Organizer: Creative Quarterly / Creative Quarterly: The Journal of Art and Design, a company of Artisanal Media LLC.

Deadline: 31 July 2026

Submission Categories: Standard, Theme, and Portfolio. Standard categories include Advertising, Graphic Design, Illustration, Photography, and Fine Art, with professional and student entries judged separately. Standard entries may be submitted as a single image or as a related series of 2–5 images. The Theme category for this quarter is Water. The Portfolio category is for personal or published portfolio work and allows pieces to be judged without strict regard to client, context, or use.

Eligibility: Open worldwide to art directors, graphic designers, illustrators, photographers, fine artists, professionals, students, and amateurs. Both commissioned and personal work are accepted. Student entries should be work created for a classroom assignment or thesis. Professional and student entries are judged separately in the Standard categories. AI-generated imagery is not accepted. Entrants retain copyright, while submitted work may be used by Creative Quarterly for publication, exhibition, and promotion.

Entry Fee: Standard Professional: $35 for a single image; $70 for a related series of 2–5 images. Standard Student: $20 for a single image; $35 for a related series of 2–5 images. Theme: $35 for up to 5 images, plus $5 for each additional image. Portfolio: $35 for up to 5 images, plus $5 for each additional image.

Awards & Benefits: Winning work will be featured in Creative Quarterly’s online Gallery after judging and included in the 2026 Creative Quarterly Annual. The Annual will showcase all winners and list all runner-ups. Winners receive a complimentary eBook version of the Annual and may purchase the printed Annual at a discount. Winners and runner-ups are entitled to a complimentary PDF award certificate, with printed certificates available for purchase. Winners are also promoted through Creative Quarterly’s social media after each show.

Core Introduction: Creative Quarterly (CQ) 85th International Juried Competition is the 85th edition of Creative Quarterly’s international juried competition for global art and design creators. It covers graphic design, advertising, illustration, photography, and fine art, with a strong focus on publication, online exposure, and inclusion in the annual Creative Quarterly Annual. The CQ85 edition offers Standard, Theme, and Portfolio entry paths, with Water as the quarterly theme.