Salt is in the Air: Challenge Winners + Recap
Our very first open call, the Salt is in the Air Artist Challenge, has officially come to a close, and we’re honored to share the results of what became a truly inspiring and vibrant celebration of emerging talent.
With 28 submissions from artists and hundreds of public votes, this challenge far exceeded our expectations. What began as a small creative idea grew into a full-blown community event, and we are beyond grateful.
Now, it’s time to introduce our official award winners! These artists can now proudly call themselves award-winning through The Green Room at 831.
🧑⚖️ Judges’ Pick Winner
Entry #1 – Katie Frances - @katiefrances_studio
“This Burden Drifts Away”
Selected by a majority of our guest jurors, this piece captured the judges' attention for its atmosphere, emotional depth, and distinctive interpretation of the coastal theme.
This artist is now officially a Judges’ Pick Award Winner through The Green Room at 831.
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👩⚖️ Our Guest Judges:
We were honored to have a few of our Summer Collection artists serve as guest jurors for this event. Their creative expertise and artistic integrity brought so much thoughtfulness to this process:
Each of these artists reviewed submissions and cast their vote—an experience they can proudly include in their own professional portfolio as guest jurors for a curated art competition.
🗳️ People’s Choice Winner
Entry #8 – Justine - @secondshore
“Summer”
With 49 public votes, this piece captured the hearts of our audience with its soft tones and peaceful coastal energy. A true fan favorite, and now officially a People’s Choice Award-Winning Artist through The Green Room at 831!
✨ Honorable Mentions
While these artists did not receive a prize, their work stood out in big ways and they are recognized as notable finalists in the challenge:
Honorable Mention #1 – Entry #26: Amanda Sanchez - @angel_artistry50
📊 39 votes
A bold, captivating coastal piece that connected with a large part of our audience.
Honorable Mention #2 – Entry #18: Alyssa Cashmore - @alyssa_cashmore
📊 37 votes
Delicate, expressive, and full of atmosphere, this piece left a lasting impression.
Both will be featured in our Instagram Stories and are highlighted here as part of the official challenge recap.
🌟 Special Recognition
We’d also like to recognize Entry #28 – Sasha - @paintings_forthelodge for her beautiful submission to the Salt is in the Air Challenge. Due to a system issue, this entry was not included in our original carousel voting posts, but it was later featured in our Instagram Stories and received a warm response from our community.
We're grateful for her participation and are happy to officially include her work here in our recap.
💬 Final Thoughts
The Salt is in the Air Challenge wasn’t just a contest, it was the beginning of something bigger. A growing platform for artists. A space to be recognized. And a community that truly shows up.
To our winners: You can proudly call yourselves award-winning artists!
To our judges: Thank you for lending your time and talent to this process.
To every artist who submitted: Your work mattered, and it was seen.
This is only the beginning, and we can't wait to bring you along for the next one.
With so much gratitude,
Tianna
Founder, The Green Room at 831