The Women of Ohio Art Award seeks original artwork (painting, drawing, or mixed media, as well as photography) featuring engagement with the life and work of a notable woman from Ohio.
Bear in mind that though portraits of notable women are welcome, you can also take a more slanted approach with artworks that represent women’s lives, concerns, stories or spirits. More resources on how to approach artworks commemorating a person will be coming soon on our events page.
EDIT: The deadline has now been extended to Wednesday June 4th 2025. It is free to enter.
Women of Ohio: Art Award Rules
You can also download the full details in the file below:
To enter, you must be an Ohio artist. You must currently live in Ohio, have been educated in Ohio, or have previously lived in Ohio for a minimum of five years.
Prizes:
- 1st Prize Award: $200
- 2nd Prize Award: $100
- 3rd Prize Award: $50
- 4th Prize Award: $50
Winners and runners up will have opportunities to take part in celebratory events as well as an exhibition of work. The exhibition may include online and in person opportunities, and runners up may also be offered to take part in it. We are also looking at the possibility of an eBook.
Opening Date: March 1st 2025
Closing Date: EDIT: Now extended to Wednesday June 4th 2025.
Judge: The judge is Zoë Brigley, a writer and editor originally from Wales in the UK, who has lived in Columbus, Ohio for 12 years. She has three award winning collections of poetry, most recently Hand & Skull. Zoë has curated several exhibitions and installations featuring art and poetry. At the Ohio State University Library, she curated collections of student work, such as ‘Poetry Broadsides and the Poetry Film’, and ‘Art and Texts on Anti-violence Advocacy’. She organized the exhibition ‘The Little Cage of Ellis Bell’ at the Urban Art Space Summer Series in Columbus Ohio with artist Victoria Brookland.
How to Enter:
- Entry Fee: Free to enter.
- Submission Methods:
- Preferred: Email your work and an entry form to womenofohio@gmail.com – please send work larger than 20MB via a document sharing method like Google Drive or WeTransfer.com.
- You can also send by post (only if other methods are inaccessible).
- Please send your artwork with a covering letter to Zoe Brigley Thompson, Denney Hall 510, 164 Annie and John Glenn Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210.
- Please note that artworks cannot be returned unless the artist can come and pick up the work from the address above, and opportunities to do that will be limited.
Important: Submit one artwork per file (image, video, or digital).
Prizes will be awarded if we receive a sufficient number of entries. Should the minimum not be met, the organiser will carefully consider the best course of action. By participating, creators of the winning and runner-up artworks kindly grant us permission to feature their artworks in an exhibition (online/in-person) and eBook anthology.
Prizes cannot be exchanged for monetary value.
Artwork Types:
Submissions may include traditional visual art forms such as painting, drawing, or mixed media, as well as photography. Artists are invited to express their unique perspective on the theme ‘Women of Ohio,’ embracing creativity and diversity in all forms. We have chosen these mediums for a few reasons:
Accessibility and Manageability: Given limited resources, we’ve chosen to focus on Visual Art (Painting, Drawing, Mixed Media) and Photography, as these mediums allow us to showcase a wide variety of artistic expression while keeping the selection process manageable.
Diversity of Expression: By focusing on these mediums, we aim to highlight a diverse range of creative approaches, from traditional artistry to the contemporary lens of photography, all within the context of celebrating the experiences of women in Ohio.
Inclusivity: We want to ensure that the open call remains accessible to a wide range of participants, whether they’re experienced in traditional visual arts or using photography to tell their story. This approach gives a broad opportunity for expression within the call’s scope.
Award Rules:
- Eligibility: Open to artists aged 16 and above.
- Entry Form: Work must be entered along with an entry form.
- Submission: Submit up to 2 artworks. Each must be original and never previously exhibited or published.
- Format: Digital submissions (JPEG, PNG, or video files) preferred. Images should be high resolution. Preferred no files larger than 10MB, but if they are larger, please use a file sharing application like Google Drive or WeTransfer.com.
- Judging: judged on creativity, style and impact.
- Results: Winners will be notified by the end of June 2025.
Entry Requirements:
- Submissions must be original work, created by you.
- Artwork generated by AI will not be accepted.
- Your contact details will only be used to notify you about the results.
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