Art of the Heartland

Art of the Heartland is a juried competition and exhibition hosted by SouthWest Artists, Inc. (SWA), a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 1945. The exhibition will be held at the Mena Art Gallery in the Ouachita Mountains. The competition focuses on representational paintings that display the best of American art, with jury selection based on workmanship, color, value, composition, style, and diversity of subject matter.

Awards total at least $12,000, including $6,000 for First Place, $3,000 for Second Place, $2,000 for Third Place, and ten Awards of Excellence. Art Collector magazine will offer an additional Award of Excellence consisting of a complimentary half-page ad. The jury consists of three SWA professional artists, with the awarding juror being a signature member of multiple prestigious National Art Societies.

Eligible artists must be 18 years or older and either a 2015 SWA paid member ($20.00) or submit membership payment with their entry. Eligible states, provinces, and territories include all of the United States, Canada, and their possessions. Entry fee is $45.00 for one painting or $65.00 for two paintings. Only one painting can be accepted. Acceptable mediums include oil, water soluble oils, watercolor, casein, egg tempera, acrylic, watercolor pencil, colored pencil, and pastel. All entries must be original work created after May 1, 2012, without instructor supervision. Image size must be no smaller than 7" X 10" or a maximum frame size of 38" in either direction. Paintings must be ready to hang with wire and use acrylic glazing (no glass accepted). Gallery wrap is acceptable if the painting extends and covers all four sides. No abstract, mixed media, collage, wax, digital images, prints, reproductions, photographs, or over-painted photographs are accepted. All work must be for sale and reflect the artist's current pricing structure; NFS and overpriced paintings will not be exhibited. A 20% donation to SWA is expected for all paintings sold.

Electronic submissions only are accepted through the Call for Entries (CaFÉ) System from April 1, 2015 through July 20, 2015. Digital images should be a minimum of 920 pixels at the smallest dimension and a maximum of 5 MB in size. Accepted artists will be notified electronically between August 3 and August 15, 2015. Accepted paintings should be shipped to arrive between September 1 and September 30, 2015. The exhibition runs from October 7 to October 31, 2015. Artists are responsible for shipping, insurance, and return shipping costs. SouthWest Artists, Inc. and the Mena Art Gallery are not responsible for loss or damage to artwork. Artists who withdraw an entry after acceptance will not be eligible to enter any SWA exhibition for the two succeeding years.