Art of Everyday
Curated by: Claudia James-Bartlett and Guusje Sanders
A global, multi-disciplinary art competition by Vanguard Culture + Aarize
Culture doesn’t just live in museums or concert halls. It’s etched into our streets, simmering in our kitchens, vibrating through our music, and carried in the rituals of daily life. It’s the spark of human connection, the poetry in the ordinary, the grit and beauty that surround us when we stop to look closer.
Art of Everyday invites artists of all disciplines and skill levels to reveal how culture breathes through their world. From photography, painting, and sculpture to poetry, digital art, and beyond — we want to experience the creativity that emerges from the everyday.
Whether it’s a fleeting moment or a monumental gesture, this is your chance to show us how you see culture: alive, evolving, and deeply human.
This is more than a competition — it’s an invitation to become both artist and storyteller, illuminating the unseen artistry woven through daily life.
Celebrate the ordinary. Make it extraordinary. Frame your culture. Inspire the world.
Prizes That Put You in the Spotlight
- A featured spread in Vanguard Culture’s award-winning digital arts magazine
- VIP 2026 Vanguard Culture Season Pass granting access to our most inspiring cultural events
- An exclusive meet-and-greet with a leading figure in the creative industry
- A showcase opportunity at a Vanguard Culture event, pop-up, or curated exhibition
- A behind-the-scenes experience with one of Vanguard Culture’s many partnering cultural institutions.
- Your winning work featured on limited-edition Vanguard Culture merchandise — with 75% net revenue returned to you
- An Instagram spotlight to share your artistic process and vision with our global creative community
- A cash prize powered by entry proceeds!
- And perhaps most importantly: receive a curator’s statement about your work — offering professional recognition, critical insight, and meaningful context for your artistic journey
How to Enter
– Submit your artwork, poem or other creative 2D work AND a 200–300 word artist statement through https://aarize.com/contests/6
– Deadline Extended: November 22, 2025 at 11:59 PM (PST)
– Submission Fee: $10 per entry
– Entries will be reviewed by a panel of notable Vanguard Culture curators, artists, and creative leaders.
Important Dates
- October 10 – November 22 → Contest is live
- January 2026 → Winner announced and prizes activated throughout the year
MEET THE JUDGES:
Claudia James-Bartlett is Director and Owner of photo l.a., the longest running international photographic art fair on the West Coast. She has been directing major projects and connecting figures in the art world for decades. Claudia started her career working with several galleries and art publications in Los Angeles, which including Gagosian Gallery and Artforum. In 2002, she co-founded Hayworth Gallery with her husband, Peter Bartlett. The gallery aimed to provide a platform for the work of young, emerging artists, where they could immediately network and jumpstart their careers post-school. In tandem with directing and producing photo l.a. she was Director at Cohen Gallery, Los Angeles from 2011-2017, where she exhibited and integrated the works of new photographers with classic photography.
Guusje Sanders, originally from the Netherlands and residing in the United States since 2006, joined Mingei International Museum‘s curatorial team as Curator in August 2023. Most recently she curated Boundless: Reflections of Southern California Landscapes in Midcentury Studio Ceramics and Restitched: Feed Sacks in Mid-Twentieth Century Quilts and co-curated Blue Gold: The Art and Science of Indigo, presented as part of Getty’s PST ART: Art and Science Collide. Prior to this position, she served as the Associate Curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art, San Diego, formerly Lux Art Institute for 6 years. Approaching her curatorial practice as a platform for diverse voices, she places a strong emphasis on accessibility and curatorial and institutional accountability. Sanders holds a Master’s in Exhibition and Museum Studies from the San Francisco Art Institute and a Bachelor’s in Art History from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
