Tidal Shift Award Competition Overview
The Portland Museum of Art (hereinafter “PMA” and the “Organizers”) are seeking young artists east of the Mississippi River in the continental United States of America (Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and all Native and Indigenous nations therein) between the ages of 14 and 22, to create a work of art contemplating an issue and/or a solution to a crisis facing your community resulting from climate change. Participants can use any medium (e.g. painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, video, all works of paper) or combination of media provided the work meets the size requirements designated in the Official Rules below. The PMA values diversity and encourages young artists of any ethnic or racial identity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ability to apply.
The goal of this competition (hereinafter the “Tidal Shift Competition”) is to showcase, amplify and platform youth perspectives and art to highlight climate change solutions.
Cash prizes will be awarded in two divisions (three (3) prizes awarded per division):
● Division 1-Ages 14-18
● Division 2-Ages 19-22
The Tidal Shift Competition is void where prohibited.
Official Rules and Submission Details (the “Official Rules”)
1. Eligibility Requirements
Except as stated herein, anyone who at the time of entry is between the ages of 14 and 22 and lives east of the Mississippi River in the continental United States of America (Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and all Native and Indigenous nations therein) is eligible to participate in the Tidal Shift Competition. Division placement will be determined by the age of the participant at the time of submission. The following participants are not eligible for juried cash prizes: employees, contractors, consultants, directors and officers of the Organizers, their affiliated companies, distributors, web design, advertising, fulfillment, judging and agencies involved in the administration, development, fulfillment and execution of the Tidal Shift Competition and the immediate family members of each (spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, and spouse or "step" of each) and those living in their same households (those persons whether related or not who live in the same residence for at least three months during the twelve-month period preceding the start date of the Tidal Shift Competition).
2. Basic Conditions of Entry
Participants must be between 14 and 22 years of age at the time of application in order to submit an Entry. If the applicant is under the age of 18, the application must include Parent or Legal Guardian’s Name, Email and signed Artwork Permission Form and Liability Waiver. If the applicant is between the ages of 18-22 years of age at the time of application, the application must include the applicant’s name, email and signed Artwork Permission Form and Liability Waiver.
• The Participant’s (and/or their Guardian’s) primary email address must be correct in order to receive confirmation of submission and other notifications. It is highly recommended that Participants make every effort to ensure the Tidal Shift Competition email is not identified as spam.
• An Entry must include the following:
o A completed application form (“Application Form”);
o Participant’s original artwork that contains an environmental stewardship component, (i.e., The responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices to enhance ecosystem resilience and human well-being.)
o A checklist of artworks, including title, date, medium, and dimensions as well as any specific display requirements and/or special installation instructions (Word or PDF document preferred);
Participants must fill in all fields of the Application Form and provide any additional information requested in these Official Rules.
Each Application Form must be accompanied by the submitted artwork. The Participant may submit a maximum of 5 digital photos (.jpg file type preferred) or 1 video. Photos must be at least 72 dpi and 1,000 pixels on their shortest side and must not to exceed 10MB. Videos must be at least 720p (and recommend 1080p) or higher and no more than 7 minutes (00:07:00) in length of time;
A work statement of up to 250 words must be attached to the Application Form;
All completed Application Forms must be in English, include the documentation requested, and include the Entry Title, Participant’s Name, Age, Mailing Address as well as Email Address.
Additional information such as a contact phone number may also be required;
Each Participant may apply only once during the submission window (deadline is January 31, 2025);
Entries can be submitted electronically.
A group of artists can apply as one Participant; at the same time any artist who belongs to a group that has applied can apply individually with a different piece of artwork as a separate Participant;
Each Participant agrees to take part in the Award Exhibition if selected by the Juror Panel;
Each Participant agrees to pass to the Organizers all rights to use an image of his/her/their artwork for publication and communication;
All Entries submitted will be considered final and treated as such. A Participant may not amend their Entry once it has been submitted. All incomplete or duplicate applications will be immediately disqualified;
A submitted Entry shall be deemed accepted once the Participant receives confirmation by email. If the Entry is not in compliance with the Official Rules, the Participant will not receive such confirmation;
A Participant may be asked at any time to provide all relevant proof of the accuracy of any submitted information to the satisfaction of the Organizers;
The Organizers and the Juror Panel have the unilateral right to exclude a Participant's application which does not comply with the Official Rules;
All submitted Entries will receive recognition from PMA leadership and the Participants of such Entries will be honored for their efforts to protect the environment;
Any Entry must not be posted on the internet until after April 22, 2025, except by the Organizers or their representatives unless the Participant is specifically authorized to do so;
No Entry shall be entered in another art contest during the Tidal Shift Competition; and
Registration and participation in the Tidal Shift Competition is free of charge.
