Art Contest - Details

Brain Bridge Lab Art Contest Details

Thank you so much for your interest in our art contest! The information below is meant to clear up any confusion. We are still planning and figuring out details, so we greatly appreciate your patience throughout this process. As more details are finalized we will continue to update this page and inform those on our mailing list, which you can sign up for here. We look forward to seeing all of your artwork, and until then please share the contest with other artists!

— Submission Requirements—

  • Artists must be located within the US.
  • Artists may only submit once to the contest, either to the Memorable or Forgettable category, not both. 
  • Submitted artwork must be able to be shipped to Chicago, IL, without being altered.
  • Submitted artwork must be able to be hung on a wall (on a nail, hook, screws, etc.).
  • Submitted artwork must not be more than 36 x 36 inches.
  • Submitted artwork must be accompanied by at least 5 progress pictures (photos of the artwork as it is in progress).
    • We prefer that progress photos be taken at roughly equal intervals throughout the artwork’s completion.
    • The final photo of the work does not count as a progress picture (so, in total, a minimum of 6 photos must be submitted).
    • Progress pictures should only contain the artwork with nothing obstructing the view of it.
    • More than 5 progress pictures are greatly appreciated!
  • No sculpture or other 3-dimensional works are allowed.
  • No photography is allowed.
  • No artwork with extreme gore or gratuitous nudity will be accepted. We hope to have the gallery open to the public including children.
  • The submission deadline is January 1st, and all members of our mailing list will be notified when submissions are open.

— Gallery Information —

  • The top finalists from each category will have their work shipped in person in Chicago to be included in a gallery, likely alongside other paintings in their category (Memorable or Forgettable).
  • Finalists will have shipping costs reimbursed (more information on this will be provided later, including the exact number of finalists included in the gallery and a possible reimbursement cap for shipping).
  • Paintings not included in the gallery in person will still be displayed on the lab’s website along with the artist’s information. 
  • Gallery details are still being determined but will appear here when more information is available. 

— Prize Information —

  • Only accepted artworks that meet all of the above requirements are eligible to receive a prize.
  • Prizes will be awarded based on each accepted artwork’s “memorability score.”
    • Memorability is scored from 0 to 1, with 0 being the most forgettable and 1 being the most memorable.
    • Memorability scores will be determined in a similar fashion to Experiment 1 of our recently published research article. Click here to learn more. 
  • Prizes for both the Memorable and Forgettable categories are as follows: 
    • 1st Place = $1000
    • 2nd Place = $500
    • 3rd Place = $250
    • 4th Place = $100
    • 5th Place = $50

    We hope that this information clears up any confusion, but if you have any other questions please reach out to brainbridgeartcontest@gmail.com.