opportunities

In addition to all winners, honourable mentions, finalists, and semi-finalists being published on the ARC website which receives approximately 2,000,000 visitors a year, artists have the chance to win a large number of opportunities provided by partnering organizations. In the 17th ARC Salon, 15 different publications including The Artist magazine, are participating by selecting award winners to feature with articles, interviews or more in their publications. 

Special opportunities are also being provided through Rehs Contemporary Galleries inc., who will be selecting a group of artists to create new works for an exhibition and sale at their New York City venue. Fashion Week San Diego, California’s largest traditional fashion week, will be selecting five artworks to pair with their designers who will create couture looks inspired by the art to be displayed on live models for a special event. Also participating is the European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM), who will be selecting works to exhibit at their museum in Barcelona and the Springville Museum of Art, Utah who will be selecting an artist to display works in their founder’s gallery over the course of a year. 

Over 50 prestigious jurors will be participating in the award selection process. 

ARC Co-Chair / COO Kara Lysandra Ross says, “Each competition I am always thrilled to see the large number of excellent and diverse entries participate in the ARC Salon. I never know which ones will end up rising to the top.”

Exhibition of Selected Works

Approximately 100 outstanding works from the combined 17th and 18th International ARC Salon Competitions will be selected for a highly anticipated exhibition.

The exhibition is planned to open at what will be Sotheby's New York’s new flag ship, Madison Avenue location, in the summer of 2026, where the Art Renewal Center will hold its official award ceremony. This awe-inspiring international event will have artists from all over the world present, showcasing the true international nature and collaborative spirit in this area of Contemporary Art. Established in 1744, Sotheby's is the world's largest, and most dynamic marketplace for art and luxury.

Participating artists will have the opportunity to make their works available for sale at the event, although this is not a requirement. Additionally, a work does not need to be available to show in the exhibition in order to participate in the competition itself. Regardless of whether a work is available to exhibit, it can be entered into the ARC Salon Competition and win the top awards. With over 180 awards and honorable mentions, plus over 1,000 finalists from the 17th ARC Salon alone, there are always ample works available to create the exhibition.

Updates, additional events, and specific dates for the exhibition are forthcoming.

About the Art Renewal Center® 

Leading the revival of realism in the visual arts, the Art Renewal Center (ARC), a 501(c)(3), non-profit educational foundation, is the preeminent online museum and hub for the contemporary representational art movement. The ARC Museum includes works by Old Masters as well as 19th, 20th and 21st century artists, plus articles, letters, and other online resources. 

The ARC is also the foremost and only vetting service for representational art schools. To become ARC Approved®, an institution’s teaching curricula and the quality of student and teacher work must meet a rigorous set of standards based on traditional techniques in the visual arts. 

The ARC Salon Competition, first introduced by the ARC in 2004, is the world’s largest and most prestigious competition for contemporary realist artists working in painting, sculpting and drawing.

The ARC works with ARC Allied Organizations™, artist groups, museums, and publications to act as a central news hub for the 21st Century Representational Art Movement. 

Visit the ARC Salon website to enter this year's competition.