Organized by the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases, the 8th annual Rare Artist contest is underway. The contest was established to exhibit the unique gifts of individuals affected by rare diseases and to promote the expression of their stories through art.

People with narcolepsy or other rare diseases are eligible to enter their painting, photography, mixed media, collage, pottery, or sculpture. Each artist may enter one piece in the contest, and two awards will be given out in each category: one by popular vote and one decided by a panel of rare disease community leaders. The deadline for entries is December 5, 2016.

To enter, each artist should visit the Rare Artist Facebook page and submit the artwork in the appropriate category. Voting will be open through December 12. Award recipients will be announced in early January.

The awards for each category are as follows:

Children (4-11): $100 gift card
Teens (12-17): $250 gift card
Adults (18+): $500 gift card
Adults (18+): Photography/Digital Art: $500 gift card

Award recipients will have their work displayed at our Rare Artist reception to be held on March 1, 2017 in Washington, DC in conjunction with Rare Disease Week on Capitol Hill.