Catholic Art Institute: SACRED ART PRIZE

2024 SACRED ART PRIZE

Competition & Exhibition

Call for Entry:

Seeking the finest contemporary sacred art for an online juried exhibition hosted by the Catholic Art Institute.

The Sacred Art Prize reaches a world-wide audience and offers the opportunity for finalists to showcase and sell their work through a featured gallery on

the Catholic Art Institute website.

Sr. Mary Paul Beierschmitt I.H.M. Grand Prize: $2500

Sponsored by Canning Liturgical Arts

Second Prize: $750

Sponsored by The Center for Beauty and Culture, Benedictine College

Third Place: $250

Sponsored by King Richard’s Liturgical Design & Contracting

Competition Opens: April 2024 Submission Deadline: Nov 1, 2024
Notification Date: Dec. 2, 2024

Submissions Criteria:

 Evident mastery of the artistic medium employed – meeting high standards in the fundamental facets of the artistic craft including mature competency in the use of the human figure. 

Content – represents Biblical or Ecclesiastical subjects suitable for pious devotional and/or liturgical use while demonstrating knowledge and continuity of historical artistic practice in the Catholic tradition.

Effectiveness in sacramental revelation – works of art which reach beyond a mere copy of an earthly object, portrait of a model, political statement, or the technological process, will be given preference.

Subjects Sought:

Subjects sought (but not limited to) include scenes from the Life, Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ; other biblical scenes, stories, and characters; depictions of the saints and their lives; current and historical events in the life of the Church; depictions of the seven sacraments; personifications of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, virtues and vices, icons and so on.

This article in the Sacred Architecture Journal by Cody Swanson on Sacred Art provides guidance on the types of work the Catholic Art Institute is seeking for this call.

Subject Restrictions:
Media limited to representational painting, illumination, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, liturgical textiles, stained glass, mosaic, altar furnishings and devotional items such as medals. 

Artwork must be recognizable and appropriate for liturgical use, public or private devotion.

No photography, hyper-realism, or computer-generated art will be accepted.

Subjects which will not be considered include:

copies of existing works (excluding Icons), unless the copy interrupts the existing work, adding or editing it in some new way.
portrayals of non-canonized persons as saints
works which are only recognizably religious from their titles
scenes of the exterior or interior of churches (unless the work is illustrating an important religious/historical event or the administration of the sacraments)
mass produced statues which have been painted or statue restoration projects.

Eligibility: This competition and exhibition is open to any artist over the age of 18, professional or amateur, of any religious background. All entries must be original, by the submitting artist, and created within the past ten years. Limit five entries per artist. Works need not be for sale to be eligible. Mark your submission NFS (not for sale).

If you have any questions about eligibility please email contact@catholicartinstitute.org.

Submission Process:

Please complete the entry form on the right hand side of this page and upload images that conform to the requirements listed below.

Please provide details about your entries in the submission area below the attached images to include title, size, medium, dimensions, price/NFS, and your website/social media.

Total the sum of the number of submissions and fees and enter it into the form.

Upon submitting the form, please wait for the pop-up and prompt to pay for your submissions. You will receive a confirmation email from PayPal when your submissions have been received. If you have not received a confirmation email, then we did not receive your entries.

We are only able receive submission payments electronically through PayPal or by credit card. We cannot accept wire transfers. If you wish to enter the competition from outside the US and cannot use PayPal, please email contact@catholicartinstitute.org and we will work with you to find a way to receive your entry fees.

Submission Fees:

Members of the CAI: $35 for 1-3 entries, $10 per additional entry for a maximum of 5 entries.
Non-members: $50 for 1-3 entries, $15 per additional entry for a maximum of 5 entries

Please add the total amount to the form as it will not automatically know the amount to charge since each participant is entering differing numbers of entries.

Image Requirements:

Each uploaded image file label must be formatted to include your first name, last name, title of work, medium, price (or NFS) and dimensions (in inches). For example: John Angelico_Annunciation_tempera on panel_$3000_12x12.jpg

Failure to do this may result in disqualification. This will ensure that the information you submit in your entry form matches the information on your file label and thus guarantee accuracy in the gallery listing.

Please provide clear images large enough to view and show detail. Images should be between 1-4 MB each, and not to exceed 25 MB for entire form entry. Images should be in JPEG format. Large printable files that exceed 5MB will not upload correctly to the form.

We cannot assist participants in preparing their images but if you have questions, please feel free to email us at contact@catholicartinstitute.org.

Please include the following information for each image to text box under area to upload images to add image details:

Artist’s full name
Title of work
Media
Price for sale or NFS
Dimensions in inches (height x width) or (height x width x depth)
If possible, please provide an image that does not have your signature visible.

Example:John Angelico’s Submissions 1.The Annunciation, tempera on panel, $3000, 12 x 12” 2. Bust of St. Dominic, terracotta, NFS, 20 x 12 x 12”

By entering the competition you consent to allowing the Catholic Art Institute to display images of your work on the Catholic Art Institute website and social media accounts, if you are selected for the exhibition.

Sales and Shipping:

A 15% sales commission will go to the Catholic Art Institute on all sales. Please consider the 15% commission in the price of your work.