First Entry: (includes free copy of the 17th/18th ARC Salon book if shipping is paid at checkout. This book is an approximate 500 page hard bound book that will retail between $65 - $75)

Entering the same work in an additional category

For students 13-19 years of age competing in the Teen Category

When talking about competitions dedicated to 21st Century Realism, the International ARC Salon is the largest in the world. With over $130,000 in cash awards and international recognition through partnerships with prestigious magazines, galleries, museums, and more, don’t miss your chance to compete. Categories include: Figurative, Portraiture, Imaginative Realism, Drawing, Landscape, Still Life, Plein Air Painting, Fully From Life, Sculpture, Animals, and a special category for teens.

  
Below are our category descriptions. Works can be entered in multiple categories when appropriate. There are benefits of entering the same work into multiple categories:

1. Each category is juried by four jurors. Although there are jurors who jury multiple categories, no category has the exact same set of jurors. This means that a work in more than one category will have two different sets of jurors adjudicating the work.
2. Your work would be competing against a different group of artworks. Each category is juried independently from every other category with the exception of some specific awards.
3. We offer a Dual Category Award for works that perform well in multiple categories.

**For example:**

* A sculpture of an animal can be entered in both the **Animal** and **Sculpture** categories
* A fanciful, fictitious landscape can be entered in both the **Landscape** and the **Imaginative Realist** categories
* If a still life has an animal in it, it can be entered in both the **Still Life** and **Animal** categories
* Symbolic and allegorical works with figures can be entered in both the **Figurative** and **Imaginative Realist** categories
* Works created without the use of photographic references can be entered in both the **Fully From Life** category, as well as the category that fits the subject such as **Landscape**, **Still Life**, **Figurative**, **Portraiture**, etc.
* These are just examples, other combinations are possible. If you have questions, please write to Kara.Ross@artrenewal.org

  
**Figurative**

Groups of people, individuals, and nudes. Any oils, color pencil, watercolor, acrylic, and pastels that depict the human form are all acceptable mediums for this category. Entrants can enter their work in multiple categories as they see fit. (Sculptures should be entered in the **Sculpture** category and graphite and charcoal drawings should be in the **Drawing** category even if they have figures in them. If the work is clearly a portrait, it should be entered in the **Portrait** category, though many paintings of single figures are not necessarily portraits, and some may be appropriate to enter in both the **Figurative** and **Portrait** categories.)

  
**Imaginative Realism**

This category includes historical scenes, fantasy, religious, surrealism and science fiction works. Other realist based figurative works will remain in the Figurative Category. Entrants can enter their work in multiple categories as they see fit.

  
**Landscape**

All landscape subjects are acceptable, from cityscapes to seascapes, the real to the imaginary. Entrants can enter their work in multiple categories as they see fit.

  
**Animals**

This category includes all animal art. Any paintings, sculptures or drawings where an animal or animals are the subject of the work. Entrants can enter their work in multiple categories as they see fit.

If the main subject of the artwork is NOT an animal and there just happens to be an animal in a predominantly figurative work, then it should not be entered in this category.

  
**Still Life**

From the traditional to the inventive, works may range from a single object to a room's full interior. Entrants can enter their work in multiple categories as they see fit.

  
**Sculpture**

The subject matter is open in this category and includes sculptures created in all media. The category mandates that the works are actually sculpted however, casts made by pouring materials over the actual model to create molds are not acceptable.

  
**Drawing**

The subject matter is open in this category and may include pencil and graphite drawings, as well as charcoal, scratchboard and silverpoint. Entrants can enter their work in multiple categories as they see fit.

  
**Portraiture**

This important genre first thrived 5,000 years ago in ancient Egypt. Since then it has always served as more then just a visual record and has been used to demonstrate power, importance, virtue, beauty, wealth or taste; but most importantly, portraits are intended to capture the soul of the sitter. Entrants can enter their work in multiple categories as they see fit.

  
**Plein Air Paintings**

Plein air painting is about painting on site and creating beautiful scenes fully from life in a natural setting. Its origins started centuries ago as a way to capture color and light, and works created in this method were often used by artists as reference sketches when creating academic studio works. However, this style of painting took on a life of its own, becoming a favorite of the French Impressionists. Their desire to paint light and its changing, ephemeral qualities, married with the creation of transportable paint tubes and the box easel, allowed artists the freedom to paint “en plein air,” which is the French expression for "in the open air." Although this category is most often associated to landscape paintings, figurative works that were also painted _en plein air_, are encouraged in this category. We are proud to have added this important historical genera to the ARC Salon. Entrants can enter their work in multiple categories as they see fit.

For this category, in order for the work to be eligible, the work must have been created at least 90% on site. Minor touch-ups done in the studio after the work is basically complete are still accepted into this category, so long as it does not constitute more then 10% of the work.

