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Event History
The TARTGET PAINTING PRIZE was established in Madrid in 2025 as a private, international initiative dedicated to providing contemporary painting with a platform of rigor, visibility, and professional advancement. Its first edition was a resounding success, far exceeding expectations. The competition received an impressive 1,870 submissions from 85 countries, confirming its global reach and immediate prominence on the international art scene. A prestigious jury selected nearly 200 finalists, with a Top 100 exhibiting at Madrid's historic Ateneo. The inaugural gala attracted over 350 artists, critics, and cultural figures. The event's impact was extended by a well-attended traveling exhibition in Daimiel. This outstanding debut firmly established TARTGET as a solid, professional, and rapidly expanding platform, laying the groundwork for an even more ambitious 2026 edition with greater prizes and international scope.
What Makes this event different?
The TARTGET PAINTING PRIZE goes beyond a traditional competition, offering an international, professionally driven platform that supports artists through exhibitions, residencies, and ongoing promotion.
Copyright Policy
Artists retain all copyright and intellectual property rights to their works at all times. Participation in the **TARTGET PAINTING PRIZE** does not entail the transfer of these rights, except in the specific case of **acquisition prizes**, where the awarded artwork becomes the property of the corresponding sponsor or organization.
Image Usage Rights
By entering the competition, participants grant **TARTGET PAINTING PRIZE** the express authorization to use images of the submitted artwork for the purposes of cultural promotion, publicity, and communication. This includes use in digital and printed formats, on social media, in specialized media, and in any future promotional activities related to the prize.
Open Call for Painters – TARTGET Painting Prize 2026
The TARTGET Painting Prize 2026 returns for its second edition as an open call for painters, offering a high-visibility international painting competition for artists at all stages of their careers.
Following a successful inaugural edition, the prize has established itself as a well-funded global platform supporting contemporary painting across diverse styles and approaches.
The competition offers over $100,000 in awards, judged by a top-tier international jury, with finalist works presented in a curated exhibition at the Ateneo de Madrid. Additional opportunities include artist residencies, collaborations with leading fine art brands, and promotion among collectors, galleries, and art media.
Submissions are open to all painting techniques and styles, including figurative, abstract, conceptual, and contemporary practices, as well as traditional media such as oil, watercolor, and drawing. The prize includes multiple categories, main awards, technical prizes, acquisition awards, professional materials, training opportunities, and international exposure.
Finalists will be selected through an international online jury process. A curated selection of works will be exhibited at the Ateneo de Madrid, located near the Prado Museum within the UNESCO-listed Landscape of Light, where the final exhibition and awards ceremony will take place.
Key highlights of the 2026 edition include:
- Best Work of the Exhibition: Gold Prize: $14,000 – Silver Prize: $7,000 – Bronze Prize: $4,700 – Fusion Prize: $4,700
- Technical awards of $4,700 for watercolor and drawing
- 4 artist residency grants for a 12-day stay at Tablas de Daimiel National Park
- An intensive training residency at Atelier Madrid
- Exclusive advantage for artists who register before the early bird deadline on April 19: 75 guaranteed finalist spots for the best works submitted by that date
Check the rules and prizes on our website.
Submissions are accepted exclusively online until May 31, 2026 at:
www.tartgetpaintingprize.com
The TARTGET PAINTING PRIZE is more than a competition: it is an international platform designed to provide contemporary painting with real visibility, critical rigor, and professional development.
