“Light & Shadow” is an open art competition celebrating the power of contrast. We invite artists to explore how light shapes mood, emotion, and storytelling in their work. Any style and medium are welcome: painting, photography, illustration, digital art, mixed media, and more. Show us how you use light and darkness to create atmosphere, highlight details, or reveal hidden meaning. All artists worldwide are welcome to participate.
Submit your work to be reviewed by international experts from New York, Berlin, and Toronto
We welcome submissions from:
painters
illustrators
photographers
digital artists
mixed-media artists
Theme: “Light&Shadow” — each participant decides how to complete the phrase.
Eligibility: open to artists of all mediums and styles.
Deadline for submissions: January 18, 2026.
Jury review: within one week after the deadline, the jury will evaluate all entries.
Results announcement: finalists and the winner will be published on the gallery website on January 26, 2026.
Submission fee for 1 application:
- $15 early bird price (until January 10, 2025)
- $22 last minute price (until January 18, 2025)
Maximum of 3 artworks per author. Please note that entry fees are non-refundable.
Enter the Competition
originality of the idea and artistic vision,
quality of execution,
relevance to the contest theme.
Evaluation Criteria
Awards
Grand Prize: the winner will receive a cash prize of $100.
Diplomas: all finalists and the winner will receive official diplomas.
Protocol extract: participants will also receive an extract from the contest protocol with jury evaluations.
Digital exhibition catalog featuring all selected artists
Image should not exceed 4MB.
Image must be in JPEG format.
Image should be clear and in focus, as it represents your work and will be displayed and judged exactly as received.
Image Requirements
Professional Jury Panel
Each artwork will be thoughtfully reviewed by a distinguished panel of art world professionals — including award-winning artists, curators, art directors, jurors of international competitions, honorable members of global art organizations, and renowned cultural figures with decades of experience.
Participate
Digital Exhibition Catalog
A professionally designed, magazine-style digital catalog featuring all selected artists. The catalog presents each artist’s profile in a curated editorial format and remains permanently published on our website. It continues to circulate beyond the exhibition through sharing by participating artists, collectors, and art professionals.
Participate
"My experience with Curatone.art was exciting and very professional. I feel like my art was represented well and the jurying process was rigorous. I am honored to have won the Colors contest and will put it on my CV with pride. "
Amanda Flores, artist
Winner of the Colors 2025 contest
By submitting to a Curatone.art competition or exhibition, you confirm that the artwork is your own original creation and does not infringe on any copyrights. Curatone.art is not responsible for any copyright issues that may arise during the jury process or while the work is displayed.
By entering, you grant Curatone.art the right to use your submitted images for promotional purposes, including our website, social media, and online exhibitions.
The artist retains full ownership and copyright of their work.
You may resubmit previously entered works that were not selected, or any winning piece, in future Curatone.art open calls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common queries.