38th September Competition

The 38th September Competition is an international juried competition open to artists 18 and older working in any medium. All work must be original and completed in the last two years (2023 or later). The competition is juried by Erika Mei Chua Holum, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Associate Curator at the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston.

Artists may submit up to two works for a $40 entry fee, with additional works accepted for $20 each. Work samples must include 2-20 total submissions (images and/or video). Digital images must be smaller than 5MB, saved as JPG at highest resolution, full screen and square format. Video files must not exceed 100MB or 30 minutes in length. All work must not exceed 7 feet in any direction or 200 lbs in weight. Entries must be framed and ready to exhibit, with nothing painted or adhered directly to museum walls. A maximum 100-word artist statement is required for catalog and label use only.

The exhibition runs July 8 - October 11, 2025. Awards will be presented at the opening reception on July 11, 2025 at 6:00pm: First Place $800, Second Place $500, Third Place $300, and three Honorable Mentions at $100 each. A Purchase Award will be selected by museum staff and collections committee at the close of the exhibition. Selected works must arrive pre-paid by June 15, 2025 with a pre-paid return address label. The museum charges a 30% commission on all sales and assumes no responsibility for loss or damage during transit, though works will be insured while on museum premises.