If you have any questions or need assistance in completing your Entry, please email info@tidalshiftaward.com and we will do our best to try and assist you and/or accommodate your individual needs to the extent we are able.
3. Entry Deadlines
An Entry will only be considered for judging that has been submitted with a complete Application Form, Artwork Permission Form & Liability Waiver and accompanying documentation by the designated deadline.
Submissions window closes: January 31, 2025
Winners Announced: April 15, 2025.
*All Winners will have their Entry exhibited in the Portland, Maine area on or about April 22, conditions permitting (the “Award Exhibition”). If applicable to category, all Winner Entries must be pre-framed and wall-mount compatible. It will be the responsibility of the Winner to send their Entry at their cost to the designated location by the date/time listed in the Winner announcement. The PMA is not responsible for any damage that may occur in transport.
Winner Entries can be retrieved at the end of the Award Exhibition by the artist, parent or guardian at Portland, Maine area location or by shipment. Any Entry not retrieved by December 31, 2025 with no prior communication may be donated to other entities.
NOTE: Finalists may be required to provide a short video with a discussion of information requested by the judges. This will aid the judges as they select the winners. Finalists will be given details of how to record and upload this video in the Finalist email notification they receive. If the required information is not received by the date listed in the email, the artwork will not be able to be considered for judging as a possible winner.
4. Confirmation of Entry
Each Participant will receive a confirmation of Entry once the submission has been received and the submitted Entry has been properly uploaded. If the link to the Entry does not work properly, the Entry will not be accepted and you will not receive a confirmation. Be sure the email you provide on the Application Form is correct. If you believe you have submitted your completed Entry and have not received a confirmation of submission within 24 hours of submission, it is the responsibility of the Participant to send an email to info@tidalshiftaward.com to determine the status of the Entry. Write “Tidal Shift Submission” in the subject line and give a detailed description of the Entry. The Entry will then be reviewed for final acceptance and the Participant will receive another email notifying them of its approval. If the Participant does not receive this notification regarding approval of the Entry within 72 hours, an email requesting confirmation of approval should be sent to PMA at info@tidalshiftaward.com with the subject line reading “Tidal Shift Entry.” All artwork must be approved to be part of the Tidal Shift Competition. If artwork is submitted on January 31, 2025, the last date for this request to be received and reviewed by PMA is January 31, 2025 @ 5:00 PM EST.
5. Agreement and Indemnification
By submitting an entry (the “Entry”), each participant (the “Participant”) warrants and represents that the Participant owns all rights to the Entry he/she/they are entering in the Tidal Shift Competition and is the sole work of the Participant. By submitting an Entry, Participant agrees to the Official Rules, and further agrees to defend, indemnify and hold the Organizers and their respective affiliates, officers, directors, agents, co-branders or other partners, and any of their employees (collectively, the “Indemnitees”), harmless from any and all claims, damages, expenses, costs (including reasonable attorney’s fees) and liabilities (including settlements), brought or asserted by any third party against any of the Indemnitees due to or arising out of the Participant’s Entry materials, or the Participant’s conduct during and in connection with the Tidal Shift Competition, including, without limitation, to trademark, copyright or other intellectual property rights, right of publicity, right of privacy or defamation.
6. Participant Agreement
Participants will be required to agree to the Official Rules. If under the legal age of majority in their state of residence, the Participant’s parent or legal guardian must agree on their behalf by signing the Permission Form and Liability Waiver for Student Artwork.
By submitting an Entry, the Participant agrees to these Official Rules, which set forth the rights of Participant, on the one hand, and the Organizers, on the other hand, with respect to the use of Entries by the Organizers. Entries that do not include all required information and adhere to the foregoing and following requirements will be considered void and will not be considered for prizes in this Tidal Shift Competition.
7. Entry Costs
All costs associated with the production for the Entry are solely the responsibility of the Participant.
All Finalists will be required to send their Entry at their cost to the designated location by the date/time listed in the Finalist Announcement and to retrieve it at the end of the Award Exhibition by the date/time communicated in that announcement. Any submission not retrieved by December 31, 2025, may be donated to another entity.
8. Designated Participant
If any group of age eligible individuals elects to collaborate on an Entry, they are required to designate the oldest Participant in the group to be the agent and primary point of contact for the group. The age of the oldest Participant in the group will determine the Division under which the work will be judged.
All group members must agree to these Official Rules, sign the Application Form and the Artwork Permission Form and Liability Waiver and to have the designated person accept any prize on behalf of the group. The Organizers are not liable for any disputes between collaborators arising out of or related to the Tidal Shift Competition.
