Apply today!
Ten selected students are given the opportunity to exhibit and sell their work as professionals in a unique exhibit on the main floor of the Lakewood Center during the 2025 Festival of the Arts. The art works in the gallery will also be judged separately from the other pieces in the Youth Exhibit and the artists can attend the professional artist reception during the Festival. This exhibit can be considered as their first show as professional artists!
The students exhibit 5 artworks of their choosing:
- Original art created by hand by the artist.
- All 2D and 3D media eligible.
- All pieces, with or without frames, must be ready to hang or display on a table or pedestal.
- All work must be signed by the artist.
- Each piece must have a label on the back with the title, artist name, and price
- The work must be for sale. The Festival will retain a 30% commission of all sales.
- An artist statement; a gallery – style bio and description of their art style and inspiration to accompany the exhibit.
Deadline to apply:
March 1, 2025
The Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts proudly presents an opportunity for student artists in the Portland area and surrounding communities!
The Joan Eliot Sappington Invitational Gallery is seeking talented student artists in grades 6 through 12, who have demonstrated a commitment to visual arts.
Upon acceptance into the program, training on writing an artist statements and pricing their work will be provided. Successful participation in this exhibit can generate sales from artwork, scholarships or awards, future exhibits at Lakewood, letters of recommendation from the Festival Executive staff, promotion via social media, news articles, and more!
Testimonials from past Sappington Artists
I have grown up attending the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts every year and so being able to be part of the festival was a great honor. Being in the Sappington gallery opened my eyes to the professional art world. As an emerging artist, it was very beneficial to gain real world experience and learn about how to be a successful artist. Through this gallery I have been given opportunities that I would not have received otherwise. The wonderful staff helped guide me and my peers through this experience and give us all the support we needed to be successful. Thanks to the Joan Eliot Sappington Galley, I can now consider myself a professional artists! I am excited to apply again next year!
-Noel Hildenbrand
I had a great experience with the Festival, it was my first time selling my work and it was such a smooth and easy process. I think I’m now much more educated on how to sell my work successfully and I hope to continue to do so, so it was a fantastic first step for me and I’m really appreciative of the opportunity.
-Rachel Khalili
My time at the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts has been consistently amazing for my personal growth and my art journey. The festival provides me with a unique experience with connecting with people that I haven't been allowed anywhere else, and what it has done for me has been extremely impactful. Not only have the people I've worked with been kind, understanding, and helpful, but all the unique individuals I've been able to converse with has really been what made the festival so great, and something I now will forever look forward to. Creating art has, in reality, been a search for conversation, communicating, and connecting, and that is exactly a part of what the festival represents. The way it provides so many youth opportunities has given a voice to many students who also feel the need to speak up.
-Lily Horn