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Patterns Art Competition by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery is the tenth annual edition of the gallery’s “Patterns, Textures & Forms” international online competition. Photography and digital art are accepted alongside other two and three-dimensional media, with both representational and abstract approaches eligible. The submission deadline is September 30, 2026, and selected work will appear in an online group exhibition opening October 25.
The Best in Show artist receives $100, while the top 12 artists gain additional international promotion through press releases, news outlets, email marketing and social media. Winners also receive digital certificates, ribbons and event materials, with links back to their websites. Standard entry currently costs $18 for one or two images or $26 for three to five, with reduced rates for eligible students. For photographers comparing current photography competitions, this call is especially relevant to work in which repetition, surface, structure or form drives the visual language.
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Prizes
The competition combines a cash award with online exhibition and promotional benefits.
- Best in Show: The overall top artist receives $100, paid through PayPal.
- Top 12 artists: Their achievements are promoted to hundreds of news outlets, including syndicated premium outlets, with potential inclusion on Google News and Bing News.
- Winning artists: Promotion also includes email marketing, online event announcements and social media, together with links to artists’ websites.
- Digital materials: Awards include a digital certificate, award ribbon, event postcard and press-release materials for artists’ portfolios.
- Media awards: Individual media categories may receive first through fifth place and Honorable Mentions, alongside Special Recognition and Special Merit awards.
Selected work is presented in the October online show and later archived, combining a photography exhibition opportunity with promotional recognition.
Related Photo Contests
Categories or Themes
There are no separate photography genres. The central theme is “Patterns, Textures & Forms”, interpreted through either representational or abstract work. Photography and digital art are accepted, as are experimental and mixed techniques; video is excluded.
For photographers, the brief can accommodate work where repetition, geometry, surface detail or visual structure forms the main subject, including approaches associated with an abstract photography competition.
Dates and Entry Fees
| Competition opened | June 29, 2026 |
| Early registration ended | August 1, 2026 |
| Entry deadline | September 30, 2026 |
| Results announced | October 25, 2026 |
| Online exhibition opens | October 25, 2026 |
| Exhibition closes and is archived | December 25, 2026 |
Entry fees:
- $18 for 1 to 2 entries.
- $26 for 3 to 5 entries.
Students registered with Submittable using an EDU email address are offered rates of $14 for one or two entries and $22 for three to five.
There is no overall limit on how many images an artist may submit.
How to Enter
Entries are handled through Submittable. Images must be JPG files no larger than 5 MB, with a minimum dimension of 1,000 pixels on the longest side. Framed images and watermarks should not appear in submissions. Artists are also asked to provide a third-person biography of no more than 500 words and their website address.
About the Jury
The published jurors are Chris and Valerie Hoffman, with other art professionals assisting when available. Chris Hoffman is an award-winning artist who has painted professionally for more than 20 years, while Valerie Hoffman specializes in art marketing.
Judging considers interpretation and clarity of the theme, creativity and originality, composition, overall design and the complete impression of the artwork.
Why Enter Patterns Art Competition by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery?
The Patterns Art Competition by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery is particularly suited to photographers whose images rely on formal visual qualities rather than a fixed subject category. The theme can encompass both recognizable scenes and more abstract studies, so architecture, natural surfaces, repeated objects or closely observed details can all fit when pattern, texture or form is central to the image.
Its other distinguishing feature is what happens after selection. Winning work remains visible beyond the initial exhibition through a five-year archive, while the top artists receive press and online promotion in addition to the exhibition itself. Among the best photo contests photographers may compare on Deartline, this makes the call more focused on sustained online presentation and publicity than on cash prizes alone.
Rules and Copyright
We reviewed the official rules of the Patterns Art Competition by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery to summarize the key participation requirements, copyright terms and image usage conditions. Before entering, we recommend checking the complete rules published by the organizer.
Rules
The competition is international and open to artists aged 18 or older. Photography and digital art are eligible, but video is not. Entries must follow the competition theme, and artwork previously shown on the Light Space & Time website cannot be resubmitted.
There is no limit on the total number of entries. Selected and non-selected participants are notified by email after judging. Light Space & Time does not handle artwork sales; purchase inquiries are referred directly to the artist.
Copyright and Image Usage
Artists retain all copyrights to submitted images. When a work is selected for exhibition, the artist grants Light Space & Time permission to use it for display, marketing and promotional purposes connected with that exhibition and future themed LST exhibitions. Uses may include press releases, articles, graphics, slideshows, presentations, event materials and the gallery website.
Selected images may also remain in a publicly accessible historical archive on the Light Space & Time website for five years after the competition. The gallery states that it does not resell or exchange artists’ images.
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For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
