Welcome to the International Art Competition Submission Tool

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Purposes

The purposes of this international, juried art competition and exhibition are to (1) encourage the creation of quality art by Latter-day Saints; (2) showcase the breadth and diversity of Latter-day Saint cultural production made manifest through various styles, techniques, media, and voices; and (3) develop the Church History Museum art collection through purchase awards.

Jurying Process

  • Five jurors will be selected from regionally diverse areas of the United States (or the world) and will include representatives of diverse aesthetic training and expertise. The jury changes from competition to competition to preclude any appearance of favoritism.
  • A jury foreman will provide instructions and assessment criteria to the jury and will facilitate all jurying procedures to protect the integrity and reputation of the competition. The jury foreman will not vote.
  • There are two rounds of jurying. In the first round, the jury will evaluate each submission by viewing digital images or photographs of the art and the artist’s statement. Jurors will use these two elements to determine which artworks will be shipped to the museum for the second round. The second round of jurying, completed by assessing the physical art pieces, will determine which works are selected for the exhibit.

Jurying Criteria

Jurors evaluate the artwork based on three criteria:

  • Thematic alignment: The artwork successfully expresses Latter-day Saint subject matter, aligns with the competition theme, and is paired with a strong artist statement. The point of view is unique and expansive. The artwork deepens the viewer’s understanding of the theme.
  • Innovation: The artwork has creativity or originality in concept, medium, and cultural context. The artwork explores a unique sense of culture, position, and innovative thinking. The individual expression is original, exceptional, and relevant. Overall, the work has a sense of surpassing other works in its ingenuity and style.
  • Artistic Merit: The artwork has excellent aesthetic and technical accomplishment in the chosen medium. The formal artistic elements are of the highest quality, as judged by the chosen medium. The material and method work to effectively articulate the overall message.

Awards

  • Purchase Awards are awarded for the purpose of developing the museum collection. They will be selected per standard Church History Department practices by the acquisition specialists for art and artifacts in consultation with others from the Church History Museum and the Church History Department. Artworks that receive a Purchase Award are not eligible to receive a Merit Award.
  • Merit Awards are given by jurors to recognize artistic excellence among competition pieces (there are two awards per juror). Winners of Merit Awards receive a fixed monetary amount of 500 USD.
  • Visitors’ Choice Awards are determined at the close of the exhibition and are based on public voting both in the museum and online. The top five winners of the most votes receive a fixed monetary amount of 500 USD. All exhibition pieces are eligible for Visitors' Choice Awards regardless of other awards received.

Submit Artwork