COMPETITIONS
Join us on Sunday, April 26, 2026, for a juried oil portrait sketching competition hosted by Lyme Academy in collaboration with From Life: Figurative Art Competitions. Tickets are limited to seventy participants. Registration will open soon.
Schedule:
- 9:00 – 9:30 am: Registration
- 9:30 am: Easel Assignment by Lottery
- 10:00 am: Competition Starts
- 12:30 – 1 pm: Lunch Break
- 3:30 pm: Competition Judging by Jurors
- 3:30 pm: Group Photograph; Complementary Food and Beverages
- 4:30 pm: Awards Announced
Prizes:
Monetary Prizes to be announced
Jurors: to be announced
Entrance Ticket Price:
- General Artists: $55.00
Tickets will not be available at the door, and all ticket purchases are final.
Location:
Lyme Academy of Fine Arts
84 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, Connecticut 06371
Parking & Directions:
On-site parking is available. For more information and directions, click here.
Terms and Conditions
Rules and Terms
- The competition is open to all.
- Oil or acrylic paint is acceptable, with oil preferred; no drawings or watercolors.
- Participants must register in advance; no registrations will be accepted on the day of the event.
- Once a participant has registered, no refunds will be issued.
- Studio and easel positions will be assigned by lottery.
- All works must not exceed 16 x 20 inches in size.
- The judging process is blind; artwork should not be signed.
- All participants must leave the studios during the judging process.
- All participants are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful, professional, and considerate manner throughout the event.
- During the event, participants are expected to maintain focus on the competition and refrain from disruptive behavior that could interfere with others’ experience.
- If any issues or concerns arise, participants are encouraged to communicate respectfully with event organizers or staff for resolution.
- Participants who fail to adhere to the Academy’s conduct guidelines may be asked to leave the event and be disqualified from future participation.
Studio Policies
Studio policies and procedures are designed to maintain a healthy and safe environment for all participants. By participating in this event, you agree to adhere to these policies.
- Campus buildings are non-smoking; we ask that you use the parking lot as a designated area to smoke.
- None of the school’s furniture (easels, drawing tables, stools, modeling stands, etc.) may be removed from the studios.
- Any person causing damage to the casts or other school property will be held financially and legally responsible.
- Please leave all studios and easels clean and free of trash.
- Do not wash oil or solvents down the drain.
- The Lyme Academy is not responsible for the loss or damage of personal belongings or artwork. Any material, artwork, or other personal property left in the school after the event will be disposed of.
- Please dispose of painting rags and towels in the designated red metal oily waste cans.
- Only odorless solvents are allowed. Turpentine is prohibited.
Model Policies
- Models will take a 5 min. break every 20 min.
- Models should never be touched.
- No photography of models is allowed without their permission.
- The competition organizers and studio monitors will be responsible for choosing the poses.
- All individuals, including models, must refrain from talking while the model is posing. Cell phones should be set to silent mode.
