San Francisco High School of the Arts (HSArts) endeavors to recognize, encourage, and nurture artistic talent in the Bay Area. Local youth artists, ages 8 to 16, are invited to submit their original work to the HSArts 2024 Spring Arts Competition.  Participants should submit a high quality photo of their work to HSArts. A panel of professional artists will select the winners based on:

• Overall presentation
• Artistry
• Aesthetic value
• Color scheme
• Originality
• Composition and design

Winners of the Spring 2024 HSArts Art Competition will be recognized at an awards ceremony held at the Herbst Theater San Francisco on March 8, 2024. Award winning artworks will be displayed in The San Francisco American Legion Veterans Gallery at the Herbst Theater for four weeks. All contest winners will receive scholarships to support their arts education at HSArts, its middle school, or its Young Artists Program.

Students should select an appropriate category when submitting their entry:

Advanced – High school students with more than 4 years of drawing experience. Comfortable with the chosen medium, values, colors, designs, etc.

Intermediate – Middle school students with 2-4 years of drawing experience. Comfortable with values and the chosen medium.

Beginner – Elementary school students with little to no experience, basic knowledge, drawing for 2 years or less. 

In the case of initial misplacement, judges may move the entrant’s submission to a more appropriate level. Entrants will be notified. Skill level will not be altered.

  ► First Place for both Advanced and Intermediate levels: $5,000. ($1000 for the Beginner level).
  ► Second Place : $2,000 ($500 for the Beginning level)
  ► Third Place: $1,000 ($200 for the Beginner level) 
  ►Honorable Mention: $500 ($50 for the Beginning level)

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 2024 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.