Where to Start: A Guide to Our Fine Arts Competition
Ariel Price-Johnson is our Art/Electives Teacher judging the Fine Arts Competition.
The Power of Choice
Have you ever heard someone say, “Don’t let opportunities pass you by” or “You’ll never get that opportunity again”? Those statements are not fully accurate. Opportunities do not pass us by; we are active participants in our decision to participate in new opportunities or not. We are granted multiple opportunities to reach our goals; it is all about one’s perspective and their ability to see the opportunities all around them.
When you skip an opportunity, think of it as an internal signal that, at that moment, you are not ready to take advantage of that opportunity and its potential outcome. While certain opportunities may have time limits, there are an infinite number of opportunities that we all get a chance to decide on. What makes us most likely to take advantage of opportunities and seek out new opportunities is experience and practice.
The Theme
Embrace new experiences and practice self-expression in the Hudson Global Scholars Fine Arts Competition this February. Through this process, you will prepare yourself for the opportunity you deserve; guided by your artistic vision, you will discover yourself. In the “Dear Future Me” Fine Arts Competition, you will demonstrate what that statement visually means to you and why the world should take notice. The visual impact that you create in this competition will allow you to dive deep into your thoughts and focus on your future aspirations.
Expressing Your Vision Through Art
Your artistic production can follow any of the traditional styles, from realism to expressionism or surrealism to cubism. Your chosen style represents how you see the world, and your chosen medium will allow you to take full advantage of all the possibilities of masterful self-expression, demonstrating your uniqueness. In this competition, you can choose any of these for your submission:
· Painting (oil, acrylic, watercolor)
· Drawing (pencil, ink, charcoal)
· Sculpture (clay, wood, metal, stone)
· Mixed Media (collage, assemblage)
· Printmaking (linocut, etching)
· Textile Art (fabric-based works)
Share Your Creative Process
As part of the competition criteria, you are required to submit photos and a video to show the panel of judges your creative process, twice during creation and once after completion (by 28 February). All too often, we as artists feel that people misinterpret our artwork or have a shallow understanding of our artistic concepts. Our Fine Arts Competition lets you set the record straight and share your reflections and any pivots or changes you may have made in the process. This levels the playing field because the judges will know you based on your photos and video, instead of just forming an opinion based on the appearance of finished artwork. Practice taking risks and learning from those experiences; those risks are the opportunities that everyone always says will pass you by. This could be your first art exhibit, where you will learn the process of preparing and exhibiting artwork in a learning environment. The expressions of congratulations from friends and family will only be matched by your own feelings of personal growth.
Choosing Materials, Experimenting, and Problem-Solving
As you are drumming up ideas on what to do for your artistic masterpiece, think about the materials you want to use. You can use everyday materials like pen and paper; those are tried and tested materials – used for centuries. Perhaps, you want to dabble with oil pastel, that is fine too. Whichever medium you choose (see approved mediums list above), have fun with it and experiment. You are most likely to have the best results using that which you are already familiar with, but do not let that stop you from trying something new. As you are trying something new, new techniques, and new media, remember there are no such things as mistakes in art. Turn your mistakes into a problem-solving crusade and become a detective to uncover what you can do with that unintended paint splatter or pencil mark that went astray to enhance your art. Your creativity is strengthened when you are forced to become a problem-solver or think about things in a different way than you are used to.
How to Participate: Registration, Deadlines, and Submissions
There are several things you will need to do to be successful in this art competition. First, register for it – take the first step! Your registration must be completed by February 8, 2026. You can register here. Write down in your calendar that there are two progress updates that you have to submit. Progress update #1 is due on February 15-28, and progress update #2 is due February 22-28. In these updates, you will show the judges who you are and discuss your creative process. You can submit photos and a 2-5 minute video that shows yourself with your artwork while you discuss your artistic process and vision for the finished artwork. The submission form will also ask for answers to a few questions discussing your idea and the process you are using to create the artwork. Each progress update should show the judges that you are progressing with your artwork at each stage, and what you are learning from it. Photos and a video of your finished artwork are due on February 28th to be submitted along with the form requiring your final artist statement and a few more questions.
We wish you all the best with your process and entries, and look forward to seeing what you learn and create!
This article was written with the assistance of GEN AI.