Vuleka Art Competition 2026

Competition Rules & REGULATIONS

Who may enter

  • The competition is open to all entrants who are permanently resident in South Africa and 18 years of age or older on 1 January 2026.
  • Those not eligible for entry are the sponsors and the judges adjudicating the 2026 award, any of their immediate family.
  • The competition is NOT OPEN to any of the previous first prize winners of the Vuleka competition.
  • The competition is NOT OPEN to artists who have had a solo exhibition in the past three years. (academic solo exhibitions are exempt).

Entry Dates

Entries should be submitted online through the Online Entry Form under the Tab DIGITAL ENTRY from 09:00 on 29 May 2026 to 09:00 on 26 June 2026. (Take note that the deadline will not be extended!)

Which artworks can be entered?

  • Only ORIGINAL works of art completed during 2025/2026 may be entered by the entrant. All works remain the property of the entrant for the duration of the competition and exhibition, unless a work is sold at the exhibition.
  • Maximum of 5 works may be entered.
  • Artworks in all media are allowed, painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, ceramics, film and digital.
  • Works consisting of multiple parts (i.e. diptychs or triptychs) will be accepted and must be entered as one work. The work must be submitted on one photograph for the digital entry.
  • Video projection/film or multimedia art entries must make arrangements for their own means of projection.
  • The copyright of all works submitted should belong to the submitting artist. 
  • It remains the artist’s responsibility to obtain proper permissions for the usage of anyone’s image, whether from a sitter or a creator of a reference image.
  • No performance art will be accepted.
  • Collaborative artworks compiled by a maximum of two artists will be accepted, however one artist has to be the owner of the artwork.
  • No AI artworks are allowed.
  • All works are submitted at the owner’s risk. Neither Art.b nor the  sponsors will accept any responsibility for the damage, loss or theft of any works of art while in transit or on exhibition.
  • All entries are to be for sale at a market-related price and Art.b Gallery will act as the appointed agent. The entrant must provide a selling price for each work. Art.b Gallery will deduct a 33.3% commission on all sales. Art.b Gallery’s appointment will automatically terminate when the work has been returned to the entrant, or sold.

Size & Mass Limitations

Minimum size: 20cm width x 20cm height (unframed). Works smaller than this WILL be disqualified.
Maximum size: 200cm width x 200cm height (framed). Works larger than this WILL be disqualified.

Sculptures must be able to stand without support & may not exceed 100 kg. Sculptures that exceed this mass WILL be disqualified.

Other rules

  • THE ENTRANT MAY NOT SIGN OR WRITE HIS OR HER NAME ANYWHERE ON THE WORK, INCLUDING THE BACK. All works will be judged anonymously and any work that is signed or contains any marking identifying the entrant may be disqualified. All selected works may be signed after the Vuleka winners have been announced.
  • Work previously  exhibited in the public domain may not be entered into this competition.
  • A copy of a document confirming your identity and age (ID, driver’s license, passport) and a copy of proof of payment should be emailed to Art.b once you have submitted your Digital Entry Form.
  • During the FIRST ROUND, the digital images will be viewed by a panel of judges. They will select up to 100 works (or less) from the digital entries. These artists will be notified by Art.b Gallery via telephone, email or WhatsApp by the 14th of July.
  • The decision of the judges is final. No correspondence will be entered into. Entrants should be aware that all artworks are judged on an equal and anonymous basis.
  • Art.b Gallery reserves the right to disqualify any artwork if the artist has not complied with the above rules as stipulated, even if the work was selected for exhibition.

ONLY APPLICABLE TO SELECTED AND NOTIFIED ARTISTS

Delivery of Work

  • If your work has been selected during the First Round, you will need to organize the delivery of your artwork to arrive at the Art.b Gallery between Monday 13 July to Wednesday  22 July 2026 from 10:00 to 17:30 and Saturday 18 July from 10:00 to 13:00.

    Library Centre

    Carel van Aswegen Street

    Bellville

    Tel: 021 4446500

  • Entrants will have to adhere to the above dates and times when delivering to Art.b Gallery. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE.
  • NO WET, OR SLIGHTLY WET, PAINTINGS WILL BE ACCEPTED. NO EXCEPTIONS! This includes both paint, and varnish. Pastel and charcoal drawings must be treated with a suitable fixative. All works on paper should be mounted behind glass or Perspex.
  • Work must be mounted, framed or block mounted and be ready for hanging.
  • Selected work that is only mounted, will have to be framed.
  • Exposed glass edges will not be accepted.
  • Works should hang as flat as possible.
  • If more than one work is entered, please affix a separate entry form to the back of each entry.
  • The responsibility for damage or loss, however caused, lies with the entrant. Entrants are therefore advised to arrange adequate insurance cover against all risks. The sponsor, the carriers, agent, or Art.b Gallery as the organiser of the Vuleka competition, will NOT be liable for any loss or damage, whether or not caused by their negligence.

