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Event History

Leading the revival of realism in the visual arts, the Art Renewal Center (ARC) was founded in 1999. It is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, educational foundation which hosts the largest online museum dedicated to representational art with works by the old masters, 19th century, and 21st Century Artists as well as articles, letters and other resources. The ARC is the foremost vetting service for representational art schools ensuring that the curricula and quality of work meet our standards to be ARC Approved™. The ARC also runs the ARC Salon Competition, the largest competition in the world for realist artists, culminating in a live exhibition. The first ARC Salon Competition was introduced in 2004 as an online event. In 2012 ARC started working with magazines, galleries and museums to offer partnering awards and in 2014, the live exhibition was introduced. Last cycle, the ARC received over 5,400 entries from 75 countries and exhibited at Sotheby’s NY in July of 2023. The 17th competition has a panel of 24 prestigious category jurors and over 50 jurors total including partnering awards.

What Makes this event different?

The International ARC Salon, unlike other competitions, is only dedicated to representational art and artists. Representational artwork in all styles spanning from highly realistic to impressionistic to imaginative qualify. Categories for submission include: Figurative, Portraiture, Imaginative Realism, Fully From Life, Plein Air Painting, Landscape, Still Life, Drawing, Sculpture, Animals, and a special category for teens. To ARC’s knowledge there is not another visual art competition that offers the number of categories and diversity of awards as the ARC Salon Art Competition. Organizations from around the world participate in offering a variety of prizes and opportunities for artists, launching careers and gaining international recognition. The ARC Salon is also flexible for artists in that works entered into the competition do not have to be available for sale, though there are sale opportunities for works that are, and works do not have to be available to travel in the live exhibition to compete and win the top awards in the competition. There are always enough works that are available to create the show.

Copyright Policy

By submitting your entry, you grant irrevocable permission (limited-copyrights) to the Art Renewal Center™ to reproduce your artwork entered into the ARC Salon on the ARC website and in promotional materials, including but not limited to the ARC Salon Book, DVDs, articles and advertisements promoting ARC and/or the ARC Salon. This is necessary for us to be able to include your work on our website, in our 17th ARC Salon Book and for the general promotion of your work through your participation in the competition. Images will not be used for other commercial purposes and artists retain general copyrights for all other purposes.

Image Usage Rights

By submitting your entry, you grant irrevocable permission (limited-copyrights) to the Art Renewal Center® to reproduce your artwork entered into the ARC Salon on the ARC website and in promotional materials, including but not limited to the ARC Salon Book, DVDs, articles and advertisements promoting ARC and/or the ARC Salon. This is necessary for us to be able to include your work on our website, in our 16th ARC Salon Book and for the general promotion of your work through your participation in the competition. Images will not be used for other commercial purposes and artists retain general copyrights for all other purposes. By submitting your entry, you warrant that your entries are original work; conceived and created entirely by you, that you have read and understand the rules set forth in the competition prospectus, that you are 18 years of age or older, or if under 18, have the permission of a parent or guardian to submit your works.

Art Competition - 21st Century Realism

When talking about art 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.

*Over 180 awards and honorable mentions.

*Artworks do not need to be available for sale or for the live exhibition to compete and win.

Entries for the 17th ARC Salon will be accepted March 1, 2024 – June 13th, 2024.

For more information about this art competition, please visit the Event Website.