I live by the Sea - Jūrmalas Mākslas skola

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Submissions to the XXI International Visual Arts Competition “I Live by the Sea”are open!

Theme of competition 2025: “SEA - SHORE”

Anyone who has been by the sea has encountered a magical story or mythical adventure, seemingly without a logical explanation. Those who grew up near the sea, on its shore, know it better. Each person has a memory related to the unexplored nature of the seashore joy, fear, magic.

The sub-themes of the competition are:

1. The ever-changing shore of the sea —tides and ebb, waves;
2. Magnetism—the attraction of the sea;
3. The border where land and water meet;
4. Myths and legends about the seashore;
5. The interaction between humans and the sea, ecology.

"I LIVE BY THE SEA" 2025. REGULATION OF COMPETITION

Information card 2025

I LIVE BY THE SEA 2023. RESULTS

In 2023, the competition consisted of 1233 works, coming from 144 schools in 12 countries - Ukraine, Bulgaria, China, Estonia, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Turkey and Latvia. The artworks were evaluated by an international panel of judges, representing Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. 111 Commendations, 20 Bronze Medals, 17 Silver Medals, 11 Gold Medals were awarded. Special prizes from UNESCO LKR and Youth Jury were also given.

"I LIVE BY THE SEA" 2023. RESULTS

This year’s competition theme was THEME OF THE COMPETITION: “On the Shoulders of the Water God”

• Personal myths and legends

Anyone who has been to the sea at least once as a child has encountered a magical story or a mythical adventure with seemingly no logical explanation. Those who grew up near the sea get to it better. Their childhood memories also have a story or a game related to the unknown nature, joy, fear, magic of the sea.

This year competition focuses on the personal mythological experience related to the sea and how this experience has created habits, rituals, traditions, and their reflection in art works. We invite young artists to indulge their deepest childhood memories, lifetime experiences or feelings created by the inexplicable.

• Games and plays

The theme invites us to remember childhood games and activities, in which something of the mysterious rite of eternity or the ceremony of "secret knowledge" of adults is manifested, to learn the twists and turns of nature and human driving forces.

Life cannot be put into structures or systems, it is much deeper, more unexplorable, sometimes incomprehensible, and therefore magical.