EYC Lights Parade Poster Contest 2026: US Artists Can Win $2,500 — Apply by 21 October
Artists residing in the United States have until 21 October 2026 to submit original two-dimensional poster artwork for the Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade competition in Annapolis, Maryland. The winning entry receives a US$2,500 prize and will be associated with the annual lighted-boat parade. Organised through the Maryland Federation of Art (MFA), the competition is open to appropriate original 2D media but has specific size, copyright and physical-artwork conditions; it is not a free, international, digital-only open call.
Who is eligible and what should the poster show?
The call is open to artists residing in the United States. The work should represent the Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade, including Annapolis imagery, decorated boats and the club's burgee. An illustrator, printmaker, painter or digital designer may find it relevant if the proposed original artwork meets the official presentation rules. Do not submit a generic boat image: a locally recognisable composition is central to the brief.
Two-dimensional work and AI restrictions
Original two-dimensional artwork is required. The host explicitly excludes AI-generated images, so artists must be able to stand behind the originality of the submitted piece. Entries need to meet the physical size requirements, which include a minimum of 18 by 24 inches and a maximum dimension of 36 inches including framing. Confirm acceptable media, edge dimensions and whether a digital print needs to be supplied as a physical original.
How many entries and how to upload
An applicant may enter no more than two eligible works made within the past three years. The entry portal requires JPEG reproductions within its technical limits: a longest side between 1,500 and 3,000 pixels, and a maximum image-file size of 5 MB. Clear image quality matters for a graphic-design competition; save an archival, print-ready version separately in case the work is selected.
Entry fee, prize and sale terms
The entry fee is US$10 for one or two works and is non-refundable. The selected winning artist receives US$2,500. Artists should also read the organiser's online-sales requirements: work must be listed for sale through MFA's online gallery, with a published commission of 20% (or 15% for MFA members). That commission is distinct from the $10 entry fee and may materially affect whether participation is attractive.
Important: rights and delivery of the original
The winning artist must grant Eastport Yacht Club an irrevocable licence to use the image and provide the original physical artwork as a gift, under the contest's terms. This is a significant rights-and-property obligation. Artists who normally license their images for limited uses, or who would not want to part with the original, should decide whether these conditions are acceptable before entering; do not judge the opportunity solely by the headline prize.
Timeline
The online entry deadline is 21 October 2026. The winner is scheduled to be announced on 12 November, followed by an online exhibition from 13 November through 31 December. Applicants close to the deadline should account for the US time zone used on the MFA website; no particular local closing hour is assumed here unless explicitly stated by the submission portal.
About the organisers
The Maryland Federation of Art is a long-running artist organisation and exhibition platform based in Annapolis. The Eastport Yacht Club's annual Lights Parade is an established local maritime event whose illuminated boats inspire the poster commission. The artistic brief, winner use of imagery and exhibition details are hosted on the MFA's official competition page, not an unofficial contest aggregator.
Official application and disclosure
The current 2026 competition rules, entry portal and image requirements are at https://mdfedart.com/portfolio/eyc/ . Read the complete prospectus before paying. As of 20 October 2026 this is a short-deadline US-resident opportunity; artists outside the US, users of AI-generated art and applicants unwilling to accept the winner's image licence should seek another call.