5 Reasons Every Artist Should Enter Art Competitions

5 Reasons to Enter Art Competitions

Entering art competitions can feel intimidating—especially if you’re new to the process—but they offer tremendous value for your growth and visibility as an artist. After judging the 2016 National Juried Photo Encaustic Exhibition at Sage Gallery in Portland, Oregon, I was reminded of just how transformative competitions can be.

Throughout my career I’ve submitted to competitions, run them, judged them, and managed them. And with that experience comes one clear takeaway: competitions can elevate your art and your career in ways nothing else can.

Here are five powerful reasons to enter art competitions:

1. Competitions Push You to Curate Your Best Work – Submitting forces you to evaluate your portfolio and choose the strongest pieces. This level of self-curation challenges you to grow, refine, and create at a higher level.
2. Acceptance Builds Credibility and Confidence – Being accepted into a juried exhibition gives you instant “bragging rights”—for your résumé, your website, your social media, and your confidence. As creatives, we all battle discouragement. External validation reminds you that your work resonates beyond your inner circle.
3. You Expand Your Reach Beyond Your Local Market – Art competitions take place worldwide. When your work is spotlighted in a national or international show, you open doors to new collectors, curators, galleries, and opportunities.
4. Group Shows Connect You With New Audiences – Every exhibition introduces your artwork to buyers, interior designers, gallery owners, art consultants, and fellow artists. The exposure alone can create a ripple effect of future opportunities.
5. You Learn From the Process Whether You Are Accepted or Not – Competitions give you “skin in the game.” Whether you’re selected or rejected, you gain insight into how your work sits alongside others. Not getting accepted doesn’t mean your art lacks merit—judging depends on aesthetics, cohesion, and the judge’s vision for the show.

Tips for Submitting to Art Competitions

• Submit work you feel deeply connected to—not what you think judges want.

• Read all rules carefully and retain full rights to your artwork.

• Prepare images exactly to the required specs (size, color space, format).

• Never miss the deadline.

• Don’t take rejection personally—each judge has unique tastes and priorities.

Remember: one judge’s “no” could easily be another judge’s “yes.” The more competitions you enter, the greater your chances of being seen, celebrated, and collected.

The benefits far outweigh the fear of not being accepted—so dive in, be brave, and submit your work.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. What have been your experiences with entering art competitions?

Be well….be creative,