Guidelines

World Oceans Day Art Competition 2024

The World Oceans Day Art Competition 2024 is intended to inspire and educate everyone on the beauty of our oceans and to highlight the challenges they face through the creative expression of the artist.

The United Nations World Oceans Day 2024 Theme is titled ‘Awaken New Depths’ and this art competition is hosted by The Pearl Protectors in partnership with World Ocean Day International.

All art submissions will be available for viewing on Behance and a Facebook album once the competition is complete.

The art competition and the exhibition will be conducted virtually where various artwork/painting submissions will be received as soft images. The competition has two categories of ‘School’ and ‘Open’ while carrying two themes for art submissions. These themes are ‘Threats to Oceanic Species’ and ‘Into the Deep Blue’.

Instructions & Entry
  • World Oceans Day Art Competition entry is free and open for all.
  • You have the freedom to draw your artwork/painting using any type of technique or style of your choosing (ex: digital, acrylic, watercolor)
  • A single submission may be submitted in multiple art themes, however only a single submission may be place under one art theme.
  • Submitting image: You will be required to take a clear image of your artwork or painting making sure the captured image doesn’t crop the artwork or reduce the lighting or color quality of the artwork. The submission image must be renamed to (first name_last name_age_theme), and submitted using the following submission portal: https://bit.ly/WODART24
  • All required details of the artist must be submitted along with the artwork
File Specifications
  • JPEG/JPG images only
  • Maximum submission image size 7MB.
  • Image must not be post processed.
  • Copyright Watermarks are NOT allowed. Watermarked submissions will be disqualified.
  • Scanned images are acceptable as long as the color is not compromised
  • Finalists may be asked to submit the original physical artwork.
  • Any ‘advanced’ editing must be disclosed in the email body if the artwork is drawn digitally (see rules below).
  • Winners will be contacted further to receive more information of the mailing address
Contest Rules
  • The Pearl Protectors pledges to run this contest ethically and with utmost integrity.
  • Deadline for submissions is 3rd of June 2024
  • Judges will not see submitted image titles or any other references to submissions.
  • Images submitted with watermarks will be disqualified.
  • This is not a photographic competition, hence the images submitted must be a capture of a painting or a digital artwork.
  • Images of the painting/artwork must be submitted through email. If you have difficulties, please email thepearlprotectors@gmail.com.
  • The competition is open for all. Categories will be divided once submitted based on your age
  • The original painting/artwork should have been done during 2024
  • This competition does not accept posters; hence no writing must be included in the painting/artwork.
  • Submissions will be judged by a panel of artists, marine experts and philanthropists and the decision by the panelists will be final.
  • Submissions must fall only under either of the two themes mentioned bellow
  • Submissions after the deadline will not be accepted for the competition
  • All participants are required to be honest and ethical when making submissions. Plagiarism and tampering of another artwork will not be tolerated. If any doubt, the artist will be asked to show the original artwork as proof.

‘Into the Blue’

Signifying your own artistic skills to show how elegant and mysterious the deepest points of the ocean can be. The deep abyss is yet to be fully explored and has some of the enchanting sea creatures.

‘Threats to Oceanic Species’

Highlighting various forms of marine challenges faced by marine species due to anthropogenic activities. Your view of the ocean will be from a conservationists view point.

  • The purpose of this competition is to highlight the unique values of sea turtles while highlighting the ocean impact due to untold amounts of pollution being added in.
  • The World Oceans Day art competition will run parallel to an art exhibition where all art submitted will be displayed on the website of The Pearl Protectors, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.
  • Winners and prize awards will be announced on World Oceans Day (8th June 2024)
  • All judges’ decisions are final.
  • Details of the judges will be shared publicly after the deadline for submissions
  • Top 24 submissions will be selected as winners with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place receiving the most valued prize.
  • Expectations of the artwork will be based on the unique creativity, artistic impression and conveyed message, artistic effort and quality of the submission.
  • Submissions may be used by The Pearl Protectors to increase awareness on marine environment protection and for public display.
  • Send questions to wave@pearlprotectors.org
  • Submissions must not be post processed, saturated or edited other than adequately being cropped
  • Authenticity is paramount. Crop editing that enhances the artists original image is permitted. Any editing that misrepresents the scene and original art will not be accepted.
  • “Digital Art” submissions must only be art which is drawn digitally and should not contain any alien content incorporated tot the artwork
  • Note that there are no editing limits in the “Digital Image” form submission – everything is acceptable. We understand that this art form requires photoshop and illustrator, etc. For this form only, you can disregard the editing rules.
  • All forms of painting formats using any type of painting material such as paint, brushes, canvas, paper, artwork enhancers, paint decorative, etc.
  • Image crop. Keep in mind that judges often look down on significant cropping.
  • All forms of digital art using any art software. Digital art can directly by submitted as an image
  • Artist signature which is not significantly displayed on the artwork
  • Photography, multiple artwork mergers, murals, 3D art, posters and pop-up art
  • Copyright markings, watermarks, writing display on the art, background surrounding of the physical artwork captured in the submission, non-binding art on the original art form, post processing, light alterations of the original artwork and low-quality image submissions.
Category Details

World Oceans Day Art Competition categories are loosely defined below. Our very experienced judging panel will use their common sense when choosing winners in a category.

 

School Category

All submissions which we receive where the participating artists age is or below 18 will be considered under this category. Due to logistical challenges of handing over prizes, winners of this category will only be selected from Sri Lankan submissions, where else all submissions will be exhibited online.

 

Open Category

All submission which we receive where the participating artists age is above 18 will be considered under this category. Due to logistical challenges of handing over prizes, winners of this category will only be selected from Sri Lankan submissions, where else all submissions will be exhibited online.

How Prizes are Awarded

The judges will decide on the winners based on various artistic traits, depiction of the artwork, creativity, quality and the overall message conveyed through the art.

Winners will receive a valuable hamper as the prize.

  • The prizes will not be revealed till the deadline, to avoid over-incentivizing the prize where else as to the genuine commitment made towards painting the artwork.
  • Best 24 of submissions will be awarded their prizes.
  • Each category will have top 3 winners where 1st place winners will receive the largest prize followed by the 2nd place winner followed by the 3rd place winner, etc. Winners can only receive one prize.

The exact ranking of the category point systems, which determines who gets awarded their first prize picks, will be determined by the judges based upon the number of entries and level of competitiveness of each category.

Winners will learn of their placement and awarded prize when contest results are announced on 8th June 2024. All prizes will be awarded to the relevant winners.