  
**Fully from Life**

This category is intended to highlight works created solely from life without the use of any photographic references. This category is open to all subject matter and mediums, from drawings in charcoal to figurative work in oil done from live models as well as still life and animal art. Works entered into this category are still encouraged to be entered into the other categories that are appropriate for the subject matter. For example, a figurative work done solely from life is encouraged to compete in both the Fully from Life category as well as the Figurative category. Working directly from life poses unique challenges to the artist. The natural world cannot be copied - it must be interpreted. In the absence of an intermediary, like photography, to assist in the translation of the subject, the artist is guided only by his or her individual exploration of the subject to create a uniquely personal representation of reality.

  
**Teens Category**

Because of ARC's commitment to introduce skill-based training techniques to the next generation, we are pleased to announce that this year's salon will include a category specifically for students of 13 to 19 years of age. Works created during this age range are also acceptable, so long as the artist is no older then 20 years of age at the time of entry. The Teens Category is open to all subjects and mediums. Awards in the amounts of $2,500, $1,000 and $500 (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place) will be awarded for the winning students' artworks as well as eight honorable mentions. In addition, all winners, honorable mentions, finalists and semi-finalists will receive international recognition for their artwork, their instructor, and their school through the ARC website, and winners, honorable mentions and potentially some finalists will be published in the ARC Salon book. Winners in the Teens Category will also be invited to exhibit in the 17th/18th ARC Salon Exhibition. These works by our talented youth will not compete with the other categories of the ARC Salon, but in this separate division specifically for young students. (Entry fee is $28.) Please read the rules page for more details. If you attend a Title 1 school and this fee would be a barrier to entry, please write to Yvette.lytle@artrenewal.org

  

**Exhibition of Selected Works**

The show will consist of approximately 100 of the best works from the combined 17th and 18th International ARC Salon Competitions. 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 we will hold our official award ceremony. Updates, additional events, and specific dates will be announced once we finalize this international event.

  
**Best in Show**

This year the $25,000 prize for Best in Show has been generously provided by the MacAvoy Foundation.

  
**The William Bouguereau Award**

"Emotion, Theme, and the Figure": $3,000

This award is given to a work that focuses on Emotion, Theme, and the Figure and is awarded by ARC Chairman, Fred Ross.

  
**FWSD 2024 Award**

ARC will partner with Fashion Week San Diego (FWSD) who will select 5 works from the 17th International ARC Salon to take part in an exclusive opportunity with Fashion Week San Diego Designers. FWSD designers will be matched with the winning artists work and the designers will create an original couture outfit inspired by the work of art from the ARC Salon.

  
**Exhibition at Rehs Contemporary Galleries, Inc., New York City, NY**

Rehs Contemporary Galleries, Inc., New York City, NY will select a group of approximately 15 finalists who will be asked to supply the gallery with additional images. From those finalists, the gallery will choose a select group of artists to create new works for a group show to be held at their gallery on 55th Street in 2025.

  
**Springville Museum of Art Exhibition Award**

The museum will be selecting one ARC Salon Finalist from the state of Utah each competition to be featured at the museum over the course of the following year. The Springville Museum of Art is Utah's first museum for the visual fine arts, dedicated as a "Sanctuary of Beauty and a Temple of Contemplation."

  
**MEAM Exhibition Award**

The museum will be selecting one to three ARC Salon Finalists to be exhibited at the museum for a two month duration in 2025\. The MEAM (European Museum of Modern Art) is a museum dedicated to Contemporary Realism located at the Gomis Palace, in the middle of the streets of the Born in Barcelona.

  
**The ASMA Best Marine Art Awards**

The American Society of Marine Artists will select three outstanding marine-themed works, (one "Best Marine Themed Work", which is a $2000 award, and second and third place, for which each recipient will receive a $500 award).

  
**Publications**

The Fine Art Connoisseur Award

PleinAir Magazine Award

Sheng Xinyu Art Award

33PA Publishing Prize

The Artist Award

Southwest Art Magazine Award

Enchanted Living Magazine Award

Artists & Illustrators Magazine Award

The INSIDEART Award

Western Art Collector Award of Excellence

International Artist Award of Excellence

American Art Collector Award of Excellence

American Fine Art Magazine Award of Excellence

American Essence Magazine Award

The Aristides Publication Award

  
**Cash Prizes**

Most Ambitious Work $250

Best Nude $250

Best Trompe L'oeil $250

Best Social Commentary $250

Best Watercolor $250

Best Pastel $250

11 First Place Awards $2,500 awarded in each category

11 Second Place Awards $1,000 awarded in each category

11 Third Place Awards $500 awarded in each category

  
**Chairman's Choice Award** 

Minimum of 3 awarded at $300 each

  
**ARC Staff Award** 

Minimum of 6 awarded each by the ARC Staff

88 Honorable Mentions 

8 awarded in each category

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