The Alpine Fellowship Visual Arts Prize 2026
The Alpine Fellowship Visual Arts Prize 2026 is now open for entries!
The Alpine Fellowship Visual Arts Prize 2026, annual international competition now is accepting applications from artist worldwide and the prize this year is awarded for the best visual arts response to the theme “JOY“.
Short description
The Alpine Fellowship Visual Art Prize 2026 international visual arts competition has been recently organised by the Alpine Fellowship and designed to support, recognise, and promote emerging and established artists from around the world.
The prize invites artists working in any visual medium to submit original artwork that responds thoughtfully and creatively to the annual theme, which for 2026 is JOY.
By encouraging deep artistic engagement with a universal yet complex concept, the prize seeks to highlight work that demonstrates originality, technical skill, and a strong conceptual vision.
All media is permitted, including but not limited to painting, sculpture, photography, video, and installation, stating media, date and, where relevant, size. Piece must not have won an award before or been placed in another competition at any time (including the Alpine Fellowship Visual Arts Prize). Images or artworks generated by articifial intelligence (AI) image generators are not eligible to enter this prize.
Only one entry per person is permitted. You may only submit one artwork in your chosen disciple. If your work is from a larger collection, please choose the single image that best displays the potential of your collection. All entries must be written in English.
Artists are encouraged to interpret the theme broadly, whether through figurative, abstract, experimental, or conceptual approaches.
Every year writing, visual arts, and theatre prizes are awarded to the best works concerning the years’ theme.
Submissions are assessed by a panel of distinguished judges drawn from the international art world, ensuring that shortlisted and winning works reflect both artistic excellence and intellectual depth. The competition provides artists with a valuable opportunity to gain exposure within a respected cultural organisation that champions interdisciplinary creativity.
Who may enter?
The Alpine Fellowship Visual Arts Prize 2026 is open to all nationalities and to any aged 18 and above.
Prize:
The winner and runners-up will receive financial support in the following amounts:
➜ First place: £3,000
➜ Second place: £1,000
➜ Third place: £1,000
Beyond the financial awards, the Alpine Fellowship Visual Art Prize 2026 forms part of a wider programme dedicated to fostering dialogue between the arts, philosophy, and culture.
Winning and shortlisted artists benefit from increased visibility through the Fellowship’s platforms, helping to raise their professional profile and connect their work with a global audience. By combining meaningful prize money with critical recognition, the competition aims to support artists at pivotal stages in their careers while contributing to ongoing conversations about creativity, meaning, and human experience in contemporary visual art.
Entry fees:
There is an entry fee of £10 per entry.
