The Largest Art Competition for Artists with Disabilities
Hosted by a Domestic Company
JW Lee Jongho Foundation, a public interest foundation of JW Pharmaceutical, announced on the 28th that it will host the '2025 JW Art Awards' for artists with disabilities.
Celebrating its 11th anniversary this year, the JW Art Awards is the first and largest art competition for people with disabilities organized by a domestic company. It was established in 2015 by the late honorary chairman Lee Jongho of JW Pharmaceutical, based on his belief that "people with disabilities can brighten society through cultural and artistic activities."
The theme of this year's competition is "Your Light, Our Rainbow." The theme encourages expressing the values of diversity and inclusion through art, as individual lights come together to form a single rainbow, transcending the boundaries between people with and without disabilities.
Eligibility for the '2025 JW Art Awards' is open to individuals aged 16 or older who are recognized as persons with disabilities under Article 2 of the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities and Article 2 of its Enforcement Decree. The competition covers the fine arts category, including Korean painting and Western painting, and only works created this year that are size 10 or larger may be submitted.
Starting this year, the system has been improved to allow more artists with disabilities to participate in the competition. The size requirements for submissions have been relaxed, and a website application process using Google Forms and QR codes has been introduced for easier entry. In addition, previous main prize winners are now restricted from re-entering, giving new participants more opportunities to win awards.
Artists wishing to participate should submit an application form and images of their works through the JW Lee Jongho Foundation website by August 29. There is no entry fee. Finalists from the first round will be asked to submit their original works for a second round of judging.
The winners will be announced on the competition website in October. A total of 27 winners will be selected: 1 Grand Prize winner (5 million KRW), 2 Excellence Award winners (3 million KRW each), 2 Merit Award winners (2 million KRW each), 2 Encouragement Award winners (1 million KRW each), and 20 Honorable Mention winners (300,000 KRW each).
A representative of the JW Lee Jongho Foundation stated, "The JW Art Awards introduces the works and names of artists with disabilities to the world every year and has helped to highlight their artistic potential," adding, "We hope that many artists with disabilities will participate this year and that it will serve as an opportunity for them to showcase their artistic abilities."
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