Art Comes Alive (ACA) is an annual, fine-art competition and exhibit open to all artists working in any medium or style, hosted by ADC, Art Design Consultants. The main objective of the exhibit is to award artists for their dedication to their craft and exceptional work, connect them with the appropriate people in the art business for networking opportunities, and find new artwork in all mediums and subjects to showcase and ultimately sell.

ACA is the only art contest of it’s kind – awarding over $350,000 in awards to artists.

Deadline to submit artwork: Friday, August 26, 2022

We accept a variety of subject matter including abstract, figurative, conceptual, and everything in between! Accepted media includes:

painting; photography; glass art; mixed media; digital media; sculpture; metal & wood (functional & sculptural); one-of-a-kind jewelry; printmaking (digital, lithographs, monoprints, etc.); drawings & illustrations; video art; textile art 

Artists can submit up to four images of their work for consideration. Our prestigious jurors from across the country will cast their votes for the top artists who will be showcased in a final exhibit in Cincinnati, OH and awarded purchase awards, gallery contracts, publishing contracts, solos shows, publicity, and cash prizes.

We host our call on SUBMIT.com, where you fill out a brief online application, upload images of your artwork along with their description, submit your entry and complete payment.

Yes, artists must be 18 or older to enter.

ALL artists will be notified of the jury results by the end of business day September 16, 2022, and ACCEPTED artists will be notified which artwork is selected for the exhibit. 

AWARD WINNERS will not be told what specific award(s) they will be receiving Opening Night, but that they will be winning an award as to make travel arrangements.

PURCHASE AWARD WINNERS will not be determined by ACA sponsors until the week of Opening Night.

Deadline for artwork to arrive at the ADC West Gallery (1013 York Street, Cincinnati, OH 45214) is October 14, 2022 by 5:00pm.

If you are an artist traveling to attend the exhibit and would prefer to bring the piece with you then, please make arrangements with us so we can designate wall or floor space for late arrival - please note this may disqualify you from receiving a purchase award since it is not in the gallery at the time when our partners make the decision. 

You will receive 50% of the price you put on your artwork. We will have the sponsors/buyers select what they want to purchase prior to Opening Night. If your work receives a purchase award, you will receive a check during the awards ceremony when your purchase award is announced. If you cannot be present, we will mail payment the next day. All additional sales made after the opening night/awards ceremony will receive payment within 7 days of purchase.

All artwork is insured while at the ADC Gallery.

However, if you would like insurance to cover any potential damages during shipping (to and from) you must specify this with the shipper. ADC will not cover the cost of damages during shipping.

No, we will only accept major credit cards (through the online system) or by check in the mail. Checks are payable to: Art Design Consultants, Inc. | 1013 York Street | Cincinnati, OH 45214

Yes, students and Blink Art members are eligible to receive entry discounts. Please email casssandra@adcfineart.com for more information.

If the artist is selected for the exhibition, he/she will be responsible for all shipping or delivery charges to and from Art Design Consultants gallery. If your work is one of the 180 selected artists, you will receive a complimentary ticket for yourself. If you choose to bring a guest(s) to the opening night/awards ceremony, there is a $50 per guest ticket. Artists traveling from out of town will receive a free guest ticket.

Beyond the jurors who will select the artists to be represented in the exhibit, everyone who enters ACA will be featured on the adcfineart.com website for 1 year, regardless of whether your work is accepted for the exhibit.

If you're accepted into the exhibit, your work will be seen by various media outlets, gallery owners, art representatives, publishers and collectors, interior designers, the purchase award partners (Corporate and individual collectors), attendees of opening night (250+ art buyers, art lovers, and artists), all attendees for the duration of the exhibit - including potential buyers (corporate, private collectors, interior designers), and everyone who visits the ADC website.

Yes! Of course! For example, if you have created a figurative piece out of pastels, you have the opportunity to win Figurative Artist of the Year as well as Pastel Artists of the Year. Similarly, if you enter two pieces of artwork and one is abstract while the other is sculpture—you have the chance to win both Abstract Artist of the Year as well as Sculptor of the Year.

No, we will notify you by email if you are an award recipient. Although we urge you to attend the exciting opening night awards ceremony, it’s your choice to be present or not.

A group of corporate sponsors and private collectors commit a specific amount to purchase art. They can use these funds to purchase any number of pieces, as long as the total amount committed is used on artworks by the artists in the ACA exhibit.

Once accepted into the final exhibit, it is the artist’s responsibility to ship their artwork to and from the Art Design Consultants’ gallery in Cincinnati, OH. All packaging materials will be cataloged and saved for return shipping.

You can deliver your artwork to the ADC West Gallery (1013 York Street, Cincinnati, OH 45214) by 5:00 PM October 20, 2021.

Yes, a return shipping label must be sent in a manila envelope marked RETURN SHIPPING LABEL to the ADC Gallery either with the shipment of the artwork or separately via snail mail. A return shipping label can also be emailed digitally to cassandra@adcfineart.com.

Generating a return label online through UPS & FedEx is credible, safe, and incredibly easy. Or if you go to a FedEx or UPS location just ask them to also provide a return shipping label with your original shipment. Please specify your return shipment to be “Pickup”. Do not mark return shipping label as “Drop-Off”.

If a means of return is not provided within thirty (30) days of the closing date of the show artwork will be put into storage and ADC is not liable for any damages.

Tickets will be on a “first come, first served” basis, so please RSVP. There will be artists, guests, art collectors, sponsors, jurors, and the media attending. Artists winning an award will be notified in advance. Winners will be announced during the awards ceremony. There will also be fabulous food by one of the top caterers in Cincinnati, along with an open bar. There will also be an opportunity to meet the sponsors, jurors, and collectors to make important and useful art business connections.

Tickets for opening night are $100 a person.
For artists featured in the exhibit, the event is free with a $55 guest ticket.
For artists featured in the exhibit who will be traveling from out of town, you will get a free guest ticket as well.

Artists and guests must RSVP to the event separately. RSVP by Monday, October 24, 2022.