SACRED ART PRIZE
2026
Competition & Exhibition Prospectus
Seeking the finest contemporary sacred art for an online juried exhibition to be published in November 2026 hosted by the Catholic Art Institute and a live exhibition in 2027, at The Sacred Art Gallery, in Phoenix, AZ.
The Sacred Art Prize reaches a world-wide audience and offers the opportunity for finalists to showcase and sell their work.
Sr. Mary Paula Beierschmitt I.H.M. Grand Prize: $2500
Sponsored by Canning Liturgical Arts
Second Prize:
$750
Third Place:
$250
Call for Entry Opens: March 16, 2026
Call Closes: October 20, 2026
Winners Announced: November 20, 2026
2026 Sacred Art Prize Jurors
Enzo Selvaggi
Principal, Creative Directorr,
Heritage Liturgical
https://www.heritageliturgical.com/
Enzo Selvaggi is a liturgical designer and artist whose work stands at the intersection of theology, art, and sacred tradition. His work is guided by a profound understanding of the liturgy, the Church’s artistic patrimony, and the practical demands of worship.
His young life was formed in Southern Italy, in a culture where faith, architecture, and craftsmanship have been inseparable for centuries. His early academic formation in Italy included formal studies in philosophy and theology, followed by entrance into seminary, an experience that continues to inform his deeply theological approach to sacred and liturgical art as well as classical and traditional architecture.
After relocating to the United States, Enzo deepened his relationship with monumental art, classical composition, and enduring materials. He expanded his artistic training under renowned French muralist Michel Nadaï. This rare combination of theological formation and personal artistic apprenticeship has shaped his distinctive voice in the field of liturgical design.
In 2008, Enzo founded Heritage Liturgical, a studio dedicated to the classical design and manufacture of sacred art rooted in the tradition of the Church. His goal was to distinguish his studio’s fabrication by uncompromising craftsmanship.
In addition, Enzo’s commitment to education of Christian communities as part of the development of art and architecture brings an apostolic character to his work. Education as catechesis and consensus building within the mind of the Church was cemented by his selection of Dr. Denis McNamara to develop education programs available to Heritage Liturgical and its clients.
Enzo’s current projects encompass the full spectrum of liturgical art and architecture, notably church building and renovation, private chapels, furnishings and decoration such as altars, sacred vessels, tabernacles, fine carved wood paneling, as well as sourcing and procurement of natural stone and traditional materials.
Kathleen Carr
Kathleen Carr is an award-winning, classically trained painter, illustrator, and designer. She earned her BFA from the Maryland Institute College .
Her paintings have received recognition from the BP Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London, The Portrait Society of America, The Art Renewal Center Salon, The Salmagundi Club, The Butler Institute of American Art and many others.
She's an experienced web designer working for major media including Washington Post and National Geographic.
In higher education, she worked as Design Program Head and taught in the undergraduate program at the Corcoran College of Art in Washington DC.
Her design and illustration work has been recognized by Communication Arts, Adobe, and Apple Quicktime.
She studied classical painting with Scott Waddell, of Grand Central Atelier , Robert Liberace of the Art Student's League, and Dan Thompson of Studio Incamminati.
The Sacred Art Prize 2026 Prospectus
PLEASE FOLLOW THE FILE UPLOAD AND IMAGE NAMING INSTRUCTIONS
CAREFULLY BEFORE ENTERING
Uploaded files must contain your name and the other details we request so we know
who created the work. Any files that do not contain your name and submission details will be disqualified.
Submission Criteria:
Evident Mastery of the Artistic Medium: employed:meeting high standards in the fundamental facets of the artistic craft including mature competency in the use of the human figure.
Content: Biblical or Ecclesiastical subjects suitable for pious devotional and/or liturgical use while demonstrating knowledge and continuity of historical artistic practice in the Catholic tradition.
Effectiveness in Sacramental Revelation: works of art which reach beyond a mere copy of an earthly object, portrait of a model, political statement, or the technological process, will be given preference.
Subjects Sought:
Subjects sought include Biblical or Ecclesiastical subjects scenes - examples: Life, Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ; other biblical scenes, stories, and characters; depictions of the saints and their lives; depictions of the seven sacraments; personifications of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, virtues and vices, icons and so on.
Please read this article in the Sacred Architecture Journal, by sculptor, Cody Swanson, for guidance on the correct theological approach to sacred art and the types of work the jurors are seeking for this call: https://www.sacredarchitecture.org/articles/the_human_figure_and_contemporary_sacred_art
This video contains extremely valuable information about theological approaches to sacred art: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3c1OrRusGk&t=129s
Subject Restrictions:
Media limited to representational painting, illumination, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, liturgical textiles, stained glass, mosaic, altar furnishings, and devotional items such as medals, monstrances, vestments, etc.
Artwork must be recognizable and appropriate for liturgical use, public or private devotion.
No photography, hyper-realism, or computer-generated art will be accepted. AI submissions will be disqualified.
Subjects which will not be considered include:
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copies of existing works (excluding Icons), unless the copy interrupts the existing work, adding or editing it in some new way.
