Short Description
The Portrait Society of America is pleased to announce a Call for Entries for our sixth annual The Future Generation Competition. This competition was created to acknowledge the work of talented, emerging artists, who are 18 to 25 years old. Early recognition in art competitions can have a great impact on a young artist’s career, as it did for John Singer Sargent, who at the age of twenty-three, won Honorable Mention at the Paris Salon for a portrait he painted of his teacher, Carolus-Duran.
Eligibility
- Artists must be 18-25 years old.
- Submitted artwork should feature the human figure (portrait or figurative).
- The competition is open to artists working in a variety of traditional art media, including but not limited to oil, acrylic, watercolor, egg tempera, pastel, charcoal, sculpture, stone, clay , plaster and metal.
- Artwork must be original, meaning that the work must be from the hand of a single artist and if created in a classroom or workshop MUST be without specific directions of an instructor.
- Photography, electronically created, computer-generated art, or art created under supervision of a teacher is ineligible.
- Compositions based on imagery created using AI, published material or other artists’ work are not considered original and are not eligible.
How to Apply
Online Application
Program Benefits & Awards
The top four Future Generation winners will receive cash and prizes, as well as worldwide recognition in International Artist magazine, The Art of the Portrait quarterly journal and on the Portrait Society’s website and social media platforms. First Place will receive a medal award presented at the annual The Art of the Portrait conference, April 9-12, 2026, in Atlanta, GA.
- First Place – $1200 cash award, Edward Jonas Memorial Medal, and complimentary tuition to The Art of the Portrait conference
- Second Place – $800 cash award and a John Singer Sargent replica palette
- Third Place – $400 cash award and a one-year Portrait Society membership
- Fourth Place – $200, Educational Video selection of choice
Entry Fee
Entry fee is $30 (for up to three online entries)
Location
United States
Timeline
- Application Deadline: 14 August 2025
Website Link: https://www.portraitsociety.org/the-future-generation