  • All entries are to be for sale at a market-related price and b Gallery will act as the appointed agent. The entrant must provide a selling price for each work. Art.b Gallery will deduct a 33.3% commission on all sales. Art.b Gallery is not VAT registered and therefore VAT is not charged. Art.b Gallery’s appointment will automatically terminate when the work has been returned to the entrant, or sold.

  • Please DO NOT phone the gallery to enquire whether your work has been selected for the exhibition. The names of the  selected works and prize winners will remain confidential until the opening on 1 August 2026.

Selection of finalists

  • The judges will select the final 40 to 50 artworks from those delivered to the gallery.
  • The entrants whose works are selected will be notified by Art.b Gallery by 29 July 2026. These names will also be published on our social media.
  • Works NOT selected can be collected from Art.b Gallery from Monday 3 August 2026 to Thursday 6 August 2026 from 9h00 until 15h00.
  • The work will be unwrapped. Should you collect or appoint a courier to collect your work from Art.b gallery, please arrange for the courier to wrap your work(s) appropriately for transport. Art.b Gallery cannot supervise the wrapping of artworks when collected.
  • Any unselected works not collected by 12 August 2026 will be considered a donation to Art.b Gallery. Entrants hereby indemnify Art.b Gallery from any loss or damage suffered by such disposal.
  • The Top 40 to 50 works chosen by the judges will be exhibited at Art.b Gallery from Saturday 1 August 2026 when the exhibition will open to the public. The works will be on display until Friday 28 August 2026.
  • The copyright of all works exhibited in the Vuleka competition will remain the property of the entrant. The entrant agrees, on an irrevocable basis, that the organisers and/or the sponsors may reproduce any exhibited work, free of charge, for the purposes of marketing, promotion, merchandising, discussion and education, including by means of promotional catalogues, publications, posters, prints, postcards, the internet or in television documentaries.
  • The names of the selected artists and details of their work submitted for the competition may be made public after the adjudication. By entering this competition, the entrant hereby consents to the disclosure of his or her personal information.
  • The overall winner will be announced at the opening event at the Art.b Gallery on Saturday 1 August 2026. Those shortlisted for the prize will be notified and are encouraged to attend the opening event.
  • Entry fee:
    Members of the Arts Association of Bellville: R250 /work
    Non-members: R300 /work
  • The entry fee is non-refundable.
  • The Proof of Payment for the entry as well as good quality photographs of the artwork(s) must be emailed to: artb.vuleka@gmail.com.
  • The banking details are at the bottom of this page.

How to enter

  • All entries must be submitted digitally on our website.
  • A fee of R250 is payable for each entry (Members), and R300 per entry (Non-members).
  • Photos of the artworks, Proof of Payment and copy of ID must be emailed to Art.b once you have submitted your entry form.

Follow the steps:

STEP 1

Read the RULES & REGULATIONS (ROUND 1 !).

SUBMIT ENTRIES FROM 29 MAY TO 26 JUNE 2026

PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST DAY !

It is essential that you enter GOOD photographs of your work. This is all that the judges will see in the first round. Here are some guidelines to help you:

HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH YOUR WORK.

HOW TO RENAME YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS ON YOUR ANDROID PHONE.

HOW TO RENAME YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS ON YOUR I-PHONE.

How to photograph your work

Taking the photo

Keep in mind that the first round of selection is solely dependent on the quality of your photograph.

  • Place your work against a neutral background. This can be on an easel or propped against a flat wall or lay it on the floor (if it is a smaller work) and take your photograph from overhead.
  • Make sure you photograph your work using natural window light or, if outside, in bright but overcast conditions. Switch off your camera’s flash and any electric lights in the room.
  • Do not include the frame in your photograph, especially if the frame includes glass to avoid reflections. 
  • Make sure the camera does not move. Ideally place it onto a tripod or flat surface.
  • The lens should be parallel to your work, pointing the center of the lens directly at the center of the work.
  • Leave a small margins around the work to make sure the edges remain parallel to the camera frame. Crop out the margin later. 
  • Avoid zooming if you use a smartphone or tablet to take the photo, as this will reduce the quality of the photograph.
  • Take several shots and make sure the photo (especially the colour) is faithful to the work.

