About The Keller Prize
A celebration of artistry, creativity, and
the enduring power of visual expression.
What is The Keller Prize?
The Keller Prize is an annual international art competition that celebrates artists across all mediums. From painting and sculpture to photography and mixed media, we welcome creative expression in all its forms.
Every submission is featured in our online gallery, providing artists with a platform to showcase their work to a global audience. Our winners receive cash prizes valued at total $9,000 USD. *
Who Can Enter?
Eligibility
• Open to artists 18 years and older
• International submissions welcome
• All skill levels encouraged to apply
• Professional and amateur artists
Accepted Mediums
• Painting (oil, acrylic, watercolor)
• Sculpture and 3D works
• Photography, Pastel
• Mixed media and digital art
I am Shelly Hamill. Jane Keller was my grandmother. She was a huge influence in my decision to become an artist. Jane painted landscapes of Texas in oil from photographs she took along the country roads she traveled in her and my grandfather's antique business. She painted from photographs and memory with no formal training. My grandparents had a table in their antique store reserved for smaller items and the proceeds from the table went into a piggy bank at the front of the store for myself and my sister. It is in this spirit I have created The Keller Prize.
I encourage artists from all backgrounds and all disciplines to apply. While Jane was a landscape painter, submissions will be accepted in different mediums.
What You Get
All Participants
✓ Featured in our online gallery (website, Instagram, Facebook)
✓ Exposure to collectors, galleries, and art enthusiasts worldwide
Winners
🏆 A Grand Prize Winner , First Runner Up and Second Runner Up will be chosen. Cash prizes of $5000, $2500 and $1500 will be awarded.*
2026 Judge
Mia Valley operated a traditional brick-and-mortar gallery in the heart of downtown Aspen for twenty-five years. Transitioning to Private online and by Appointment in 2024. She has specialized in the work of Edward Curtis for over three decades. Based in her hometown of Aspen, Colorado. An expert in building important collections for her clients, Valley pulls from her resources of fine paintings, photography, and sculpture to cultivate a museum art collection that reflects her clients’ aesthetic.
Clients from across the globe seek Valley’s expertise when researching and purchasing important works. Her keen eye and finely trained understanding of quality, condition, and provenance enable her to build truly remarkable collections for her clients. valleyfineart.com
The Founder's Circle
The Founder's Circle is a curated collection of artists personally selected by founder Shelly Hamill from over 1,000 artists who have submitted to The Keller Prize since its inception.
This exclusive recognition celebrates artists whose work exemplifies exceptional creativity, technical skill, and artistic vision.
*Artists who submit their work, agree to have images of their work to be used in print and online media.
The Keller Prize reserves the right to modify, postpone, or cancel the competition if a minimum number of 300 eligible paid submissions is not received by the submission deadline. The minimum number of submissions required to fund the advertised cash awards shall be determined solely by The Keller Prize.
In the event that the minimum participation threshold is not met, The Keller Prize may cancel the competition and issue refunds to applicants. Any refund shall be limited to the artist's submission fee less any non-refundable administrative, processing, transaction, platform, credit card, banking, or service fees charged by CallForEntry.org (CaFÉ) or any third-party payment processor.
Applicants acknowledge and agree that such administrative and processing fees are incurred at the time of submission and may not be recoverable by The Keller Prize. Therefore, refunds, if issued, may be less than the original submission fee paid.
By submitting an application, entrants agree that the advertised awards of $5,000 (Grand Prize), $2,500 (First Runner-Up), and $1,500 (Second Runner-Up) are contingent upon the competition receiving sufficient participation to support the prize structure and that The Keller Prize shall have no further liability beyond the refund provisions described herein.