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The 16th Seascapes Online Art Competition by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery 2026 is now open, giving photographers and visual artists a focused summer deadline for work connected to the sea, shoreline, and coastal life. The online call closes on July 27, 2026, with selected works included in the gallery’s August 2026 online group exhibition.
Although this is an art competition rather than a photography-only contest, photography and digital art are specifically accepted, alongside other 2D and 3D media. The theme centers on seascape subjects, including coastal living, ocean activities, seaside vistas, seashore subjects, and related interpretations in representational or abstract form. For photographers browsing broader picture competitions, this call may be relevant when the work fits within a marine, coastal, or shoreline visual language.
The 16th Seascapes Online Art Competition by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery 2026 includes a $100 Best in Show cash award, online exhibition placement, promotion for the top winning artists, artist website links, digital award materials, and press-related visibility. Entry fees apply, with lower early registration fees available until June 1, 2026, and student pricing listed for entrants with an EDU email registered through Submittable. Results are scheduled for August 1, 2026, the same day the online exhibition opens.
Prizes
The main opportunity is not only the award itself, but also the possibility of having selected work presented within a themed online show with archive and publicity support.
- Best in Show: The overall top winning artist receives a $100 cash prize.
- Top 12 winning artists: The top twelve artists are promoted and circulated to hundreds of major news outlets, including syndicated Premium News Outlets, with inclusion on Google News and Bing News.
- Winning artists: Selected artists receive worldwide online publicity through email marketing, event announcements, social media marketing, and promotional activity connected to the exhibition.
- Artist links and materials: Winners receive links back to their own websites, along with a digital award certificate, digital award ribbon, digital event postcard, and press releases for their art portfolio.
- Exhibition and archive: Selected works are included in the August 2026 online exhibition. After the show closes, the exhibition is archived for five years on the gallery website.
The contest’s award package makes it relevant to photographers looking for cash prizes as well as online exhibition opportunities.
Related Photo Contests
Categories or Themes
The 16th Seascapes Online Art Competition by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery 2026 does not present separate photography categories. It is built around one central theme: seascapes. The gallery describes the theme as an artist’s interpretation and depiction of seascape art, including coastal living, ocean activities, seaside vistas, and related seashore subjects.
Work may be representational or abstract, and entries are accepted in any media that fits the competition rules. For photographers, this gives room for coastal landscapes, shore-based scenes, ocean-related activity, and more interpretive approaches to the sea. It also makes the call relevant to artists searching for a seascape photography contest, provided the submitted images clearly respond to the stated theme.
Dates and Entry Fees
The 16th Seascapes Online Art Competition by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery 2026 follows a clear calendar, with early fees available during the first part of the entry period and standard fees applying after June 1, 2026.
| Competition opens | May 18, 2026 |
| Early registration and lower fees end | June 1, 2026 |
| Entry deadline | July 27, 2026 |
| Results emailed and posted | August 1, 2026 |
| Online exhibition opens | August 1, 2026 |
| Online exhibition closes and is archived | August 31, 2026 |
Entry Fees:
- Early registration (until June 1, 2026):
- $16 for 1 to 2 entries
- $24 for 3 to 5 entries
- Standard registration:
- $18 for 1 to 2 entries
- $26 for 3 to 5 entries
- Student fees:
- $12 for 1 to 2 entries
- $22 for 3 to 5 entries
How to Enter
Entries are submitted online through the gallery’s Submittable process. Applicants should upload their images through the form, follow each step carefully, and use PayPal or credit card payment for the entry fee. Image files must be prepared before submission and should be in JPG format. The listed image requirements include a minimum width of 1000 pixels on the longest side, 72 resolution, highest quality JPG compression, and no framing or watermarks in the submitted image files.
About the Jury
The jurors for the competition are Chris and Valerie Hoffman, with possible assistance from other art professionals when available. Chris is described by the gallery as an award-winning artist who has painted professionally for more than 20 years, with work held in private collections nationally and internationally. Valerie is described as an art marketing expert who helps new and emerging artists market and promote their work.
The judging criteria focus on the interpretation and clarity of the theme, creativity and originality, quality of composition and overall design, and the overall impression of the artwork. The gallery also notes that poor image quality, visible watermarks, crooked presentation, large signatures, incomplete submission materials, or poorly written submission information may negatively affect selection.
Why Enter 16th Seascapes Online Art Competition by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery 2026?
This competition may be a practical fit for photographers whose work already engages with coastal environments, ocean activity, or shoreline narratives. Its online format makes the call accessible internationally, while the theme is specific enough to give entries a clear curatorial frame. Photography and digital art are explicitly included, and experimental or mixed techniques are also accepted within the rules.
The most concrete benefits are exhibition placement, a public online archive, promotional support for winning artists, and a direct link back to the artist’s website. The archive remains available for five years after the show closes, which gives selected participants a longer-lasting record of inclusion beyond the one-month exhibition period. For readers comparing the best photography competitions to enter, the main reason to consider this call is its combination of a defined seascape photography competition theme, online exhibition structure, and international eligibility.
Rules and Copyright
This section about the rules and image rights of the 16th Seascapes Online Art Competition by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery 2026 has been generated automatically. If you are interested in participating in this contest we suggest you review the complete rules provided by the contest.
Rules
Entries must follow the competition theme. The call is open to 2D and 3D artists, including photography and digital art, while video is excluded. The competition is international and is open to artists aged 18 and older. JPG files may not exceed 5MB, and images previously shown on the gallery website may not be resubmitted. The rules state that there is no limit to the number of images an artist may submit.
Artists must provide complete submission materials, including the required image and artist information. The submission process requests a short third-person biography with a 500-word limit, along with the artist’s website URL where applicable. The gallery states that incomplete or poorly written submission materials may affect final selection.
Copyright and Image Usage
Artists retain the copyright to images submitted to the gallery. If an artwork is selected for an exhibition, the artist grants the gallery usage of the chosen image for display, marketing, and promotional purposes connected to that exhibition and future themed exhibitions. The permitted uses include press releases, event presentations, articles, graphics, slide shows, presentations, event materials, and use on the gallery website.
The gallery may maintain an archive of selected artwork for five years for historical documentation and as a record of past themed shows. The archived work is credited with the artist name, file name, and artist website when applicable. The rules state that no resale or exchange of images occurs through the gallery, and that the artist retains sole copyright and applicable rights to the submitted images.
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For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.



