HSArts Art Competition

Submit your best original two-dimensional artwork for a chance to win a scholarship up to $3000!

We are thrilled to announce the successful conclusion of the 2024 Spring Art Competition hosted by the San Francisco High School of the Arts (HSArts). This competition serves as a platform to celebrate and recognize the immense talent of our local youth visual artists, nurturing their creativity and passion for the arts.

Congratulations to our Exceptional Winners:

Advanced Division:

1st Place: Alisa Ryzhova – “Sunny”

2nd Place: Chloe Hanks – “Don’t Look at Me”

3rd Place: Nikki Liu – “Portrait of a Woman”

Honorable Mentions: Royal Currie (Alisa Ryzhova), Claire Xu (“Sparrow in the Forest”)

Intermediate Division:

1st Place: Ivy Vong – “Still Life with Apple”

2nd Place: Emerson Hill – “Beach at Twilight”

3rd Place: Madeline He – “Madeline’s Artwork”

Honorable Mentions: Austin Edgar (“Still Life”), Olivia Coleman (“Dawn at the Beach”), Curtis Huang (“Ping Clouds”)

Prizes and Recognition: 

Each winner will receive a scholarship of range from $500 to $5,000, which can be applied to any HSArts-sponsored program of their choice.

Exhibition Details: 

The winning artworks will be proudly displayed at The San Francisco American Legion Veterans Gallery from March 1st to March 29th, alongside HSArts Student Mastery Artwork, and artworks from Artist Teachers and the Art Community.

Save the Date for the Award Ceremony and Reception: Join us for the Award Ceremony and Reception on Friday, March 8th, at 5:00 PM at the American Legion Veterans Gallery. Following the ceremony, there will be a fundraising reception and Live Figure Drawing session.

Location: 

The San Francisco American Legion Veterans Gallery

Room 102, War Memorial and Performing Arts Center

401 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco

RSVP Information: 

Kindly confirm your attendance by February 29, 2024, via email at rsvp@hsarts.org or by phone at 415.431.3161. We eagerly anticipate sharing this memorable evening with you.

Let’s celebrate the extraordinary talent and creativity of our young artists together!

Warm regards,

Dr. Sherry Zhang

HSArts Administration

2024

Advanced category

1st Place Award – Alisa Ryzhova, Sunny

2nd Place Award – Choe Hanks, Don’t Look at Me

3rd Place Award – Niki Liu , Portrait of Woman

Honorable mentionsClaire Xu, Sparrow in the Forest

Honorable mentions Royal  Currie, Alisa Ryzhova

Intermediate category

1st Place Award –  Ivy Vong, Still Life with Apple

2nd Place Award – Emerson Hill, Beach at Twilight

3rd Place Award – Madeline He, Madeline’s Artwork

Honorable mentionsAustin Edgar, Still Life

Honorable mentionsCurtis Huang, Pink Clouds

Honorable mentionsOlivia Coleman, Dawn at the Beach

2022

Advanced category

1st Place Award – Alisa Ryzhova, Angelic beauty

2nd Place Award – Hudson Alberto Contreras, Wade wilson

3rd Place Award – James Xu, Subway

3rd Place Award – Ian Sprouls, Study of a Still life

Honorable mentionsSamantha Tran, Bottle of Color

Honorable mentions Charlotte Ng, Eating Away at Me

Intermediate category

1st Place Award –  Leonie Loftus Farrier, Hatching Baby Turtle

2nd Place Award – Avy Maidenberg, Ivy Creek Lane

3rd Place Award – Alice Meilin Lin, Spirit Animal

Honorable mentionsFrank Ouyang, Still Life

Honorable mentionsOlivia Jordan Coleman, Candlelight

Honorable mentionsHailey Yu, 3d Shapes

Honorable mentionsCurtis Huang, Wine Cup

Honorable mentionsAlessandra Centurian, Fresh Harvest of Fruit

Honorable mentions Eloise Octavia Roldan Nye,  Stars

2021

2nd Place Award – Hudson Contreras, Kessel

3nd Place Award – Alisa Ryzhova, Crying Boy

Honorable Mention – Kit Kulina, Waiting

High School:

► First Place: $3,000
► Second Place: $1,000
► Third Place: $500
Honorable Mention: $100

Middle School:

► First Place: $1,000
► Second Place: $500
► Third Place: $200
Honorable Mention: $50

All scholarship awards must be used towards payment for HSArts tuition (both middle school and high school), enrollment in the Young Artists Program, art workshops, HSArts Summer Camps, or HSArts program materials. Awards will be granted to entries that meet placement standards, as determined by the judging committee. Not every category is guaranteed an award winner.

