President’s Art Prize

2025-26

Calling all CSU students and young alumni!

We want to spotlight outstanding creative work by you – CSU students and young alumni, regardless of major – through a juried art prize. Winners will receive a cash award AND their work will be displayed at Magnolia House, the CSU President’s Residence.

The visual arts and student creativity are central to the CSU mission and campus and we are celebrating artistic innovation and vibrancy through this art prize.

To submit your artwork, click the link below called "How to Submit Instructions."

Who Can Apply

What’s Eligible

How to Submit Instructions

Awards

$500 President's Art Prize (1)

$250 Awards of Distinction (3)

$150 Honorable Mentions (5)

What Awardees Receive

In addition to cash prizes and exhibition opportunity, the selected artists will receive:

Recognition at the installation reception hosted by the President, with speaking and networking opportunities.

One-on-one mentorship from jurors and connections with a broader arts network.

Inclusion in a university webpage and video documentation, to be distributed via media and social media.

Jurors

A panel of jurors, respected leaders in the arts with strong ties to CSU, will review submissions.

Jasmine Holmes

Jazz Holmes is a studio artist currently residing in Denver, Colorado. Holmes grew up throughout
the deep south, mostly in rural Black sharecropping areas that were owned by her family. She is a
graduate with a BFA from the University of West Florida and an MFA from Colorado State University.
Her works are centered around uplifting the Black Agricultural South and highlighting the perpetual
influence it has within American culture through culinary subjects.

Recently Holmes completed a 2-year residency with Redline Contemporary Art Center, along with a
1-year residency with the Denver Botanical Gardens. She has been awarded residencies in France,
Ireland, Portugal, and Mexico along with solo and group shows in these countries. Her work has
been published within multiple publications including the Westword, Voyager, Urban Life Wash
Park, and 9News

Martha Mcgee

Martha McGee is the CEO and co-founder of NINE dot ARTS, a leading art consulting and creative placemaking firm that has completed over 1,000 projects worldwide, generating more than $50M for the creative economy. A trained artist and entrepreneur, Martha has been recognized on the Forbes Next 1000 List. She serves on the boards of the Downtown Denver Partnership and is a member of Denver's 16th Street Mall Mayoral Council.

Christian Gaines

Christian is the CEO of Creative West. A film, arts, and technology leader with experience in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, Gaines has held leadership positions at the Sundance Film Festival, the Hawai‘i International Film Festival, and the American Film Institute. For five years, he ran film festival business development at IMDb, a division of Amazon. In 2013, Gaines became executive director of ArtPrize, a disruptive international art competition held annually in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he also served on the Michigan Arts and Culture Council and on the board of DisArt. In 2019, Gaines joined WESTAF, stewarding the organization through significant growth and change into its next chapter as Creative West. Christian is chair of the US Regional Arts Organizations collective. He is passionate about generating opportunity for artists and culture bearers, creating joyful spaces, and inspiring teams to do their best work.

Student Curators

Maximus Vogt

Maximus Vogt is a senior majoring in art history with a minor in journalism. He is passionate about contributing progressive scholarship on contemporary art, having presented his research at CSU's Art History Symposium and SUNY New Paltz's National Art History Symposium. Previously, he worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a Modern and Contemporary Art Intern and at the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery in Washington, D.C. Recently, he assisted with the curation of In the Making: 50 Years in the Visual Arts Building at the Hatton Gallery as Exhibitions Assistant for the Department of Art and Art History. He also assists with the curation of an upcoming exhibition at the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art and works as a Collections Manager for the Lory Student Center's Art Collection.

Anna Coons

Anna Coons is a second-year student at Colorado State University pursuing a BA in Integrated Visual Studies and a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. Her dual major reflects her passion for both art and leadership and the importance of challenging and committing to oneself. As an Exhibitions and Community Engagement Assistant at the Hatton Gallery in the Department of Art and Art History, Anna supports outreach and communication initiatives that help the gallery connect with a broader audience. At CSU, she is active in several organizations, including the Sales Club, Women in Business Association, Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), and Women in Supply Chain Excellence, and she regularly participates in case competitions that strengthen her leadership and problem-solving skills.

Jurors will evaluate submissions based on artistic merit, originality, craftsmanship, and site suitability.

Exhibition Sites

Winning artworks will be professionally installed at the CSU President’s Residence for roughly one academic year.
A celebratory opening and award ceremony will take place at the CSU President’s Residence in early March. Winning artists will be introduced and invited to speak briefly about their work.

Timeline

Call for entries: Dec. 1, 2025 – Jan. 25, 2026
Winners notified: early February 2026
Framing and installation: February 2026
Reception: March 2026

College of Liberal Arts