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portrayals of non-canonized persons as saints
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works which are only recognizably religious from their titles
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scenes of the exterior or interior of churches (unless the work is illustrating an important religious/historical event or the administration of the sacraments)
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mass produced statues which have been painted or statue restoration projects.
Eligibility
All submitted works are eligible for the competition's online gallery regardless of size or if for sale/NFS. The winners gallery will be published in Nov 2026
For the gallery show:
Paintings for the exhibition should be no longer than 42 in height or width.
Sculptures shouldn't exceed 100 lbs or 20 in in height or width.
This competition and exhibition is open to any artist over the age of 18, professional or amateur, of any religious background.
All entries must be original, by the submitting artist, and created within the past ten years. Limit five entries per artist. Works need not be for sale to be eligible for the virtual exhibition on the Catholic Art Institute website, but only works for sale are eligible for the live exhibition in January 2026 at the Sacred Art Gallery.
Please mark your submission NFS (not for sale) or if the work is for sale, please take into consideration market value and the 50% commission for sales from The Sacred Art Gallery. The Sacred Art Gallery will donate a portion of sales to the Catholic Art Institute.
If you have any questions about eligibility please email contact@catholicartinstitute.org.
Submission Process:
Please complete the entry form at the bottom of this page and upload images by selecting how many images you plan to upload depending on your member type. Upon clicking on the number of images you'd like upload, the form will display upload form field boxes for attaching each image.
Please label your images with artists name, title, size, medium, price/nfs. Images not labeled properly will be disqualified. Following is submission label examples:
1. John_Doe_Annunciation_16x20_oil_canvas_$2000.jpg
2. John_Doe_Nativity_18x24_oil_canvas_$2500.jpg
3. John_Doe_St_Joseph_18x24_oil_canvas_$2500.jpg
After you upload your images you will be required to provide a list with details about each submission include first/last name, title of submission, dimension, medium, price/NFS. Please prepare your list to look like this:
1. John Doe, Annunciation, 16 x 20", oil on canvas, $2000
2. John Doe, Nativity, 18 x 24", oil on canvas, $2500
3. John Doe, St. Joseph, 18 x 24", oil on canvas, $2500
Submissions can be paid for by credit card or PayPal. We cannot accept wire transfers or other forms of payment.
If you wish to enter the competition from outside the US and cannot use PayPal or have any issues paying by card, please email contact@catholicartinstitute.org and we will work with you to find a way to receive your entry fees.
Submission Fees:
Members of the CAI: $35 for 1-3 entries, $10 per additional entry for a maximum of 5 entries.
Non-members: $50 for 1-3 entries, $15 per additional entry for a maximum of 5 entries
Please disable pop-up blockers and other software that will prevent the payment page from loading.
The payment page could take several seconds to appear, please be patient.
If the payment page fails to appear, please email contact@catholicartinstitute.org for assistance.
Image Requirements:
Each uploaded image file label must be formatted to include your first name, last name, title of work, medium, price (or NFS) and dimensions (in inches). For example: John Angelico_Annunciation_tempera on panel_$3000_12x12.jpg
Failure to do this may result in disqualification. This will ensure that the information you submit in your entry form matches the information on your file label and thus guarantee accuracy in the gallery listing.
Please provide clear images large enough to view and show detail. Images should be between 1-4 MB each, and not to exceed 25 MB for entire form entry. Images should be in JPEG format. Large printable files that exceed 5MB will not upload correctly to the form.
We cannot assist participants in preparing their images but if you have questions, please feel free to email us at contact@catholicartinstitute.org.
By entering the competition you consent to allowing the Catholic Art Institute to display images of your work on the Catholic Art Institute website and social media accounts, if you are selected for the exhibition.
Sales and Shipping:
Artists are responsible for shipping their work to The Sacred Art Gallery or hand delivering and pick up, if the work doesn't sell..
For the safe delivery of your work, we strongly recommend using a reinforced Airfloat Strongbox ,or Masterpak Titan Strongbox for shipping work to and from the gallery. Shipped work is required to include a pre-paid return shipping label, in the event the work needs to be returned at the end of the show.
We also recommend insuring shipped work through your shipping carrier.
Please do not use packing peanuts, work shipped with packing peanuts will be disqualified.
Sales commission for the live exhibition at The Sacred Art Gallery, in late January 2025, is 50%, with a portion going to the Catholic Art Institute.
The Catholic Art Institute is not responsible for loss or damage to the artwork while in transit, please insure your work if you're shipping it.
Winners and Finalists
The 2025 winners gallery will feature additional categories and awards for recognition in painting, sculpture, drawing, etc.
The winners and finalists will be announced on November 20, 2025 with efforts to help promote and sell the finalists work.
Artists will be notified about works selected for The Sacred Art Gallery show and provided with detailed instructions including dates and deadlines for hand delivering or shipping work to the gallery. The Sacred Art Prize live show will hang for a month during the high tourist season in Phoenix, AZ.
The jurors will award a first, second, third and honorable mentions by category for painting, sculpture, mural, drawing, etc. Only three cash prizes will be award amongst all the recognized works, but additional designations will be given by category.
The jurors reserve the right to award or withhold the number of honorable mentions or otherwise based in the submissions.