Portrait Society of Americaaward
Portrait Society of America International Portrait Competition
Housing: Finalists are responsible for arranging their own travel and hotel.
- Who Can Apply: Open to all artists worldwide; members and non-members, except Portrait Society Executive Board Members, Gold Medal Recipients, and previous Grand Prize winners.
- The Focus: Annual juried competition for portraiture and figurative art in drawing, painting, and sculpture.
- The Funding: Grand Prize $50,000; category cash prizes from $2,000 to $5,000; every finalist receives a cash award plus a $1,000 shipping stipend; over $210,000 in total cash and prizes.
- Key Requirements: Submit up to three digital JPG images (max 6 MB each), each labeled artist's last name, first initial, and entry letter; pay the entry fee. Selected finalists must exhibit their original artwork and attend the conference.
DeadlineWednesday, February 17, 2027
AwardGrand Prize: $50,000; First Place Drawing/Painting/Sculpture: $5,000 each; Six Placement Awards: $2,500 each; Ten Exceptional Merit Awards: $2,000 each; every finalist receives a cash award.
Application fee$75
Cost to attendFinalists must attend the conference in person with their original artwork to be eligible for an award, and pay their own travel, hotel, shipping and insurance. Conference tuition is waived and each finalist receives a $1,000 shipping stipend.
Program datesExhibition Dates: May 6-9, 2027
LocationWashington, DC
ParticipationOn-site
Career stagesAll Stages
Disciplinesportraiture, figurative art, drawing, painting, sculpture
Application notesEnter online through the Portrait Society member site (log in or create an account), complete the entry form and pay the fee by credit card, then upload images; upload deadline February 17, 2027. Entry fee $75 for up to three unique artworks ($55 if entered by December 31, 2026), non-refundable. Submit up to three (3) digital image files, one per artwork; sculpture entries may provide up to 3 views of the same piece. Images must show only the artwork (no matting or frame), be saved as JPG (the prospectus also allows TIFF) and be no larger than 6 megabytes each. Name each file with artist's last name, first initial and entry letter separated by dashes (example: smith-j-a.jpg). For each artwork enter title, dimensions and medium. Rules: the work must be your own original design and concept, created independently after February 2022; work made under instruction, painted over prints, AI-generated or digitally created is ineligible; photo or digital reference is allowed only if it is your own or used with permission and the result is a new original work; no digital or photo transfer. Size limits: 2D longest side no more than 60 inches unframed; sculpture under 34 inches and no more than 50 pounds. Finalists are notified March 17, 2027 and must exhibit the original artwork and attend The Art of the Portrait conference, May 6-9, 2027 (the page says Washington, DC and names the Hyatt Regency Reston), to be eligible for an award.
Contactinfo@portraitsociety.org
Portrait Society of America
Organization based in Tallahassee