Preparing your photo

  • The best way to prepare your photo is to download it to your PC or laptop.
  • Use photo-editing software to crop out the background.
  • DO NOT over-edit your photo but make sure it is true to the original work. 
  • The image must be saved as a JPG and be smaller than 5MB. The image must also be at least 1 080 pixels on its longest side.
  • If you have no clue how to do any of the above, please ask someone you know to help you. The photos you send us are the photos that are send to the judges. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure we receive good quality photos.

Complete and submit the online digital entry form.  Complete ALL the required fields.

Email the following files to Art.b (artb.vuleka@gmail.com) 

Please do not use any other email address- your work might get lost!
Proof of Payment
Your photographs of artwork(s)

THE Amazing Prizes

First Prize: R50 000

The Kingsbridge Art Zellen Young artist award

This is presented to the most promising emerging talent whose work advances to the final round of the prestigious Vuleka competition. The prize includes art materials and professional framing services to the value of R5000

Sponsored by:

Importrant dates

Entries: 29 May-26 June 2026

Judging (round 1): 6-9 July 2026

Round 2(gallery) delivery deadline : 22 July 2026

Judging in gallery: 25 July 2026

Installation: 27 July -31 July 2026

Opening: 1 August 2026

Collection of  works not selected: 3-6 August 2026

Exhibition closes: 28 August 2026

Collections of all works (sold and unsold): All works must be collected by 4 September 2026

Uncollected works will incur a storage fee of R200 per month for 2 months, after which it will be disposed of.

Banking Details:

Account Name: SA ARTS ASSOCIATION BELLVILLE
Bank: ABSA
Acc No.: 010 2211 1970
Branch code: 632005
Type: Cheque account

Entry fee PER WORK:

Members of the Arts Association of Bellville:
R 250 per work
Non-members:
R 300 per work
The entry fee is non-refundable

Note: The Proof of Payment for the entry must be emailed  together with the photos of the artwork(s) and your ID.

Vuleka 2026

Submissions for the 2026 competition will open on 29 May

Happy arting, we look forward to see your masterpieces!

The judges are:

The judges will be announced later.

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How to rename your photo on your i-phone

To rename a file on your iPhone, you’ll use the Files app. First, open the Files app, navigate to the location of the file you want to rename, and then tap and hold the file. Next, select “Rename” from the options that appear. You can then enter the new name and tap “Done”. 

 

How to rename your pics on your android phone:

 
  1. Open your file manager: On most Android phones, this is the “Files by Google” app, but it might be different depending on your phone’s manufacturer.
  2. Navigate to the file: Open the folder where the file is located.
  3. Select the file: Press and hold the file you want to rename.
  4. Choose “Rename”: You should see a menu with options like “More,” “Rename,” or “Edit.” Select “Rename”.
  5. Enter the new name: You’ll be able to type in a new name for the file.
  6. Confirm: Tap “OK” or a similar button to save the new name.

How to photograph your work

Taking the photo

Keep in mind that the first round of selection is solely dependent on the quality of your photograph.

  • Place your work against a neutral background. This can be on an easel or propped against a flat wall or lay it on the floor (if it is a smaller work) and take your photograph from overhead.
  • Make sure you photograph your work using natural window light or, if outside, in bright but overcast conditions. Switch off your camera’s flash and any electric lights in the room.
  • Do not include the frame in your photograph, especially if the frame includes glass to avoid reflections. 
  • Make sure the camera does not move. Ideally place it onto a tripod or flat surface.
  • The lens should be parallel to your work, pointing the center of the lens directly at the center of the work.
  • Leave a small margins around the work to make sure the edges remain parallel to the camera frame. Crop out the margin later. 
  • Avoid zooming if you use a smartphone or tablet to take the photo, as this will reduce the quality of the photograph.
  • Take several shots and make sure the photo (especially the colour) is faithful to the work.

Preparing your photo

  • The best way to prepare your photo is to download it to your PC or laptop.
  • Use photo-editing software to crop out the background.
  • DO NOT over-edit your photo but make sure it is true to the original work. 
  • The image must be saved as a JPG and be smaller than 5MB. The image must also be at least 1 080 pixels on its longest side.
  • If you have no clue how to do any of the above, please ask someone you know to help you. The photos you send us are the photos that are send to the judges. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure we receive good quality photos.