YMA 2027
National Art Competition
Hosted at Bergen Town Center | Official Venue & Event Partner
Cash Awards / Month-long exhibition at BTC / Featured Catalog/ Certificate of Achievement / Ceremony At BTC
Deadline: 01/11/2027
Exhibition & Ceremony: February. 2027
SHOW
US
YOUR
WORK
AT
BTC
Who Can Enter?
Students in K-12 (Kindergartener - 12th) reside in United States can apply Young Masters Awards art contest.
Students in any age or grade with differing abilities reside in United States can apply as well.
How to Enter
Please submit the form 'here' or use 'Application' tab at the top menubar.
Make sure to fill in all of the information.
Theme
There is no set theme for Young Masters Awards. You are free to express any ideas!
YMA 2027 COMPETITION
TIMELINE
YMA x BTC National Art Contest 2027 application will be available starting October 1st.
The winners, honorable mention, and special selected pieces will be exhibited at the Bergen Town Center in Paramus, New Jersey. (Bergen Town Center, Paramus, NJ 07652)
Exact exhibition date may change due to the BTC events.
October
1st, 2026
Application for Young Masters Awards open.
Jan
11th, 2027
Young Masters Awards application deadline.
January 11th. 2027 11:59:59PM EST
Jan
15th, 2027
Art Competition winners are announced.
All winning pieces will be exhibited at Bergen Town Center
Please send the framed winning artwork to the affiliated studio, 370 Art Studios located at Palisades Park, New Jers by no later than February 10th Saturday.
February
2027
Awards winners ceremony at Bergen Town Center.
YMA x BTC catalog will be available on-site.
Awards & Prizes
Top 10 Winners: $150
K-5th Grade Division Award: $100
6-8th Grade Division Award: $100
9-12th Grade Division Award: $100
Honorable Mention - $50
Other Benefits
- Certificate of Achievement
- 1- Month long art exhibition at BTC
- Award Ceremony at BTC
- Featured on Young Masters Awards online gallery
- Featured on Bergen Town Center
- Featured on YMA printed catalog
YMA 2027 JURY PANEL
Meet the cultural leaders, artists, curators and creative thinkers shaping this year’s Teen Art Awards.
The Young Masters Awards is honored to feature a panel of judges who bring diverse experience from across the art industry. Our judges include accomplished artists, curators, educators, and art professionals with backgrounds in galleries, exhibitions, and creative institutions both nationally and internationally. Each judge offers a unique perspective, ensuring that every student artwork is reviewed with fairness, depth, and respect for creativity, originality, and artistic growth. Together, this distinguished panel is dedicated to recognizing young talent, encouraging artistic confidence, and celebrating the next generation of creative voices to be exhibited at Bergen Town Center.
YMA Executive Director
Chulsoon Jung
Chulsoon Jung is the founder of YMA and a contemporary visual artist dedicated to educating and mentoring teen and adult students in visual arts. He collaborates with a wide range of industry artists to provide advanced learning opportunities and help students achieve higher artistic and professional success.
Senior Animator at Blizzard
John John Han
John Han is a senior cinematic animator at Blizzard Entertainment, where he contributes to high-profile game cinematics and visual storytelling for major Blizzard titles. He loves finding beauty in all things, whether through animation or life drawing.
Senior Motion Graphic Artist
Juan Gonzalez
Juan Gonzalez is a Technical Director with a decade of experience bridging the gap between artistic vision and technical execution. He works with artists, businesses, and directors to realize their creative ideas to life across various sizes and formats.
Rules & Guideline
Art Category
Only 2-D art works; Drawing, Painting, Mixed Media, Digital Art & Illustration, Cartoon & Comic Art, Photography.
Artwork Size: Any size under 18 x 24 inches width or height whichever is longer.
*Young Masters Awards DOES NOT ACCEPT Ai-Generated art.
*Please read rules and guide on the each contest page for more detail.
Entry Fee
$25 per entry (with multi entry discount)
*upto 5 entries
Eligibility
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Open to students in Grades K–12 residing in the United States.
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Students with differing abilities may participate with no age or grade limitation.
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Individual submissions only, unless otherwise specified.
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All entries must be submitted by the deadline to be eligible.
Categories
Participants may submit artwork under one of the following categories:
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Drawing (pencil. charcoal, pastel, ink, etc.)
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Painting (watercolor, acrylic, oil, etc.)
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Mixed Media
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Cartoon & Comic Art
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Digital Art & Illustration
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Photography
Each student may submit up to 5 entries
Theme
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Open Theme — any topic or subject matter allowed
Every creation holds a heartbeat.
We embrace art that carries a personal journey, a moment of truth, or a story only the artist has lived.
Submission Guidelines
Visual Art
(Architecture & Sculpture, Mixed Media, Drawing & Illustration, Painting, Cartoon & Comic Art, Digital Drawing, Photography)
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All artworks must be submitted through our website.
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Students may submit up to 10 visual art pieces per entry.
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Art work title must follow the guideline. (FirstName_LastName_Title_Category)
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EX) Chris_Han_Giants_Painting
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Artworks must be submitted as high-resolution photographs
(Minimum image size of 2,000 pixels on either the width or height)
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Accepted file formats: JPG, PNG, PDF
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File size 15mb max each
Originality Requirements
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All entries must be the student’s original work.
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Use of copyrighted images, characters, logos, AI-generated images, or direct copying is strictly prohibited.
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Students may use references, but the interpretation must be uniquely their own.
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Entries that violate copyright or originality rules will be disqualified.
Judging Criteria
Judges will evaluate artworks based on:
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Creativity & Originality – unique ideas and personal voice
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Technical Skill – craftsmanship and control of medium
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Composition & Design – visual balance and clarity
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Expression & Message – emotional or conceptual impact
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Overall Presentation
All judging decisions are final.
Disqualification
Entries may be disqualified for:
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Copyright infringement or plagiarism
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Submitting AI-generated artwork
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Providing false student information
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Submitting files that do not meet format requirements
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Missing the submission deadline
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Violating any contest rule
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Missing payments
Artwork Rights
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Students retain full copyright ownership of their artwork.
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By entering the contest, participants grant the Organizer a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce, display, and promote the artwork for:
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exhibitions
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online galleries
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marketing and promotional materials
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award announcements
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Participants may request to revoke permission, but previously published materials cannot be removed retroactively.