High School:

► First Place: $3,000
► Second Place: $1,000
► Third Place: $500
Honorable Mention: $100

Middle School:

► First Place: $1,000
► Second Place: $500
► Third Place: $200
Honorable Mention: $50

All scholarship awards must be used towards payment for HSArts tuition (both middle school and high school), enrollment in the Young Artists Program, art workshops, HSArts Summer Camps, or HSArts program materials. Awards will be granted to entries that meet placement standards, as determined by the judging committee. Not every category is guaranteed an award winner.

HSArts will announce contest winners on or before Feb 15, 2024 on the HSArts website. HSArts will display winning works on campus for at least one month.

  1. Download and print the Application Form and Student Release 
  2. High quality photo of your artwork (Letter size 300ppi)
  3. Mail your application form with the photo of your artwork to HSArts before the deadline, January 15, 2024. (See the last page of the Application Form for the address.)
  1. Fill out online Application Form and Student Release 
  2. Upload a high quality digital photo of your artwork (300ppi, jpg)
  3. The deadline to submit your Application Form is January 15, 2024

The rules and regulations included here apply to the HSArts 2025 Spring Art Competition.

  • Contest is open to all students living in the San Francisco Bay Area.
  • Each entry must be an original two-dimensional artwork of Western or Eastern style, with the exception of reproductions of any classical realist artwork before the 19th Century.
  • Copies of other artists’ works or paintings, from other artists’ photographs or from published materials will not be accepted unless students can show proof of approval or acknowledgement from the original artist.
  •  Any plagiarized work will be immediately disqualified.
  • Artwork should be completed within the last two years, and must not have won any previous prize or award in any other art competition.
  • Dimensions: Pre-framed allowable dimensions. Winning artwork will be placed on exhibit at HSArts. All winning pieces must arrive in San Francisco framed. (See framing guidelines below.)

Accepted mediums for the two-dimensional artwork are as follows:

  • Paintings: 
    • Oil
    • acrylic paints
    • Watercolor
    • Gouache
    • Tempera
    • Chinese painting.
  • Drawings: 
    • colored pencil
    • Graphite
    • Ink
    • Pastel (must be fixed)
    • Charcoal (must be fixed)

ARTWORK CONTENT GUIDELINES

No copies of other artists’ works or paintings from other artists’ photographs or from published material will be allowed unless students can show proof of approval or acknowledgement from the original artist. Any plagiarized work will be immediately disqualified.

Artwork must adhere to the policy of the HSArts Art Competition Commission (the Committee). In accordance with this policy exhibits MUST NOT:

  • depict subjects of contemporary political controversy 
  • depict sensational images 
  • be gruesome in nature
  • depict images or subjects that are not school appropriate

While it is not the intent to censor artwork, HSArts wishes to avoid artwork that is inappropriate for display at our school.

Applies only to winning artwork.

All winning artwork must be protected and enhanced by a sturdy frame. If your piece is selected for display in the HSArts Art Competition exhibit, it must be delivered in a frame. All works, including frame, must weigh no more than 15 lbs and measure no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep, to the outside of the frame.

Ensure that the framer is informed of the size and weight limit. Confirm the work meets all guidelines before sending to San Francisco.

Frames must be made of wood or metal. No plastic “snap on” or metal frames that can easily come apart will be accepted. All artwork, except paintings in oil or acrylic on canvas, must be protected by plexiglass or glass. Plexiglass is preferred. If glass is used, special packing and shipping arrangements are encouraged to ensure that the work is not damaged if the glass breaks.

Matting can enhance or detract from a work of art and should be carefully selected.

The artwork will be hung from vertical wires. Two sturdy screw-in eye hooks must be attached at the top left and right sides of the back of the frame for hanging to prevent the work from leaning forward or hanging unevenly. Remove any wire between the hooks before sending in entry.

Do not attach labels, ribbons, etc., to the front of the piece or underneath the glass or Plexiglass.

Please indicate which side is up by marking arrows pointing towards the top on the back.

Wining Pieces

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