2025 Arts Explosion

The 3rd-annual Federal Way Arts Explosion Festival is a juried art competition for both adult and youth artists from around the region. Adult artists can submit in five categories: Photography, Digital/Mixed Media, Textiles, Two-Dimensional artwork (paintings, collages, prints), and Three-Dimensional artwork (sculptures, jewelry, ceramics, furniture, wearable and body art). Youth artists (ages 15-18 from any school district at the high school level) are invited to submit in any of the above categories. Adult artists may submit up to five entries; youth artists may submit up to two entries at no charge with code YOUTH25.

The festival takes place at the Federal Way Performing Arts and Event Center from May 29-June 1, 2025. All artwork must be submitted in person; no artwork will be shipped or received via mail. There will be $4,400 in prizes. Artwork will be on display and open to the public for purchase. Entry deadline is March 25, 2025. The entry fee is $25.00 per piece for adult artists and free for youth artists. Entries are first juried from digital images; artists will be notified by April 18 if invited to participate. Awards will be judged by jurors from the original works of art.

Eligibility requirements: Entries must be original, entirely the work of the applicant, and created within the past three years (since March 15, 2022). Work must have been done without the supervision of an instructor. Copies of existing artworks or works solely based on copyrighted artworks are not eligible. All adult artwork must be gallery-ready for display with no saw-tooth hangers. Each artist is permitted one large piece of artwork which does not exceed 40 inches in width and 40 inches in height (including frame).