Our jurors have a practical and academic understanding of how the arts can assist in the Christian life and how Christianity has been portrayed through the arts. They also have a deep understanding of the histories and current practices of the arts in secular culture. Juries are advised by professionals in ministry and art history.

First, each entry is screened by the Engage Art team to make sure it meets the contest requirements. If so, it is included in the Engage Art Online Gallery. Until your entry has been reviewed by the Engage Art team, it will show as pending. Please allow up to 14 days for our team to screen your entry.

Engage Art requires at least three “rounds” of jurying. At least three jurors review each artwork individually in each round, evaluating the artwork and considering what the artist has written. The jurying remains “blind”—so the jurors don’t know who the artists are until the winners are chosen. All jurying is via online software and video conference. Jurors have access to an art historian and Bible scholar to consult with as desired.

Semi-finalists are artworks that remain in contention after the first round of jurying. Typically, they represent approximately 20-30% of the pool of entries. This first round focuses on artistic quality. Jurors review the most entries by far during this period. We expect to have the semi-finalist round for this contest in May 2022.

The second round of online review produces the Finalists, who are typically 5-10% of the gallery entry pool. The second round focuses on how well the artworks measure up to the published criteria. When the juries look at the entries for “theme and impact” (50%), they specifically consider the entry’s ability to communicate one or more of the themes in Ephesians 6:10-20 and related verses and the impact the artwork has on the audience. When they determine “artistic quality” scores (50%), they look at the strength of the creative interpretation and the artist’s command of the artistic medium. We expect the Finalist round for this contest to happen in June 2022. 

During these two rounds, the jurors can communicate with our team and each other via the online system (or the phone!) to ask questions, make observations, etc.

At that point, the juries—one for each category—come together in video conference calls to discuss each finalist entry at length. Each juror brings perspective, experience, and insight, creating a fascinating and dynamic interchange. The Bible scholar and art historian interject their observations, as well. The group is finished their work when they have agreed upon a slate of winners—1st, 2nd, and 3rd places, and the number of Honorable Mentions they deem appropriate. We expect to complete this round of jurying in July 2022, and winners will be contacted shortly afterward. We will announce the winners in August 2022. The jurors for our 2021-2022 contest can be seen here.