2026 Artist of the Year
Art Exhibition & Competition Prospectus
"You can’t sit around and wait for somebody to say who you are. You need to write it and paint it and do it” - Faith Ringgold
Contemporary Art Gallery Online is proud to announce its 1ST year holding “Artist of the Year Exhibition” Online Art Competition for 2026.
Contemporary Art Gallery Online encourages entries from all 2D and 3D artists regardless of their experience and/or education in the art field or where they may reside. This is an international competition, and everyone is encouraged to participate. A group exhibition of all entrants will be held online at the Contemporary Art Gallery Online for four weeks after the competition closes.
There is No Theme for the Artist of the Year Art Competition, except that you must have a body or work ready for exhibition to enter. Artists should submit their best representational and non-representational art.
This competition will be judged as one group of artists and will not be judged in style categories. We are looking for an exciting portfolio that grabs an audience’s attention. Paintings/Drawings, Photography/Digital Art, Mixed Media, and 3 Dimensional Work are all welcome. Computer-enhanced or AI-created art must be disclosed.
The Award-winning artist will have their own show. They will also be featured on the Front Page of our Gallery websites as well as in our storefront window of The Ramsey Art Gallery, located in the Historic District of Hollins Market, which is located in Baltimore, Maryland. USA.
The winner will also receive the following: Will be featured on the front page of the Gallery site for all of 2027. Your show will consist of up to 32 pieces of work, Internet Marketing, Media Outlets marketing, a short film, The Artist Studio Interview, Portfolio Collateral, a two-page spread as well as the front cover in the Bi-Annual Anthology (2025/2026), an introduction announcement to our clients (which include interior designers, real estate developers, buyers, collectors, and more) as well as a sales page on the Online Gallery and your art represented in The Ramsey Gallery, and more.
We are excited to see your art portfolio!
Important MUST Know
Competition Opens for Entries: April 01, 2026 Competition deadline for Entries: November 30, 2026
Opening of Online Art Exhibition: January 02, 2027
The winning Artist will be notified: December 15, 2026
Award Certificate Emailed to Artist: January 02, 2027
Online Art Exhibition Closes & Archived: January 05, 2028
Entry Fees:
The Fee for this event is $75.00
The Paypal account name will appear on your credit card statement as CAGOnline.
It is not necessary to have a Paypal account in order to use this service.
Eligibility:
Must send 10 to 15 images to be considered.
Artist Bio and Artist Statement are required. The submission will not be considered without this.
Must be original work to the artist.
Paintings, Photography, Digital Art, Sculptures, Mixed Media, 3 and 2 Dimensional art will be accepted.
The artist must be willing to sell their work (print or original).
Art which has won, in any previous competition, may be submitted for consideration again.
All work must be available in high-resolution form. For this competition, files sent should be at a minimum of 10 MB and not exceed 25MB.
Submitting Images:
Files should be titled in the following format: Artist's Name, Art Title, Medium Used, Size (H x W in inches), Price (in USD), and year created.
EXAMPLE: JohnBrown_Midnight_Photography_8x10_75_2026.
Image requirements for entries: JPG files (Please try to keep the file size under 25 MB to ensure proper uploading).
All boxes in the application form must be completed and checked to accept the Terms and Conditions at the end of the form, to proceed to payment.
Contemporary Art Gallery Online is one of the first Galleries to create an online presence. It’s Competition department also hosts one of the longest-running competitions on the Net. Our competitions and exhibitions are an excellent way to build your portfolio and be seen by millions.
We Look Forward to Viewing Your Creations.
We Send Our Best Wishes,
CAGO Art Competition and Exhibition Committees