Tops ArtFest 2026 Plein Air Competition Guide
A good view does not do the painting for you.
PERSPECTIVE PLAY, the Tops ArtFest 2026 plein-air painting competition, begins on Friday, October 23, 2026, at TOPS on Tops Road, Busay, Cebu City, Philippines. It has separate student and professional categories. The official competition guidelines require original works created onsite within the TOPS complex during the competition period.
The competition is part of Tops ArtFest 2026: Building and Breaking Norms, which runs from October 22 to 25. The festival is presented by the Cristina Lee Dino Foundation Inc. and the Sacred Heart School for Boys Batch '85 Foundation. Our earlier Tops ArtFest 2026 feature covers the wider festival lineup.
Friday registration, Saturday deadline
Competition registration takes place at The Circle, TOPS, on Friday, October 23, 2026, from 8 AM to 6 PM only. Saturday is for submissions, not registration. Each participant may enter one work in one category; group and collaborative entries are not allowed. Student entrants must present a valid student ID. All times in this guide are Philippine time, UTC+8.
The organizers' FAQ confirms that competition registration is free, but participants must pay the regular TOPS entrance fee. Budget for admission even if you are entering the competition.
The painting window runs from 8 AM on October 23 to 10 AM on October 24, 2026. Artists may continue working onsite overnight. Completed works must be submitted at Hostel Honeycomb during either of these windows:
- Friday, October 23, 2026: 5 PM to 7 PM
- Saturday, October 24, 2026: 8 AM to 10 AM
Late entries will not be accepted. Allow time to get the work to the submission venue before the window closes.
Choose your medium and check the surface
The Student Category accepts oil or acrylic on canvas, watercolor, and soft, oil or chalk pastel. The Professional Category accepts oil or acrylic on canvas only.
Canvas or paper must have a total surface area of 432 to 450 square inches, regardless of shape. For example, an 18-by-24-inch rectangle measures 432 square inches. That illustrates the area requirement; staff will measure and verify the actual surface during registration.
The registration rules require blank canvases and disqualify pre-marked surfaces. Finished entries must be unsigned and undated.
The guidelines accept styles from realism to figurative abstraction, provided the work retains identifiable figurative or representational elements. Purely abstract or nonfigurative entries are ineligible.
The excluded formats are assemblage, mixed media, collage, bas-relief, sculpture, tarpaulin and digital prints.
A grid may be used as a compositional guide, not for studio-style copying or image transfer. Photographs of the scene may serve as references, especially during rain or changing weather.
Separate prizes for students and professionals
The Student Category offers PHP20,000 for first place, PHP15,000 for second place and PHP10,000 for third place, plus three Merit Awards of PHP5,000 each.
In the Professional Category, first place receives PHP50,000, second place PHP40,000 and third place PHP30,000. Three Merit Awards of PHP15,000 each are also listed. The announced awards include certificates and gift certificates from Art Caravan.
Judges' decisions are final. The organizers reserve the right to revoke awards for rule violations or when necessary to protect the competition's integrity. Under the participation terms, entrants grant permission to use their names, images and images of their artworks for promotional purposes across print, broadcast and digital platforms.
Make time to collect your work
Artwork claiming is scheduled for Sunday, October 25, 2026, from 10 AM to 6 PM, and Monday, October 26, 2026, from 8 AM to noon.
The collection deadline deserves attention: under the guidelines, unclaimed works are forfeited and may be sold, stored or disposed of at the organizers' discretion. Plan the return trip when you plan the painting day.
Competition requirements and schedules were checked against the organizers' official Tops ArtFest 2026 guidelines and FAQ on October 13, 2026. For updates before going, see the official Tops ArtFest announcements.