Returning to the ARC Salon: A Personal Milestone

The Art Renewal Center’s International ARC Salon, now on its 19th year, began as a strong online institution with a clear mission: to reinvigorate classical realism. Taking the work of William-Adolphe Bouguereau as a touchstone of academic excellence, the ARC has become a major benchmark for identifying today’s leading painters working in the classical tradition. Its annual international competition has played an important role in discovering and promoting some of the finest talents in contemporary representational art.

The International Art Renewal Center Salon, the largest and most prestigious competition in the world for realist artists painting, sculpting and drawing today with eleven categories and thousands of works competing, culminating in a live exhibition of many of the winning works.

My first time to join the competition was in 2008. At that time, the ARC Salon had only a handful of categories and drew a little over a thousand entries from around 30 countries. One of my works placed as a Semi-Finalist in the Still Life category. Looking back now, that moment already felt like a milestone. Simply seeing my name included among semi-finalists alongside artists such as Cesar Santos and Juliette Aristides felt like being in the same room as artists I deeply admired.

"As She Sat", oil on canvas, 20 x 16 inches, 2024, FINALIST - Portraiture, FINALIST - Fully from Life, 18th International ARC Salon

Then, as it often does, life took over. It would take more than twelve years before I returned to the competition circuit again.

This time around, the experience became an even greater milestone. In the 18th International ARC Salon Competition, three of my works received Finalist distinctions across four different categories. The selection process involved several rounds of judging from a vast pool of around 3,500 entries coming from 72 countries—making the recognition all the more meaningful.

"Learning His Brother's Trade", pastel on UART 600, 16 x 26 inches, 2023, FINALIST - Figurative, 18th International ARC Salon

Perhaps I should take this as a sign to simply keep participating and allow the journey to unfold. The three works awarded Finalist placements consist of two soft pastel pieces and one oil painting. For now, I will simply continue making work that speaks honestly to me. And who knows—perhaps the next milestone might be an Honorable Mention, or something even greater, in the competitions to come.

"Juvenile Playthings", pastel on UART 600, 10 x 18 inches, 2023, FINALIST - Still Life, 18th International ARC Salon