Who can enter into the contest?
Anyone connected to the rare disease community can submit artwork; including caregivers, patients, physicians, siblings, and friends. We have three different categories dependent on age, anyone who is ages 4+ can enter. You do not need to be a professional artist or hold any sort of credentials in order to enter into the contest.
Anyone can participate in the voting portion of the contest for the public vote via Facebook. We ask that all individuals participating in voting respect the rules. Voters are allowed one vote per art piece every 10 days. You do not have to have a submission in the contest to vote. You do not have to be affiliated with a rare disease in order to vote. The spirit of the contest is about spreading awareness. We encourage you to share artwork in the public vote to your communities.
What are the prizes?
Contest awardees are granted cash prizes and an opportunity to showcase their art work at the Rare Artist Reception during Rare Disease Week on Capitol Hill. When entering into the contest, we ask that the artwork entered represents the age of the artist. If you are submitting on behalf of someone else, please submit by the age of the artist, not of your own.
Cash prizes according to age groups are as follows;
Children (4-11) – $100
Teen (12-18) – $250
Adult (19+) – $500
Additionally, your artwork will be uploaded to the Rare Artist Website Gallery. Rare Art will also showcase throughout the year at various patient and industry events.
When are the deadlines?
The 2020 Rare Artist Contest will be accepting submissions on Facebook (for the public vote) between June 16th and October 1st @5pm EST.
The 2020 Rare Artist Contest will continue to accept submissions through email until October 30th @5pm EST. Voting for the public vote will also close on October 30th @5pm EST.
Once all categories of awards have been deliberated, awardees will be privately notified by December 11th, 2020.
We will publicly announce all 2020 Rare Artist awardees on January 15th, 2021.
Where do I go to submit?
For those interested in being included in the public Facebook vote, please go here.
For those who do not have a Facebook account, or DO NOT wish to participate in the public vote, please send submissions to lcundiff@everylifefoundation.org
Why should I enter?
The primary goal of the Rare Artist program is to spread awareness about rare diseases and amplify the stories behind the art work. Participating in the Rare Artist Contest is another way to get your voice heard. Sharing your artwork in front of Congress and other attendees during Rare Disease Week on Capitol Hill is advocacy. Participating in the voting process on Facebook and cheering on your fellow advocate through social media is advocacy.
We want to foster Artists into Advocates and this program can help get you there!
Rare Artist Webinar June 30th, 2020
Instructional webinar on the 2020 Rare Artist Contest. Rare Artist programs curator, Lindsey Cundiff, goes over a step-by-step process for submitting your art on Facebook and how to increase your likes for the public vote category. Webinar also includes guest speaker, Mariah Fisher, an awardee from the 2019 Rare Artist Contest in the Teen category. Mariah shares her experience on Capitol Hill and talks about how she got a mention in her local newspaper.
ABOUT RARE ARTIST – Learn more
Rare Artist is a program of the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases.
