The Original Art 2021 Call for Entries
CELEBRATING THE FINE ART OF CHILDREN’S BOOK ILLUSTRATION

ENTRY DEADLINE EXTENDED! Monday, August 2, 2021

Grace Lin, Chair
Vashti Harrison, Assistant Chair

Jury: Cozbi Cabrera, Catia Chien, Saho Fuji, Connie Hsu, Juana Martinez Neal, Duncan Tonatiuh, Peter Van Den Ende

The Society of Illustrators invites publishers, illustrators, agents, and authors to submit books to the 41st annual exhibition of The Original Art, founded by Dilys Evans in 1980 and sponsored by the Society since 1989. A jury of outstanding artists, art directors, and editors in the field of children’s publishing will choose which books are to be represented in the show and will select gold and silver medal recipients. Jurying is anonymous, and an artist may have no more than two books accepted for the show.

ANYONE MAY SUBMIT: Publishers, illustrators, agents, and authors.
Publishers, please pass along the website link to eligible artists if you are not able to submit their work.

ELIGIBLE FOR SUBMISSION
• All entries must be published in the U.S. Books printed overseas
are eligible.
• Books © 2020 and 2021 will be accepted.
• Books must be intended for children from newborn to age twelve.
• Chapter books must have at least eight full-page illustrations.
• Books rendered in traditional and / or digital media are eligible.

NOT ELIGIBLE: Books previously entered, self-published books, photographic books, textbooks, YA books, consumable activity books, books based on licensed characters, anthologies with multiple, independent illustrators.

HOW TO ENTER: Due to ongoing concerns about COVID-19, the entry submission process and jurying for The Original Art will be electronic this year, as it was last year, and will be hosted through our competition website. For complete instructions on creating an account and submitting entries, please click on the appropriate link below:

• Instructional Walkthrough for Book Submissions Entered by an Illustrator
• Instructional Walkthrough for Book Submissions Entered by a Publisher / Artist's Representative

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this process, please email Breann McGovern for assistance: breann@societyillustrators.org.

ENTRY FEES
• $30 per title / $20 for SI members submitting work.
• Guidelines for payment are provided in the instructional
walkthroughs. If you choose to pay by check, please make it
payable to: Society of Illustrators.

AWARDS
• Gold Medal and Silver Medals for the best-illustrated books of the
year.
• Lifetime Achievement Awards for work that demonstrates and
innovative and pioneering contribution to children’s book
illustration.
• Dilys Evans Founder’s Award for the most promising new talent of
the year.

Awards Presentation & Special Programs: The Society will be organizing a series of events to celebrate this year’s exhibit and the artists whose work is juried into the show. More information to come.

EXHIBITION & CATALOG: With COVID-19 restrictions lifting, the Society will once again be hosting a physical exhibition of artwork representing the books juried into this year’s show. To this end, we will be accepting framed original artwork for hanging in the gallery. Please note that it will be the responsibility of the artist or publisher to frame the artwork and have it delivered or shipped to and from the museum. Also note that to support the show and its catalog, there is a hanging / publication fee of $45 for non-members, $35 for SI members per accepted book.

Book Donations: In past years, the Society has donated submitted books to organizations dedicated to underserved communities such as New Alternatives for Children, Behind the Book, and Brooklyn Book Bodega. To expand this tradition, we will be accepting children’s book donations throughout the year. Please send books to: The Society of Illustrators, 128 East 63rd Street, New York, NY, 10065.