Prizes
- New York Life Grand Prize Award: $1,500
- 2nd Prize: $1,000
- Student Artist Award: $500
- Community Choice Award: $500
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 24, 2026. The contest is open to everyone with no age limitation.
The Spotlight on the Arts Board and a jury panel will select a total of twenty (20) finalists from the total pool of submissions, and the finalists will then be eligible for the top four 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 24 – May 21, 2026. Artists may opt out of the sale. A distinguished jury panel will carefully review all entries and recognize the top artworks. The jury’s decisions are final and binding.
- 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., February 22, 2026
- Finalists will be notified by 4:00 p.m., Friday, March 27, 2026
- 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 at the Stacy C. Sherwood Center on Monday, April 20 and must be picked up on Thursday, May 21. Drop off and pick up time to be announced at a later date.
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 previous Spotlight on the Arts contests, 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.
- Artwork can be in any 2-dimensional medium such as, but not limited to, watercolor, photography, acrylic or oil paint.
- 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.
- Art should be ready to hang or display with wire and screw eyes, mounting, framed, matted, or with edges finished. We cannot show work that is not ready for exhibition. Artwork will not be accepted at drop-off if it is not in compliance.
- Two-dimensional work may not exceed 36” x 40” including the frame, regardless of orientation, and may not exceed 25 pounds.
- 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 quality and number of entries submitted.)
- Submitted artwork must be able to be present and displayed for the entire Spotlight on the Arts Art Show, April 24 – May 21.
- Each artist will receive one complimentary ticket to the Opening Reception.
- The entry awarded the Grand Prize will be awarded $1,500. The entry awarded Second Prize will be awarded a prize of $1,000. The Student Award and the Community Choice Award winners will each receive a prize of $500.
- While the Jury panel will select the Grand, Second and Student prizes, the Community Choice Award will be voted for by the attendees at the Opening Reception.
- 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, ASM Global, and New York Life Insurance 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.
Art sale Rules
- Artists have the option to exclude their submission from the sale and can retain ownership of their artwork. The artwork will be sold during the length of the show at the Sherwood Center with the artists receiving 70% of the sale price and Spotlight on the Arts receiving the remaining 30%.
- The Spotlight on the Arts Art Contest Show will be on display at the Sherwood Center from April 24 - May 21, 2026.
- There is no guarantee of sale and any unsold submissions will be returned to the artist.
How To Enter
- Thank you for your entries!
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 (SOLD OUT)
Benefits include:
- Naming rights of the Art Contest
- 5 Tickets to Opening Reception
- Premier Logo placement on website and in print
Grand Prize Sponsor ($2,500) - Sponsored by New York Life (SOLD OUT)
Benefits include:
- Naming rights of the Grand Prize
- 4 Tickets to the Opening Reception
- Priority Logo placement on Website and in print
Second-Place Sponsor ($1,500)
Benefits include:
- Naming rights of the 2nd Prize
- 2 Tickets to the Opening Reception
- Logo on Website and in print
Community Choice Award ($1,500)
Benefits include:
- Naming rights of the Community Choice Award
- 2 Tickets to the Opening Reception
- Logo on Website and in print
Student Artist Award ($1,500)
Benefits include:
- Naming rights of the Student award
- 2 Tickets to the Opening Reception
- Logo on Website and in print
Jurors for Spotlight 2026 Art Contest
Debra Wright
Debra Wright is an artist and curator based in Northern Virginia. Her work as a found object, installation, and avant-garde artist explores themes of social justice, human rights, and personal identity. Wright’s art has been exhibited internationally in traditional venues, as well as in public art installations throughout the Washington metropolitan area.
As a curator, Wright brings her artistic vision and community engagement to the forefront. She was appointed and served on the City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts, where she chaired the Public Art Committee from 2021 to 2024. In January 2025, she was selected as the Curator of The Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center in Fairfax, Virginia.
Currently represented by Kyo Gallery (Alexandria, Virginia) and Covet Art Gallery (Oceanside, California), Wright is also a National Member of A.I.R. Gallery (Brooklyn, NY). She is also actively involved in the art community through her roles as: Managing Committee Chair, Regional Coordinator Chair and Northern Virginia Regional Coordinator of The Feminist Art Project (International); Member of Women’s Caucus for Art (Greater Washington, D.C., and Northern California Chapters); Artist Member of The Museum of Modern Art (New York, New York); Supporting Member of The National Museum of Women in the Arts (Washington, D.C.); and Ally of 5célula Arte y Comunidad, an alliance of artists and collectives from Mexico, Latin America, Asia, and the rest of the world.
Wright’s commitment to social justice extends beyond her artwork and curatorial work. She also volunteers her time and talents with local and national collectives promoting public art, fostering diversity, and encouraging equity for marginalized groups. Wright also organizes outreach efforts that benefit the unhoused, individuals reentering society after incarceration, and domestic violence survivors.
Yassmin Salem
Yassmin Salem (she/they) is a graduate of George Mason University’s School of Integrative Studies. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Social Justice and Human Rights with concentrations in Sustainability, Social Innovation, and Well-Being. She has worked as an art professional with Mason Exhibitions and Murals at Mason since 2020, responsible for commissioning murals for on- and off-campus clients, curating exhibitions, organizing cross-disciplinary events, and demonstrating the social impact of the arts through meaningful partnerships.
Shannon Smith
Shannon serves as the Artist & Community Partnerships Manager at ArtsFairfax. She liaises with local artists and arts organizations, manages the Fairfax County Poet Laureate program, Capital One Hall Community Arts Partnership program, and Professional Development program, and assists with Public Art & Creative Placemaking initiatives. She joined ArtsFairfax in December of 2023.
Shannon has worked with artists of all ages and artistic practices, most recently at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia. Prior to this role, she worked with young musicians at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute summer training program based in Boston, Massachusetts.
Shannon holds a B.A. with Honors in Studio Art from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and an M.S. in Arts Administration from Boston University. She loves trying new visual art media and considers herself to be a lifelong learner.
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