9. Selection of Winners
Six Participants (three from each age division), referred to as the “Finalists”, will be selected by the following panel of judges from various professions, ages and backgrounds: Samaa Abdurraqib, Sophie Davis, Dr. Darren Ranco, Dave Reidmiller and Chandra Robinson (the “Juror Panel”). In the event that one or more members of the Juror Panel is unable to serve, then the Organizers reserve the sole and absolute right to appoint a replacement judge to serve on the Juror Panel. The decisions of the Organizers with input from the Juror Panel will be final. Participants agree that the Organizers have the sole right to decide all matters and disputes arising from the Tidal Shift Competition and that all decisions of the Organizers are at their sole discretion and final.
Entries will be judged by a process in which the Jury Panel will evaluate the eligible Entries including the information from the Work Statement based on the following judging criteria:
Applications are reviewed and qualified for compliance to the rules and regulations
• The applications will provide valuable insight into which themes and ideas are pressing in local and international considerations.
• Applications are evaluated to consider what makes a compelling written statement and artwork/project from the curatorial and environmental stewardship perspective of the panel and organizers.
• Each juror reviews applications and rates each one on a scale (e.g. a scale of 1–5); an average of all scores will determine the finalists and winner.
In the event of a tie, the tie will be broken at the discretion of the Organizers. Participants agree that the Organizers have the sole right to decide all matters and disputes arising from the Tidal Shift Competition and that all decisions of the Organizers are at their sole discretion and final.
Prize recipients who win cash prizes will be asked to provide a W-9 and will be responsible for any taxes associated with the prizes. If a Participant who wins a cash prize but does not provide a W-9 by April 30, 2025, they will still be recognized as a winner but will not receive their prize money.
10. Winners
Winners will be announced on April 15, 2025 on the Tidal Shift website. Images of Finalists and Winners’ Entries may be posted on the Tidal Shift Website, and across the Organizers’ social media platforms. Winners and Finalists will not post their artwork on the internet until after April 22, 2025.
Cash Prizes
• Div I (Ages 14-18), $2,500
• Div II (Ages 19-22), $5,000
Prizes will be distributed to winners by [cashier’s check/money order/gift card] within forty-five (45) days after the winners are announced.
11. General Conditions
By submitting an Entry, Participant agrees to these Official Rules. These Official Rules will be governed and interpreted according to the laws of the state of Maine without regard to its conflict of laws rules.
12. Limitations of Liability and Release
No liability or responsibility is assumed by the Organizers resulting from any user's participation in or attempt to participate in the Tidal Shift Competition or ability or inability to upload or download any information in connection with participating in the Tidal Shift Competition. No responsibility or liability is assumed by the Organizers for technical problems or malfunctions, which may affect the operation of the Entry or the Tidal Shift Competition including, without limitation, the following: hardware or software errors; faulty computer, telephone, cable, satellite, network, electronic, wireless or Internet connectivity or other online communication problems; errors or limitations of any Internet service providers, servers, hosts or providers; garbled, jumbled or faulty data transmissions; failure of any e-mail transmissions to be sent or received; lost, late, delayed or intercepted e-mail transmissions; inaccessibility of the web site in whole or in part for any reason; traffic congestion on the Internet or the web site; unauthorized human or non-human intervention of the operation of the Tidal Shift Competition, including without limitation, unauthorized tampering, hacking, theft, virus, bugs, worms; or destruction of any aspect of the Tidal Shift Competition, or loss, miscount, misdirection, inaccessibility or unavailability of an email account used in connection with the Tidal Shift Competition. The Organizers are not responsible for any typographical errors in the announcement of prizes or these Official Rules, or any inaccurate or incorrect data contained on the web site or social media sites maintained by PMA. The Participants use of the Tidal Shift Website and/or the Organizers’ websites or social media sites is at user's own risk. The Organizers are also not responsible for any personal injury or property damage or losses of any kind which may be sustained to user's or any other person's computer equipment resulting from participation in the Tidal Shift Competition, use of the Tidal Shift Website or the download of any information from the Tidal Shift Website. By participating in the Tidal Shift Competition, Participants agree to defend indemnify and hold the Organizers harmless from any and all claims, damages or liabilities arising from or relating to such Participant's participation in the Tidal Shift Competition.
13. Questions
Questions about the Tidal Shift Competition can be addressed to info@tidalshiftaward.com. Write “Tidal Shift Competition” in the subject line.
14. The Organizers
Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Street, Portland, Maine 04101
The Organizer reserves the right to amend these rules anytime during the Tidal Shift Competition.