Renee Reid, The Sun Sets in Barcelona, colored pencil and ink, 20½ x 19” (52 x 48 cm). Winner of 2025 Explore This!
Colored pencil society of America’s 2026 Explore This!
Each year, the Colored Pencil Society of America sponsors an exciting and innovative online exhibition called Explore This!. Artwork must be predominantly colored pencil but must also include some additional media, element or technique to encourage artists to explore a broad range of applications for colored pencil. The exhibition offers more than $5,000 in awards including the prestigious $2,000 Best of Show (EXPY) Award. The show is open to artists 18 years and older, regardless of geographic location. Artwork must have been created in 2023 or after, and CPSA membership is not required to enter. Submissions for 2026 Explore This! will be accepted from September 15 to November 15, 2025, and acceptances will be announced January 15, 2026. The show opens and winners are announced February 1, 2026.
Contact Info
cpsa.org
Musicians perform at a past Reno Tahoe International Art Show.
The RTIA Show features a diverse mix of international artists, galleries and studios.
Reno Tahoe International Art Show
Now entering its fourth edition, the RTIA Show is the fastest growing art event in the country. The new model of contemporary fine art fair presents an inclusive, welcoming exhibition of diverse works from a curated mix of independent artists, galleries and studios from around the world, as well as bespoke furniture designers and celebrated Native American artists. The RTIA Show features one of the largest indoor presentations of sculpture, including large-scale works from Burning Man, short film programming, live music, artist workshops, panel discussions and cultural features like the Basque international showcase, returning for the second time this September. The show takes place September 11 to 14, 2025. Applications are open now as space is available.
Contact Info
info@rtiashow.com, bdolan@rtiashow.com, rtiashow.com
A glimpse at a past Festival of Fine Art Show in California. Photo by Kyle Fierro.
Attendees mingle and view artwork at the Festival of Fine Art Show. Photo by Kyle Fierro.
Festival of Arts Fine Art Show
The Festival of Arts Fine Art Show is held each summer in Laguna Beach, California, featuring original artwork from over 100 esteemed artists in Orange County. Drawing in more than 200,000 attendees throughout its two-month season, this event offers a remarkable platform for artists to showcase their talent. To apply, artists are required to complete an online application, submit photos of their work and pay a $50 jurying fee. The submitted artwork is evaluated by esteemed jurors from the West Coast’s art community, who assess creativity, originality, craftsmanship, design elements and presentation. The 2025 fair will be open daily from July 2 to August 29 (closed July 4 and early closing August 23 for a special event). The entry deadline for the 2026 show is October 31, 2025. For more information and to apply, visit foapom.com/apply.
Contact Info
650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 494-1145, hello@foapom.com, foapom.com
Collectors view artwork at a previous ARC Salon.
The International ARC Salon is the largest competition in the world dedicated to 21st-century realism.
18th International ARC Salon
When talking about competitions dedicated to 21st-century realism, the Art Renewal Center’s International ARC Salon is the largest in the world, receiving over 5,000 entries from 87 countries during its last competition. It is no wonder why artists are entering. With over $130,000 in cash awards and international recognition through the ARC website, which receives over 2 million visitors annually, the ARC Salon also offers career changing opportunities through partnerships with prestigious magazines, museums, galleries and more. Categories include: Figurative, Portraiture, Imaginative Realism, Drawing, Landscape, Still Life, Plein Air Painting, Fully From Life, Sculpture, Animals and a special category for teens. Entries to the 18th International ARC Salon will be accepted through June 12, 2025.
Contact Info
100 Markley Street, Port Reading, NJ 07064
sabrina.foland@artrenewal.org, artrenewal.org
Blair Atherholt, Opening Day, oil on panel, 12 x 12” (30 x 30 cm). Second Place Winner, 2024 Best of America Small Works Exhibition.
Joel Edwards, Guadalupe Mountains, oil on panel, 11 x 11” (27 x 27 cm). Winner of Best Painting by an Associate Member.
National Oil & Acrylic Painters’ Society
The Spring Online International Exhibition is an online-only exhibition open to all artists 18 and older around the globe, both members and non-members. A panel of five NOAPS signature members will choose the top 200 paintings for the show out of a field of approximately 1,500 paintings. The selected paintings will be on view at noaps.org for a full year. There are 29 cash awards provided by NOAPS. The deadline to apply is April 7, 2025, at midnight Pacific Time.
NOAPS also hosts the Associate Online Exhibition, which is accepting entries from April 14 to June 11. This show is open for NOAPS associate level members. Each associate member may enter one painting, and all paintings will be displayed on the NOAPS website for one year. A total of 29 cash awards will be presented for outstanding work. For more information on both events, visit noaps.org.
Contact Info
contact@noaps.org, noaps.org