2024-25 Vinnie Ream Competition Call for Submissions
This prestigious competition honors Vinnie Ream who, at the age of 18, was commissioned to sculpt a marble statue of President Abraham Lincoln, the first female artist to create a work of art for the U.S. government. She had already shown her artistic ability by sculpting a bust of the President from life. The full-length statue of the President resides in the rotunda of the Capitol. A member of NLAPW in all three classifications, this history-making artist is highly revered.
To honor the legacy of Vinnie Ream, this competition offers first-place winners in art, letters, and music an award of either $300 or a harp pendant in sterling silver with zirconia accents, to be given at the 2026 Biennial’s Vinnie Ream Banquet. One goal of the Vinnie Ream competition is to challenge participants to follow Ream’s sterling example of elevating one’s artwork to the highest level.
General Guidelines
To enter the contest, you must be an active member of NLAPW in good standing. Materials entered in previous Vinnie Ream competitions will not be accepted. Winners in the past two Vinnie Ream competitions should not enter this year’s competition; winners should wait for two successive competitions before entering again.
Independent, outside judges will select the first-place winner for each category: art, letters, and music. Each first-place winner (or a designated representative) must attend the Vinnie Ream Banquet to receive the award. The choice of the $300 or the pendant must be indicated on the application, and cannot be changed.
The entry fee is $40 for each submission. All entry fees must be submitted to NLAPW via either check or PayPal (below). You may submit for any category in which you are a qualified member.
Entries must have been created within the past fifteen years. You retain all rights to your work.
Entries accepted beginning September 30, 2024. Postmark deadline is March 30, 2025. Winners will be notified before the 2026 Biennial’s Vinnie Ream Banquet.
A short artist statement (not to exceed 250 words) must accompany each entry in response to this quotation about Vinnie Ream: Georg Brandes, Danish critic and scholar who met her in Italy, said, “She had a mind of many colors.” Musicians, writers, and artists, interpret this statement relative to creativity in general as well as to your own creativity, and describe how your work is an expression of a “mind of many colors.”
In order for an award to be given, there must be at least 10 submissions in Art and Letters, and 5 in Music to insure a competitive contest.
Guidelines for Art Category
Entries may be in any of the following categories:
• Painting: all mediums, including oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, encaustic, mixed media
• Drawing and graphics: all mediums
• Photography
• Printmaking (original prints only)
• Pottery (hand-formed or wheel-thrown)
• Sculpture
• Digital art
Entry images must be a minimum of 1,200-1,500 pixels on the longest side. The image file size must be 1 MB or less. The file name should be the title of the piece only. The image should be of the artwork alone without mat or frame. Please submit 1 image of each 2-dimensional entry; 3 images (front, back, and side views) of all 3-dimensional entries. There are no size restrictions.
The artist statement required by the competition must accompany your submission. Please include complete contact information, art category, medium, and title of your piece with your submission. Indicate your choice of $300 or a pendant if you are selected as the winner. Your choice may not be changed.
Email your entries to artchair@nlapw.org. Subject of your email should read: Art Submission Vinnie Ream.
Artwork chosen for the competition by the juror will be by jpeg selection. The First Place winner and five Honorable Mentions will be used in a slide show during the Vinnie Ream Banquet and shown on the League’s website.
Before submitting, entry fee should be paid via PayPal below or by check made out to NLAPW and mailed to Joan Applebaum, National Art Chair, NLAPW, 1300 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036-1901. Include your contact information and title of your piece with your submission.
Any questions, please contact Joan Applebaum, National Art Chair, at artchair@nlapw.org.
Guidelines for Letters Category
The letters competition will cover three specific areas: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, but only one winner will be chosen. From these categories, one overall letters entry will be the first-place winner.
Fiction categories include a short story (30 pages max.); a screen/stage play excerpt and synopsis (total of 30 pages max.); chapter from a children’s, young adult, or adult novel, plus a detailed synopsis (total of 30 pages max.); manuscript of young children’s story (30 pages max.); or a series (related or unrelated) of flash fiction, 1,000 words and under, indicate WC on each (30 pages max.).
Nonfiction will include an article or an essay (30 pages max.); a chapter of a nonfiction book plus detailed abstract (total of 30 pages max.); a chapter of a memoir plus detailed outline (total of 30 pages max.); or a series (related or unrelated) of flash memoir or nonfiction, 1,000 words and under, indicate WC on each (30 pages max.).
Poetry entry will include a chapbook (30 pages max.) or a series of linked poems (30 poems max.).
Do not send any books.
Pages with illustrations or images will count toward the maximum allowed; it is recommended that these be omitted.
Submissions may be published or unpublished. Entries must be typed on 8.5-by-11 white paper. Good quality photocopies of books are acceptable if the spacing requirements for prose are met (i.e., double-spaced).
Prose should be double-spaced. Poetry should be single-spaced with double spacing between stanzas.
Only the title of the work should appear on the manuscript. Do not include your name.
On a separate cover sheet include your name, complete contact information, and the category and title of your work. Example: Fiction—short story: Title. No manuscripts will be returned. On this cover sheet, indicate your choice of $300 or a pendant if you are selected as the winner. Your choice may not be changed.
Make sure to include your statement responding to the Vinnie Ream quotation as part of your submission – on a separate sheet, not on the cover sheet, without your name.
Preliminary judge(s) for each of the three letters categories will select the best pieces in that category; finalist judge(s) will consider the finalists and choose the first place.
Before submitting, entry fee should be paid via PayPal below or by check made out to NLAPW. Send entries in one envelope (including cover sheet, artist statement, and check if applicable) to Karen McAferty Morris, National Letters and Vinnie Ream Chair, NLAPW, 1300 17th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20036-1901.
Contact Karen by e-mail at lettchair@ nlapw. org with questions.
Guidelines for Music Category
All original musical compositions must be between 3 and 12 minutes.
Entries may be for solo or small ensembles (up to five players). Any instrumentation is acceptable. Choreography can be for up to five dancers.
All entries will be considered for possible performances in 2025-26. Potential venues include the 2026 Biennial plus individual branch meetings throughout 2025-26.
- Submission formats (select the format appropriate for your composition):
For nontraditional composition, submit two lead sheets with melody, lyrics and chord symbols, along with two CDs of the composition. - For traditional composition, submit two legibly scored copies of the musical composition, and two accompanying CD recordings of the composition performed.
- For choreography, send choreography notation, with a DVD recording of the choreography being performed.
Only the title of the composition must appear on all written and recorded materials. Do NOT include your name. CDs and DVDs will not be returned.
On a separate cover sheet or a 3×5 index card, include your name, contact information, and the category and title of your work.
Be sure to include a one-page statement (not to exceed 250 words) to accompany your entry as per the General Guidelines, to discuss the meaning of how your musical process is an expression of “a mind of many colors.”
Before submitting, entry fee should be paid via PayPal below or by check made out to NLAPW. Send entries to National Music Chair, NLAPW, Inc., 1300 17th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20036-1901.
Contact Music Chair by e-mail at musichair@nlapw.org with any questions.