Rules
The Sarian International Competition starts on February 28, 2026.
The competition is organized to promote cultural dialogue between painters of different countries and to encourage the expression of universal values through fine art.
The Sarian International Competition of Artists is held in two stages:
- Online preliminary stage,
- Final stage in Armenia - with exhibition-sale of paintings and award ceremony.
Painters aged 18 and above from all countries of the world may participate in the competition.
It is allowed to submit up to 3 works, which have not been submitted to other competitions.
Participation fee:
- 1 work — 30 USD
- 2 works — 50 USD
- 3 works — 100 USD
There is no fee for citizens of Armenia.
The works must be original and created within the last 1 year.
The submitted work must be entirely hand-painted - without any digital, mechanical or artificial intelligence (AI) intervention.
Works created or processed with digital, or AI tools will not be accepted.
The main themes of this year’s competition are:
- Human
- Freedom
- Renaissance
- Silence
- Metamorphosis
Participants may choose one of the themes or submit a work that includes the general ideology of the competition - cultural dialogue and universal values.
The deadline for submission is July 1, 2026.
At the preliminary stage, works are submitted online in electronic format (JPG or PNG, high quality, up to 10 MB).
The photograph representing the painting must be of high quality:
- Minimum size - 3000 px
- File format - JPEG or PNG
- Lighting - natural or neutral (without shadows or glare)
- The painting must be presented without frame or reflections
Each work must be accompanied by:
- Title
- Dimensions
- Technique
- Year of creation
- Short description (up to 500 characters)
The selected 7 participants will be invited to the final stage in Armenia, where the submitted works will be exhibited.
To participate in the competition, it is necessary to complete the following application form and submit it fully completed and signed, together with the documents listed below:
- Copy of passport (JPEG or PDF format)
- Curriculum vitae in English (Microsoft Word format, maximum 1000 characters)
- Color photographs, including one close-up photo (digital format at least 300 dpi)
- Document confirming payment of participation fee (for foreign citizens)
For questions, please contact via email:
The works will be evaluated by an international jury (7 members).
Evaluation criteria are:
- Depth of idea
- Originality of artistic language
- Technical execution
- Compliance with the theme
The jury determines the winners and special prize recipients.
The organization committee of the competition has the right to reject the submitted application of the participant in case of non-compliance with the rules of the competition. In some cases, it also reserves the right to request additional information from the applicant.
Special note for foreign participants:
The organizing committee will cover travel and accommodation expenses (flight, hotel) for foreign citizens who pass to the final stage.
1st Prize — amount equivalent to 3000 USD, individual exhibition
2nd Prize — amount equivalent to 2000 USD
3rd Prize — amount equivalent to 1000 USD
Special prizes — by the jury and organizers.
All participants will receive certificates of participation.
Deadline for online submission - 01.07.2026
Final exhibition and award ceremony - 14.11.2026
At the final stage, an exhibition-sale will be organized, during which the exhibited works may be sold.
Fifty percent (50%) of the proceeds from sales will be transferred to the author, while the remaining fifty percent (50%) will be allocated by the Foundation to fund the organizational and development expenses of the competition.
The terms of sale will be agreed in advance between the organizers and the author.
Works that remain unsold as a result of the exhibition sale will be entrusted to the organizers for safekeeping, with the purpose of facilitating future sales.
Any proceeds generated from such sales will be distributed in accordance with the established 50/50 ratio: 50% to the author and 50% to support the organizational and development needs of the competition.