---
title: 2026 Holiday Art Competition
description: Juried holiday art competition in Frederick, Maryland on the theme "The Holidays in Historic Frederick," with a $1,000 Judges' Choice prize and December exhibition.
url: https://www.artsume.com/programs/c2e89396-c173-475f-a8b5-a1eb44f1a5ec
type: program
status: open
createdAt: "2026-09-04"
updatedAt: "2026-09-07"
programType: Prize/award
organization: The Delaplaine Arts Center
organizationUrl: https://www.artsume.com/o/delaplaine-arts-center
deadline: "2026-11-01"
entryFee: 20 USD
location: The Delaplaine Arts Center, Frederick, MD, United States
isOnline: false
compensationRange: $1,000 Judges' Choice prize; Barbara Maghan People's Choice certificate; Judges' Special Award certificate
disciplines:
  - painting
  - drawing
  - printmaking
  - etching
  - collage
  - photography
  - digital art
  - mixed media
---

# 2026 Holiday Art Competition

**Hosted by:** The Delaplaine Arts Center

**Type:** Prize/award | **Location:** The Delaplaine Arts Center, Frederick, MD, United States | **Deadline:** November 1, 2026 | **Entry fee:** $20

## About This Program

> "The Holidays in Historic Frederick — a secular celebration; key ideas include fun, downtown, winter, happy, snow, and light"

The Holiday Art Competition is jointly presented by The Delaplaine Arts Center (the Delaplaine) and the Holiday Committee, a sub-committee of Celebrate Frederick Inc., a private, non-profit corporation working in partnership with the City of Frederick. The theme for the competition is a secular celebration of "The Holidays in Historic Frederick." The artwork should be a way for people unfamiliar with Frederick to have an idea of the winter wonderland that awaits locals and tourists during the winter months.

The selected artwork, or portions of the artwork, will be used by Celebrate Frederick in several "The Holidays" promotional pieces for the upcoming year. The finished product may include logos and/or copy added by Celebrate Frederick as needed. All two-dimensional works in any medium are acceptable, including paintings, drawings, hand-pulled prints, etchings, collage, photography, digital paintings, etc. The artwork should incorporate recognizable symbols of Frederick: architectural highlights of the city, such as the Carillon, Schifferstadt, the Clustered Spires; people having fun in a winter or snowy depiction of Patrick Street, East Street, or Market Street; the Carroll Creek Linear Park; and carolers, carriage rides, candlelight, and camaraderie.

The work should be able to be reproduced in black and white. Judging: the first round will be conducted virtually through the Delaplaine's online exhibit entry portal, with all judges working remotely and individually, determining which artworks will be accepted for exhibition during the reception and which will remain on display at the Delaplaine throughout December. The second round will be conducted in person after the artwork has been installed, and these judges will confer with each other to determine the recipients of the Judges' Choice Award, and if applicable, the Judges' Special Award.

Judges' Choice: A prize of $1,000 will be awarded to the winning artist during the reception, based on artistic merit, ease of reproduction, exemplification of theme, and adherence to rules. Barbara Maghan People's Choice: A certificate will be awarded to the winning artist during the reception as selected by popular vote that evening. Judges' Special Award: Judges may choose to honor an artist with a Judges' Special Award certificate recognizing exceptional artistic merit.

## Eligibility & Requirements

- **Disciplines:** painting, drawing, printmaking, etching, collage, photography, digital art, mixed media
- **Note:** Location Eligibility Type: Unspecified. Eligible Applicant Types: Artist. Submission Limit: 1. All artwork must be original in design and personal execution. Artworks must be the artist's original work — no commercially made prints, giclees, or reproductions of an original work of art will be considered for exhibition.

All pieces must be unpublished commercially; this does not prohibit artists from sharing images of their pieces on their personal social media accounts. All two-dimensional works in any medium are acceptable. Imagery to avoid includes specific religious symbols, symbols or imagery strongly or uniquely associated with one particular faith, and endorsements of specific downtown businesses (e.g., prominent display of a business name) — while these may not be refused from the display and sale, they will not be considered suitable to the theme and will NOT be eligible for the grand prize.

The work should be able to be reproduced in black and white. All accepted work must be framed and wired to a professional standard, delivered ready to hang; NO SAWTOOTH HANGERS. Accepted work may be refused because of framing. Unframed accepted work may be presented with finished, painted gallery-wrapped edges and wired for hanging. See the Delaplaine's exhibition opportunities page FAQs for guidelines on AI-generated artwork.

### Additional Requirements

Artist information: full name, city and country of residence, phone, email, social media links (optional), website (optional). Artwork information: 1 high-resolution image work sample (min 1, max 1 image; no audio or video). Submission limit: 1. Artwork must address the theme, incorporate recognizable symbols of Frederick, and be reproducible in black and white.

If accepted, all work must be framed and wired to a professional standard, delivered ready to hang (no sawtooth hangers; D-ring or strap hangers in one smooth line; no tape), or unframed with finished, painted gallery-wrapped edges and wired for hanging; each work labeled on the back in the top right-hand corner with artist name, title, medium, sale price or NFS with insurance value, preferred phone number, and email address.

## Compensation & Benefits

$1,000 Judges' Choice prize; Barbara Maghan People's Choice certificate; Judges' Special Award certificate

**Includes:** Prize

- Judges' Choice: A prize of $1,000 will be awarded to the winning artist during the reception.
- Barbara Maghan People's Choice: a certificate awarded to the winning artist during the reception as selected by popular vote that evening.
- Judges' Special Award: judges may choose to honor an artist with a certificate recognizing exceptional artistic merit.

Celebrate Frederick will mail the prize check within 30 days of receipt of the winning artist's W9.

## Timeline

- **Opens:** May 20, 2026
- **Deadline:** November 1, 2026
- **Program Start:** December 3, 2026
- **Program End:** December 28, 2026

## Contact

**Contact:** Corey Frey

**Email:** cfrey@delaplaine.org

**Phone:** 301-698-0656

## How to Apply

Apply at: https://delaplaine.org/exhibitions/opportunities/#faqs