2026 Lucien Kapp Art Competition
at the James Millikin Homestead
Official Rules and Guidelines
1. Eligibility
○ We will be accepting up to 40 adult submissions and up to 10 high school age submissions.
2. Theme
○ There is no specific theme, however, all artwork should be family-friendly
3. Artwork Specifications
○ Medium: Painting, drawing, or collage, using any medium
○ Size: Must be able to be displayed on a standard easel or tabletop easel. The entire artwork, including painting, frame, and matte, should be no larger than 18x24 or 432 square inches. The Homestead has limited space, so we need to limit total space that will be used by each piece. .
○ All submissions must be original works created by the artist and not previously displayed or published, nor can any submission include any AI component.
4. Submission Guidelines
○ Enter the competition and pay entry fee by August 31, 2026
○ Each participant may submit only one entry
○ Each artist must deliver their submission on Saturday, September 5th between 10 am and 2 pm, to the James Millikin Homestead - 125 N. Pine St., Decatur, IL 62522
○ Each artist should provide a title card and attach it to their artwork when they drop it off. The card should have the title of the work in large letters, so that the judges can easily read. If you want to provide other details about the artwork you can, but we do not want the artist’s name on this card, so that the judging can be blind. However, if you would like to have a double-sided card, and turn it around for the Awards Ceremony, you may do that.
○ The Homestead will provide easels.
5. Entry Fees
○ A non-refundable fee of $25 is required
○ Payment must be made through the form on the JMH website:
www.jamesmillikinhomestead.com/lucienkapp
6. Prizes
○ These prizes will be awarded:
■ 1st Place: $500
■ 2nd Place: $100
■ 3rd Place: $50
■ Peoples’ Choice: $250
■ High School Winner: $100
○ Additional special prizes may be awarded at the discretion of the judges or sponsors.
7. Copyright and Usage
○ By entering the competition, participants grant the organizers the right to use images of their submitted artwork for promotional purposes including but not limited to marketing materials, social media, and exhibition displays. Promotion would include the current year as well as future marketing to help the program grow.
○ Artists retain full copyright of their artwork, but agree to allow non-exclusive use for the aforementioned purposes.
8. Important Dates
○ Online Entry Deadline: August 31, 2026
○ Artists should deliver their artwork on Saturday, September 5th between 10 am and 2 pm, to the James Millikin Homestead - 125 N. Pine St., Decatur, IL 62522 ○ The Homestead will be open to those who have tickets to “Taste of History” and will be able to see the artwork and vote for their favorite, the evening of September 12th. More information about Taste of History can be found at this website: www.culverhousedecatur.com
○ Public Open Houses on September 26 & 27 from 2 pm to 4 pm (this is when the public will be able to vote on the “peoples’ choice” award) $5.00 entry per person. ○ Announcement of Winners & Award Ceremony: October 18, 2-4 PM at the James Millikin Homestead. Artists should take their paintings with them at the conclusion of the event at 4 pm.
9. Liability and Disclaimer
○ The organizers are not responsible for any loss or damage to submitted artwork during delivery, exhibition, or return.
○ Artists will need to pick up their painting after the award ceremony on October 18th at 4:00 PM. Do NOT remove your work until the ceremony is over. The organizers and the James Millikin Homestead are not liable for any artwork that is not picked up at this time.
○ The 1st Place Winner’s artwork will remain displayed at the James Millikin Homestead for a period of one year, until the new winner has been announced in 2027.
○ By submitting artwork, the participant agrees to these terms and conditions.
10. Contact Information
○ For questions, please contact:
Jim Wilkerson
James Millikin Homestead, Inc.
[email protected]
