Spotlight on the Arts 2025 Art Contest
sponsored by Capital One Hall

Prizes

Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts is seeking to support local artists in the Northern Virginia region, enhance awareness of the visual arts, and encourage emerging artists in our community by hosting an annual Art Contest open to any artist in the Northern Virginia region.

Participating artists will enter original works of art and be eligible for prize money awarded at the annual Spotlight on the Arts Festival Opening Reception on Friday, April 25, 2025. The contest is open to everyone with no age limitation.

The Spotlight on the Arts Board will select a total of twenty (20) finalists from the total pool of submissions, and the finalists will then be eligible for the top three prizes. The artwork of the twenty finalists will be displayed at the Opening Reception and will be offered for sale throughout the Spotlight Art Show, April 22 – May 22, 2025. Artists may opt out of the sale.

The Art Contest prize winners will be selected by ballots cast by attendees at the Opening Reception. Ballots will be limited to one ballot per attendee. No additional ballots may be purchased. Prizes will be awarded based on the number of votes cast for the various works of art. The entry receiving the most votes will be awarded a prize of $1500. Second place will receive $1,000, and third place will receive $500.

The contest is open to artists of all ages
There is no fee to enter your submission
All submissions must be received by 4:00 p.m., Saturday, March 15, 2025
Finalists will be notified by 4:00 p.m., Friday, April 11, 2025
Finalists’ artwork must be available for display at The Sherwood Center for the Spotlight Art Show. Only submit artwork that is available for exhibiting this entire time period.
Finalists’ artwork will be accepted on Tuesday, April 22 between 2:30 – 6pm and must be picked up on Thursday, May 22 between 5 – 7:30 pm.

Art sale Rules

Art Contest Rules

The art contest is open to any individual. There are no age limitations.
All entries must be an original work of art created solely by the participating artist. If you entered the 2024 Spotlight on the Arts contest, you may not submit the same work of art.
Artists may only submit one work of art. Entries must include one single image and may include one detailed image.
All work to be hung must be securely wired and, if subject to damage, must be framed under plexiglass or glass. No sawtooth or clip mounting will be accepted.
Two-dimensional work may not exceed 48” x 60” including the frame, regardless of orientation, and may not exceed 25 pounds.
Three-dimensional work must be able to sit solidly on a flat surface or table or be properly mounted for hanging and must not exceed 36” in width or 72” in height nor weigh more than 50 pounds. Works that are not properly prepared for display will be withdrawn from the contest.
A jewelry submission must have its own secure vitrine.
Each individual submission will be judged based on artistic quality, creative content, and the completeness of the submission.
The Spotlight on the Arts Board will review and select twenty (20) finalists from the submitted entries. (The Board retains the right to increase or decrease the number of finalists depending upon the number of entries submitted.)
Submitted artwork must be able to be present and displayed for the entire Spotlight on the Arts Art Show, April 22 - May 22, 2025. Three-dimensional work will only be displayed on Friday, April 25 for the Spotlight Opening Reception and must be picked up by 10 pm that evening.
Each artist will receive one complimentary ticket to the Opening Reception.
Ballots for the top three prize winners will be cast by attendees of the Opening Reception. Ballots are limited to one per attendee.
The entry that receives the most votes will be awarded a prize of $1,500. The entry that receives the second most votes will be awarded a prize of $1,000, and the third prize winner will receive a prize of $500.
Prizes will be awarded at the conclusion of the Opening Reception.
Board Members of Spotlight on the Arts and members of their immediate family are ineligible to participate in the Art Contest.
Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts retains the right to use any image of any artwork submitted for this contest on the Spotlight on the Arts website and/or for future promotional purposes.
Artwork will be deemed inappropriate and disqualified if it portrays content which violates copyright or other known legal ownership interest; profanity, obscenity, indecency, violence, pornography; discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or nationality; defamation or personal attacks.
By accepting the prize, the winner agrees to release and hold Spotlight on the Arts, Capital One Hall, and ASM Global and affiliates harmless from and against any and all losses, damages, rights, claims, actions and liabilities of any kind in connection with the Contest or receipt or redemption of the prize. The winner assumes all liability for any injury caused, or allegedly caused, by participating in the Contest or use or redemption of the prize.
Spotlight on the Arts reserves the right to delay or reschedule, cancel or reissue this Art Contest for any reason it deems necessary.

How To Enter

Thank you for your submissions! We’re currently no longer accepting anymore beyond March 15th, 2025.

Artist Name

Artist Age (IF 18 or under)

Date

Title of Artwork

Art Medium

Address

Cell

Availability Confirmation

If my submission is selected as an Art Contest Finalist, I confirm that it will be available for exhibit from April 22 – May 22, 2025.

Note: There is no guarantee of sale and unsold works of art will be returned to the artist.

Please provide any brief biographical information you would like to share with the Spotlight on the Arts Board (encouraged but not required).

High-resolution submission of your art. (Accepted File Types: jpg, png, pdf, jpeg, mp4, gif) (Max file size: 4MB)

Video Submission (Please provide a link to YouTube, Vimeo, etc. if the file is larger than 4MB)

Artwork Dimensions

Rules Acknowledgment

I have read and will follow the Spotlight on the Arts Art Contest Rules.

Art Contest Sponsorship

Thank you for becoming a sponsor of Spotlight’s Art Contest! We have four Sponsorship Levels from which to select:

Premier Art Contest Sponsor ($3,000) - Sponsored by Capital One Hall

Benefits include:

Grand Prize Sponsor ($2,500) - Sponsored by New York Life

Benefits include:

Second-Place Sponsor ($1,500)

Benefits include:

Third-Place Sponsor ($1,000)

Benefits include:

STUDENT AWARD SPONSOR ($1,000) – Sponsored by the Fairfax Art League

Benefits include:

2025 Art Contest Winners

New York Life Grand Prize

EYE by Liam Weis, Spray Paint

2nd Prize

LET’S ADDRESS THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM by Ruchika Vadgama, Acrylic

3rd Prize

WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS by Kelley Parent, Charcoal

Fairfax Art League Student Award

MESMERIZED by Anastasia Ionov, Oil on Canvas

Spotlight on the Arts 2025 Art Contest
sponsored by Capital One Hall

Prizes

Art sale Rules

Art Contest Rules

How To Enter

Art Contest Sponsorship

Premier Art Contest Sponsor ($3,000) - Sponsored by Capital One Hall