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Illume Connect

Desert Wild Competition – Novice Division

Desert Wild Competition – Novice Division

$75.00 USD
$75.00 USD
Sale Sold out

Novice Desert Wild Competition

Celebrate the spirit, texture, and beauty of the wild desert. From native plants and animals to desert landscapes, weathered relics, and bold Western icons—your piece should evoke the untamed heart of the desert. 

Novice class is for leathercrafters who have been working in the industry, either as a hobbyist or full-time artisan, for less than 5 years.  

Each leathercrafter may enter up to three pieces of art (entry fee required for each entry). The art must be made within the past 12 months and be in "new" condition.

  • Art made in or during a training is not allowed.

Online entries are open from July 1st-December 20th, 2025

Three judges will independently and separately score each entry based on a universal score sheet. All contestants will receive their score sheets via email after the show.

Art must be at the Southwest Leather Masters Competition registration desk at the SOUTH POINT by 5pm Wednesday, January 8th for judging and will remain on display until 5pm Saturday, January 10th.

  • In-person delivery will be Wednesday, January 7th from 9am-5pm.
  • If shipping your item entry, it must arrive on or before Friday, January 2 to be eligible for judging. Please ship entries to:
    • IllumEvents
      Attn: Savannah
      95 W Main Street
      Salina, UT 84654
  • If you WILL NOT be present to pick up your entry on Saturday, January 10th at 5pm, please include a RETURN SHIPPING LABEL and any special instructions.

Art can be for sale during the competition. Contestants are responsible for all sales.

  • IllumEvents Las Vegas will not take any sales commission. 

Rules

Eligible Entries:

Must be a non-functional, decorative piece of leather art. (Not a wallet, bag, belt, or wearable—this is strictly art.) 

Examples include:

  • Tooled or carved wall panels
  • Sculptural or 3D pieces
  • Painted or dyed leather scenes
  • Mixed media with leather as the core material
  • Shadowboxes or framed leather illustrations 

Material Requirements:

Leather must be the primary medium (at least 75% of the visible work). Supporting materials (wood, metal, textile, etc.) are allowed as long as they enhance the leatherwork—not replace it. No size limit. 

Original Work:

Entries must be original creations made by the submitting artist. No AI-generated designs or pre-patterned kits. 

Awards 

The Southwest Leather Masters Competition Awards Ceremony will be held at 4pm on Saturday, January 10th in the IllumEvents Las Vegas tradeshow area. 

Each registered tradeshow attendee will cast one vote towards the People’s Choice Award which will be awarded a prize package. 

Please make sure you understand the rules and guidelines as entry fees are NON-REFUNDABLE. Also be sure to study the judging sheet for a full understanding of what will be judged in the competition.  

 

Image courtesy of Claire Kehrberg

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