Visual Art Contest: "Dog Days of Summer" ✨

🌟 "THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER" VISUAL ART CONTEST 🌟
Presented by J. Tilden's Gallery
Accepting Submissions July 1 - September 30, 2026

The heat is on! We're very happy to host our first-ever quarterly art contest, and this round, it's all about the dog days of summer.

🎨 THE THEME
Every entry should connect, in some way, to "the dog days of summer." The heat, the swampy stillness, the dog star… interpret it however it hits you!
Merriam-Webster defines it as, "the period between early July and early September, when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere."
The "Dog Days" are named for Sirius, the Dog Star, which is the brightest star in the sky. It just so happens to rise over the horizon during the hottest weeks of summer, and thus the myth was built.

✅ WHO CAN ENTER
* Open to artists 18 & older
* All visual arts and crafts are welcome: painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, mixed media, sculpture, and beyond
* Digital work is welcome, but it must be presented physically! At minimum, a quality print
* One entry per artist, and it must be a new piece made for this contest

🖼️ HOW TO ENTER
No entry fees, no registration form. Just bring your piece to the gallery during open hours. We'll take your information and hang it in the contest display for you.
Where: J. Tilden's Gallery & Grille
Deadline: Your piece must be physically at the gallery and registered by end of day, Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Questions? Call or text the gallery at 423-258-2022, or send us a Facebook message!

📐 PRESENTATION REQUIREMENTS
* 2D work must arrive ready to hang
* Sculpture and 3D work is welcome, provided it sits or stands stably for display
* Inspired to make something enormous? Please contact the gallery beforehand to make sure we're able to display it!

🏆 THE PRIZES
Prize-winning artists will be awarded a free period of exhibition space in the gallery, and will be celebrated across our social media!
🥇 1st Place: Exhibition space in the gallery for a full quarter (3 months)
🥈 2nd Place: Exhibition space for two months
🥉 3rd Place: Exhibition space for one month
❤️ People's Choice: Chosen by public ballot on the night of judging, with a full quarter (3 months) of exhibition space, same as the Judges' 1st Prize!

⚖️ HOW WINNERS ARE CHOSEN
1st through 3rd will be selected by a panel of judges from the local Morristown community. Our People's Choice Award goes to the piece that wins the crowd, voted on by public ballot at our celebration event.

💵 SELLING YOUR WORK
Want to sell? Go for it, and keep every cent! To celebrate the launch, we're taking zero commission on this contest.
* For those selling a work, please have a price decided when submitting your entry
* When a piece sells, it will be marked as sold and stays on display through the show
* The buyer collects it after the awards & celebration
* We're happy to handle the sale, and will contact the seller immediately so payment can be arranged. The seller is also free to arrange the sale themselves, so long as the Gallery is immediately notified the entry has been sold
* Not interested in selling? No problem. Pieces that aren't sold go home with their makers once the show comes down.

📅 JUDGING & AWARDS NIGHT
Judging and awards will take place in early October, at a public celebration event at the gallery. The event page will be posted closer to the end date of the contest. Come out, see the work, cast your vote for People's Choice, and raise a glass with us!

Got a question we didn't cover? Send us a message or contact us at the Gallery and we'll be happy to help!