National Purebred Dog Day Fine Art/Poster 2026 Competition

National Purebred Dog Day announces its tenth annual Fine Art/Poster competition. One "Best in Show" winner as determined by the juror will receive $2,000 and have their winning image made into National Purebred Dog Day's official poster for 2026.

Artists are urged to include as many different breeds from the AKC's seven groups as possible. Art will be judged on the following criteria: image should include different breeds highlighting the diversity of purebred dogs; image should positively address the heritage, diversity and/or predictability of purebred dogs; image should demonstrate creativity, originality, and craftsmanship; image should demonstrate the artist's skill in their use of the medium; and image should hold its integrity in poster form. The juror is Mr. Alan Fausel, Curator of the AKC Museum of the Dog, with 40 years of experience as a scholar, curator, and appraiser in the world of art.

Competition is open to all artists internationally who are over 18 years of age and have no affiliation with, nor support any animal rights group. Entries must be original artwork in both concept and execution. Submitted work may be in oil, acrylic, watercolor, graphite, pencil, pastel, water-soluble oils, casein, charcoal, conte crayons, mixed media, gouache, tempera, or ink. If a printmaking method is used, additional runs of the entry should not be created for one year. Photographs, sculpture, digital/AI-generated art, and fiber art are not accepted. Original size is left to the artist's discretion, but the finished poster size of the winning piece will be 18 x 24". Each entrant must submit one digital image in JPEG format. A non-refundable entry fee of $35.00 is required for each submitted work; artists may submit up to three works. The winning artist will be notified via email or telephone on November 25, 2025. Though not mandatory, all entries are encouraged to be made available for sale on National Purebred Dog Day's website after a winner is chosen, with National Purebred Dog Day retaining 25% of sold pieces.