2025 WAFTA CONTEMPORARY REALISM
COMPETITION AND EXHIBIT

Left and Center Artworks by Sandra Wakeen; Right Artwork by Susan Wakeen

 About the Exhibition

August 9 – August 30, 2025

The WAFTA Contemporary Realism Competition and Exhibition is a juried show featuring the artists’ best works of contemporary realism in painting, drawing, and sculpture.

The exhibition will be on view at the Watson Gallery, in the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center in Wethersfield, Connecticut.   

Please review the following information and if you have any questions, please call the Academy at (860) 994-8304 or e-mail us at info@wethersfieldarts.org

Submission Guideline
Artists must complete and submit the entry form by August 3, 2025

Accepted painting and drawing media include sculpture, oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, pastel, graphite, charcoal, scratchboard, pen and ink, and pencil.

Prints (including giclées), kits, and AI generated artworks are ineligible. Using a print as an underpainting is also prohibited.

The submission fee is $25.00 for each submission. Artists who submit two or more works will receive a one year membership to the Academy! Image files should be high resolution (at least 300 ppi) jpegs, or be in pdf. format. Artists retain all copyrights to submitted images and represented artwork.  By entering the competition, artists selected to exhibit grant Wethersfield Academy for the Arts the rights to use the selected image(s) on social media, our website, and in printed materials for promotional purposes.

All submissions require artist’s name, title of the work, size, medium, and retail price. All works must be for sale with a retail price included. If a painting is sold, artists receive 70% of the sale price.

(The Academy retains the right to exclude work that significantly differs from submitted images or is not appropriately framed. Metal frames and unframed works are not permitted.)

Awards

JURISTS’ AWARD
The winning artist will be awarded $1,000 cash prize.

HONORED WORKS
Three works will be selected as Honored Works, finalists to the Jurists’ Award, and will receive a $50 cash prize.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
One work will be selected for the People’s Choice Award. Visitors to the Watson Gallery during the length of the exhibition will be able to vote for their most favored, with the winner receiving a $200 cash prize.

Juror of Awards

This is a double juried competition. Panelists Kimberly Monson (KimberlyMonson.com) and Ken Goshen (Goshen Art Academy) will select finalists among the submitted works, with each of the finalists earning a spot in the exhibition. Kimberly and Ken will base selection primarily on the technical skill demonstrated in the work. Of the finalists, final round panelists Sandra Wakeen (Sandra Wakeen Atelier) and Susan Wakeen (SusanWakeen.com) will choose Honored Works and the recipient of the competition’s ultimate prize, the Jurists’ Award, based on both technical skill and execution of the artist’s vision.

Jurors select paintings for the show from the images submitted, but awards are determined after the paintings have been delivered.

Exhibition Information

The WAFTA Exhibition will be displayed at the Watson Gallery, Keeney Center in Old Wethersfield, Connecticut from August 9 through August 30. Please visit the Watson Gallery and recognize these auspicious works of contemporary realism.

Important Dates:

Aug 3: Submission Deadline
Aug 5: Artists are notified if they are selected
Aug 6-7: Drop-off dates for selected artworks
Aug 9: Opening 
Aug 31: Pick-up date