Winners announced in the 2026 Miami University Young Painters Competition for the $10,000 Yeck Award
Hannah Keats’ winning painting will become part of the Miami University 21st Century Painting Collection
Winners announced in the 2026 Miami University Young Painters Competition for the $10,000 Yeck Award
Winners of the 2026 Miami University Young Painters Competition for the $10,000 William (Miami '36) and Dorothy Yeck Award were announced at a reception for the nine finalists Feb. 6 in Hiestand Galleries.
The winners were selected by competition juror and artist, Saya Woolfolk.
This national competition for artists ages 25-35 celebrates the current trends in contemporary painting. The 2026 competition focused on nonrepresentational paintings. The work of all nine finalists are on view at the Hiestand Galleries through March 6.
Hannah Keats of Tallahassee, Florida, won the 2026 Miami University Young Painters Competition and $10,000 for her painting “Fossil Record, 2025” (oil and acrylic paint, digital prints, resin, sand, shells, fossilized coral, shark teeth, and stingray barbs on wood panel). Keats received her MFA in 2025 from Florida State University and a BFA from the University of North Florida. She was recently recognized by The Nature Conservancy with an award for her work addressing shark conservation. Keats currently teaches design at Chipola College and the University of North Florida.
Donnie Nie of Galesburg, Illinois, won second place and $2,500 for her painting “Altar, 2025” (oil on wood panel). She received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2022 and her BFA from Ontario College of Art and Design. She is currently an assistant professor of art at Knox College.
John Singletary of Brooklyn, New York, won third place and $2,000 for his painting “When I’m Dead, 2025” (oil on canvas). He received his MFA from the University of California San Diego and his BFA from Baylor University.
