Jurying Process
Engage Art submissions are reviewed by a jury of distinguished artists who bring expertise in their craft as well as experience in arts as ministry. Many jurors are longtime participants in the Engage Art community and understand its mission deeply.
The jurors for our 2026 contest can be seen here.
How Your Art Will Be Evaluated By the Jury
Round One: Artistic Excellence
In the first round, the jury evaluates eligible submissions on artistic excellence. From this initial review, a group of Semifinalists is selected.
Round Two: Depth & Impact
Semifinalist works are then reviewed a second time through a broader lens. In this round, four criteria are weighted equally:
- Artistic excellence – Does the artist have command of their medium? Is this work executed at a high level?
- Theme – Does the work have something clear, compelling, and unique to say?
- Impact – Does the artwork invite the viewer into reflection or action?
- Scripture engagement – Does the work engage Scripture in a meaningful way?
During this stage, the artist’s written reflections are considered alongside the artwork. From this review, a shortlist of Finalists emerges.
Round Three: Final Deliberation
Finalist works are reviewed one by one in a third and final round of jurying. Through careful discussion and discernment, the jury selects a slate of winners, including First Place, Second Place, Third Place, and a number of Honorable Mentions, as determined by the jury.
These selected winning works will be featured together on YouVersion, the most downloaded and used Bible app in the world, extending their reach and inviting a global audience to engage Scripture through art.
ABOUT THE ENGAGE ART JURORS
Meet Our Jurors
Engage Art is honored by a jury of distinguished artists who bring expertise in visual and video arts as well as experience in arts as ministry. Many jurors are longtime participants in the Engage Art community and understand our mission deeply.
Meet Our Talented 2026 Jurors
Jeremiah Bligen
Rapper, Singer, Songwriter, Producer
Jeremiah Bligen is a South Carolina–born artist whose music merges Biblical conviction with lived experience. As a rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer, Bligen creates authentically—prioritizing truth over trends and storytelling over formulas. His catalog includes Before I Wake, which earned him a spot on Rapzilla.com’s Top Freshman list for 2013, When Ravens Cry, Fighting Stance EP, the collaborative album Inventory, and his most recent release, The Flames Will Not Consume You (2024), which was nominated for Album of the Year and highlighted as one of the top albums of the year by Rapzilla.
In addition to music, Jeremiah serves as a graphic designer, project manager, creative leader, and speaker—shaping and communicating vision across sound, visuals, and live spaces. His work has received multi-year recognition from Engage Art, earning top placements as both a solo artist and collaborator, including a first-place international award for the song and music video Wake. He now serves as an ambassador for Engage Art, continuing his commitment to cultivating creativity, excellence, and service within the arts community.
Now based in North Carolina with his family, Jeremiah remains dedicated to using music, leadership, and collaboration to share faith, hope, and thoughtful engagement with life.
MahLeah Cochran
Abstract Painter, Author, Poet
MahLeah Cochran is an author, spoken word artist, and abstract painter who boldly shares her journey with bipolar depression to break stigma and illuminate hope.
With a heart for healing and a deep faith in Christ, her work blends testimony, visual art, and poetic expression to reach those walking through darkness.
MahLeah’s writings explore the intersection of mental health, spirituality, and creative restoration.
Through her storytelling and art, she invites others to see that healing is possible, that faith and treatment can coexist, and that beauty can rise from the ashes.
Monica Harrison
Spoken Word Artist
Monica Harrison, South Carolina native, now residing in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a dynamic Christian spoken word artist. Her gift allows her to blend life experiences with Biblical applications to deliver poetry that encourages, inspires, and uplifts audiences. Not afraid to address touchy topics, her perspective and delivery will capture your attention and leave you better than you were before.
Harrison's spoken word performances have received three-time recognition from Engage Art, including an Honorable Mention for her piece War Cry. Monica now serves as an ambassador for Engage Art.
Harrison has been featured on several platforms across the east and west coast and loves to see purpose shine through the arts. She holds to one motto that "one word can change your life".
Esther Jones
Ceramicist, Painter, Pianist, Teacher
Esther Jones is a self-taught, multidisciplinary artist based in Texas. Working primarily with chalk pastels and ceramic clay, she evokes the world as she sees it: a joyful landscape of bright colors and natural lines.
Esther specializes in private arts education, nurturing creative lifestyles through teaching piano, pottery, and pastels. Known affectionately as the “Magical Freaking Unicorn Teacher,” Jones has spent years teaching music and art.
Esther is also a longtime leader in the Engage Art community, where she has facilitated Bible Clusters and led workshops on finding your artistic voice.
Suki Joseph
Painter, Art Instructor, Author
Suki Joseph is an award-winning multi-disciplinary artist, art instructor and author.
Suki's artistic inspiration stems from prayer, Scripture, dreams, visions, everyday experiences, and nature. Her work includes live painting and numerous art installations. Her passion for innovation led her to develop interactive art, enabling audiences to digitally engage with her installations. Committed to sharing her skills, Suki also brings expertise as an art instructor in her community, including the Engage Art Community, where Suki is often a featured leader. Suki published her debut volume of poetry and art in December 2024.
Suki believes that God loves people in every culture and that culture is often shaped by art. For her, art serves as a vessel for hope, infusing her surroundings with God's transformative light and love.
Teresa Cochran
Honorary Juror—Visual Arts
Teresa Cochran is an artist, consultant, and educator working at the intersection of public art, community participation, and long-term cultural transformation. She joins the Visual Arts jury in an honorary capacity, evaluating the Finalists in connection to the larger art world.
A Partner at Cochran Studio, Teresa specializes in large-scale public engagement processes that integrate diverse stakeholder input into public art and public space design, collaborating across government, community, corporate, and nonprofit sectors.
Teresa was central to Engage Art’s inception in 2017 and worked closely with Bill Bantz to design and direct the first three Engage Art Contests in 2018, 2020, and 2022. During her tenure she also authored most of Engage Art’s cornerstone content, including the Masters & Mentors series, the Art Appreciation for Everybody series, and the Choose Your Own Art-Venture eCourse.
Teresa serves as Board Chair and Acting Director of the Teacher Training Center with Lucy School, an arts-based pre-K to 8th-grade school that has been dear to her heart since the early 2000s.
