The Gateway International Painting Competition is an annual online juried painting competition open to all artists world wide over 18 years old. It begins August 1 and ends July 31 each year; within the annual competition, there are 12 separate monthly competitions with a cash prize awarded monthly to Best in Show. Each monthly competition begins the first day of each month and ends at 11:59 pm on the last day of each month, Arizona USA time.

All painting media is accepted, such as but not limited to oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, pencil, ink, and mixed media. Different monthly professional artist judges provide a written comment for each finalist painting. As the competition is online, artists may enter paintings by uploading quality images (photos) of their work using their Internet access; there is no need to ship the physical painting or travel to our location. Finalists and Best in Show winners are announced on or after the 20th of the following month. Finalists from all months contend for the Grand Prizes awarded in August.

This painting competition supports our fundraising effort to make and send art kits to students with limited access to art supplies or art education; entry fees significantly contribute to this goal. See more information at www.PaintingContest.Org/artkits.

THREE CATEGORIES OF ENTRY, BEGINNING AUGUST 1, 2018:

1. REPRESENTATIONAL PROFESSIONAL LEVEL: (realism, impressionism, surrealism, etc)

6 monthly finalists, including ONE monthly Best in Show winner.
Different professional artist judge each month, one whose own work is REPRESENTATIONAL.

2. NONREPRESENTATIONAL PROFESSIONAL LEVEL: (abstract, expressionism, etc)

6 monthly finalists, including ONE monthly Best in Show winner.
Different professional artist judge each month, one whose own work is NONREPRESENTATIONAL.

3. "FOR THE LOVE OF PAINTING" NONPROFESSIONAL LEVEL: Any style painting. For our purposes, this is anyone who is new or returning to painting from a long absence, from those just beginning to those in a developing stage, and artists who are learning, or hoping to develop a career in painting. IMPORTANT: This category EXCLUDES artists who are recognized professional, full time artists or art instructors, or artists who show or exhibit their work in an art gallery.

3 monthly finalists, including ONE monthly Best in Show winner.
Multiple Jurors: Selected monthly judges from professional artist categories and PaintingContest.Org.

BEST IN SHOW CASH AWARDS (based on total entries per month from all entering artists):

Representational Professional: from 50 to 100 entries: $250 cash; 100 to 200 entries, $500 cash; over 200 entries, $1000 cash.
Nonrepresentational Professional: from 10 to 25 entries, $50 cash; 25 to 50 entries, $100 cash; 50 to 100 entries, $250 cash; 100 to 200, $500 cash; over 200 entries, $1,000 cash.*
For the Love of Painting - Nonprofessional: from 10 to 25 entries, $50 cash; 25 to 50 entries, $100 cash; 50 to 100 entries, $250 cash; 100 to 200, $500 cash; over 200 entries, $1,000 cash.*

All finalists receive a mailed certificate of recognition (to any country in the world where they live), and 1 free promoted entry with social media paid promoted post. All finalist winners from all 12 months of the competition also compete for Grand Prizes (cash prizes) at year's end.

* Note: We project the number of entries to increase over time as artists become aware of the new categories.

ARTISTS CHOICE AWARD

The monthly Artist Choice award goes to the painting which receives the most positive comments from logged in member artists. The Artists Choice painting receives congratulatory recognition (mailed accomplishment certificate) and free promoted painting entry with paid social media post (Facebook and Instagram).