The Air Force Services Activity aims to showcase and celebrate the artistic talents of Airmen and their family members via the 2017 Air Force Art Contest.

"AFSVA wants to find ways to recognize our Airmen and families’ talents,” said Jonathan Grammer, AFSVA director of programs. “We have phenomenal artists and photographers within the Air Force, and hosting these types of contests is a way for them to showcase their works. Last year, the art contest was a huge success with over 2,000 works of art submitted. We are looking forward to seeing this year’s entries." 
 
The contest, is open to Airmen and their families, including children ages 6-17. The call for entries will run Nov. 1-30.
 
Last year’s second place winner in the adult accomplish category was Josh Pugeau with his “Rhino” charcoal. Pugeau, a civilian missile inspector with the 709th Maintenance Support Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, said his art is a great stress reliever.
 
“Once I start, I get very focused on what I'm drawing, and at least for that moment I'm not focused on anything else,” Pugeau said. “Sometimes when I'm really getting into a drawing, hours seem to just pass by. When I am done, my mind always feels refreshed and cleared.”
 
“Rhino” was his first art contest entry. The Air Force contest inspired Pugeau to enter another work in the Utah State Fair. He won the fair’s Graphic Arts Professional Category as well as the people’s choice award.
 
“Entering contests helps push me to create more art and is confirmation that other people enjoy my art as well,” he said. “These contests are great for Air Force artists because of the exposure it provides and also the recognition for those who are selected.” 
 
Darlene Johnson, AFSVA community and leisure branch chief concured.
 
“We want to encourage our Air Force family to share their talent and love for art with everyone,” she said. “The contest is a way for our Airmen and families to express themselves.”

The contest is online only. Artists can submit up to two photographs of their two-dimensional painting or drawing on any subject. The photos must be an original camera photo in JPEG or JPG format with a file size of 3-8 MB.

The virtual art show is family friendly, and entries will be screened for content before being approved and posted on www.MyAirForceLife.com. The online art exhibition will open Nov. 1.

Accepted media are: oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, mixed media, gouache, egg tempera, and pen and ink. Drawing media such as graphite, charcoal, colored pencils, scratchboard, markers and metal point are allowed. This is the second year for the contest to be conducted online.

The contest is divided into two adult and three youth categories. Adult categories are accomplished and novice; youth categories are by age groups: 6-8, 9-12 and 13-17.

Winners in each category will receive an Amazon gift card: $300 for first place, $200 for second place and $100 for third place.

The works will be judged by a panel of art experts and winners will be announced in January 2018.