The Art Renewal Center (ARC) has officially released the list of finalists for the 18th International ARC Salon Competition—the world’s largest showcase dedicated to 21st-century realism.
This year’s competition drew over 4,500 entries from 44 countries, reflecting an extraordinary range of representational voices. Of these, 816 works (roughly 17%) have advanced to the finalist round. The finalist roster includes each artist’s name, nationality, artwork title, and the category in which the piece qualified.
Founded to champion technical excellence and humanistic values in contemporary art, the ARC Salon remains the premier platform for realist painters, sculptors, and draftsmen worldwide. With over $130,000 in cash awards and career-changing exposure through the ARC website, visited by more than two million people annually, the competition continues to expand opportunities for artists who uphold craftsmanship and imagination in equal measure.
Categories span Figurative, Portraiture, Imaginative Realism, Drawing, Landscape, Still Life, Plein Air Painting, Fully From Life, Sculpture, Animals, and a special category for teen artists.
Explore the finalists here: https://www.artrenewal.org/salon/finalists
Winners will be announced January 5, 2026.
For questions or additional information, contact kara.ross@artrenewal.org.
PS- Don’t forget that Smartermarx hosts a curated list of competitions for artists that can be found here: https://www.smartermarx.com/t/updated-for-2025-art-competitions-grants-fellowships/1264
