Exhibits & Contests

Exhibits are open to members and non-members. Entries for exhibits are FREE! Ribbons are awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. 

Contests are open to members and non-members. 

Entry fees for contests.

• Student Art Category – 9 years and under: Free to enter; 1st, 2nd, 3rd place ribbons awarded
• Student Art Category – 10 – 18 years: Free to enter; 1st, 2nd, 3rd place ribbons awarded
• Adult  Art Category – 19 years and older: $25 Entry fee for members; $45 Entry fee for non-members (Includes a one-year complimentary membership to Garrard Arts); 1st place cash prize for adults

Rules for exhibits AND contests

• Open to all artists of any age working in any medium including but not limited to drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, glass, metal, crafts, needlework, or mixed media.
• All work will be juried to ensure the work is family friendly.
• 2-Dimensional entries must have finished edges or be framed. Each entry must have a wire for hanging. Entries can be no smaller than 5 x 6 inches or larger than 16 x 24 inches.
• 3-Dimensional entries can be no larger than 12 x 12 x 25 inches. 
• Each artist may enter up to 3 pieces

March CONTEST – Photo Contest – THEME: Kentucky History & Heritage in recognition of the America 250th Birthday Celebration – Photos due Tuesday, March 10, 2026

What is the difference between history and heritage?  History is what happened in the past. Heritage is what it means to us, how we remember and commemorate, the stories we tell.

Heritage is happening now; history occurred in the past.

A photo of a historical site or building is history; a photo of the commemoration of a historical event is heritage.

May EXHIBIT– THEME: Celebrating America's Birthday - 250 Years of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.  What does America's birthday mean to you? Express it through art and enter our exhibit. Open to all types of art, all ages. Artwork due Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Art will be displayed at the Garrard County Public Library during the Rural Heritage Festival in Lancaster, KY.   Garrard County entries in the Junior American Citizens Art Contest submitted to the Governor James Garrard Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) will also be displayed. 

June Exhibit – Mellow Yellow - Artwork due Tuesday, June 9, 2026