Egg Art International

 

​What Is the Master Artisan Pathway (MAP)?

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Whether you specialize in pysanky, carving, engraving, painting, sculpting, or any other style of egg art, the Master Artisan Pathway offers an opportunity to have your work evaluated by experienced judges.

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Each entry is assessed by two or more judges who provide constructive feedback designed to help artists improve their techniques and advance their artistic abilities.

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Based on the scores awarded by two or more judges, artists may earn the following certifications:

• Bronze Certificate – Advanced Beginner (70–79 points)

• Silver Certificate – Intermediate Level (80–89 points)

• Gold Certificate – Advanced Level (90–100 points)

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The maximum possible score is 100 points.

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Earn the Title of Master Artisan

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Earning a Gold Certificate recognizes an artist as an Advanced Level Artisan.

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Artists who continue to demonstrate excellence may achieve even higher distinctions:

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• Master Artisan - Awarded after earning five Gold Certificates in any combination of the same or different styles.

• Supreme Master Artisan – Awarded after earning eight Gold Certificates in any combination of the same or different styles.

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These prestigious titles celebrate consistent artistic excellence, technical mastery, and dedication to the art of decorated eggs.

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Examples of the Bronze, Silver, Gold, Master Artisan, and Supreme Master Artisan certificates are shown below.

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Mission of the Master Artisan Pathway (MAP)

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The mission of the Master Artisan Pathway (MAP) is to elevate the art of egg decorating by promoting excellence through education, professional assessment, and recognition. MAP encourages artists to continually develop their skills while preserving and advancing the artistry of decorated eggs.

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Benefits of MAP

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The Master Artisan Pathway provides artists with the opportunity to refine their skills through constructive evaluations by experienced judges. Each assessment offers valuable feedback designed to help participants improve their techniques, strengthen their artistry, and achieve their full creative potential.

MAP certification is a respected credential that can enhance your professional reputation as an egg artist, instructor, or exhibitor. Whether you teach, sell your work, or participate in exhibitions, your certification demonstrates a recognized level of artistic achievement and may be displayed with your artwork, included in your résumé, or featured in your professional portfolio.

Designed to support artists at every stage of their journey, MAP is a forward-looking program that recognizes and celebrates excellence across all styles of egg art.

 

How to Apply

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Most MAP entries are evaluated through photographic submissions, a widely accepted method of assessment. To ensure your work can be judged accurately, please read the Photo Submission Guidelines before submitting your application.

Some entries may require in-person assessment due to the techniques used or the difficulty of capturing important details in photographs. Even when in-person judging is required, photographs must still accompany the application.

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To apply:

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• Complete the online application form (one form per entry).

• Submit a minimum of six photographs of your entry labeled:

  • Front

  • Back

  • Left Side

  • Right Side

  • Top

  • Bottom

• You may also include additional photographs showing the interior or other significant details.

• Remove or conceal all identifying information. Your name must not appear on any photograph, and any signature on the egg should be covered before photographing.

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If you are unsure which category best fits your entry or have any questions about the application process, please contact us before submitting.

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Once a complete application has been received, our goal is to provide the assessment results within 29 days or less. Applications that do not meet the submission requirements will be returned with a request for resubmission.

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Disqualifications

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An entry or artist may be disqualified from the Master Artisan Pathway for any of the following reasons:

• The entry is not created on a real eggshell.

• The egg was produced from a seminar project or instructional kit.

• The design is copied from or created by another artist.

• The artwork contains vulgar or sexually explicit content.

• The artwork depicts violence of any kind.

• The artist engages in unprofessional conduct, including demeaning, bullying, or harassing behavior toward other artists or their work.

 

Other Important Information

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To help ensure a fair and impartial assessment, we strongly recommend that you do not share your MAP entry on social media or other public platforms before it has been judged. Maintaining confidentiality helps prevent unintended bias, and judges who recognize an entry will recuse themselves from evaluating it.

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We also encourage artists to submit recently completed work. Entries created more than five years prior to submission are discouraged, as natural aging and deterioration of materials may affect the assessment, and newer work provides greater educational value for both the artist and the judging process.

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Preparing Images for MAP Judging

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Please read these instructions carefully. Entries that do not meet the image submission requirements may be returned for resubmission.

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Introduction

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Preparing images for digital judging differs from preparing images for printing. Following these guidelines will help ensure your artwork is presented accurately and can be evaluated fairly.

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If you photograph your entry in JPEG (.jpg) format, always keep an unedited copy of the original image. Each time a JPEG image is edited and saved, a small amount of image quality is lost due to file compression. To preserve the highest possible quality, save your original photographs in a separate folder or on another storage device and create your submission images from those originals.

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Image Submission Requirements

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The following requirements are mandatory for all MAP submissions.

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1. Image Quality

• Sharpen your images if desired and if your editing software supports it.

• Save all images in JPEG (.jpg) format.

• Each image must be 2 MB or less.

• The total upload size for one application must not exceed 25 MB.

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2. Required Photographs

A minimum of six photographs is required, showing the following views:

• Front

• Back

• Left Side

• Right Side

• Top

• Bottom

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You may also include up to two optional photographs.

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We recommend including one additional image with a different background, as this image may be used in the MAP Gallery on the website.

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If your egg opens, include a photograph of the interior labeled Inside.

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If your entry includes mechanical movement, submit a video no longer than 10 seconds.

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3. File Naming

Name your image files exactly as follows:

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• Front

• Back

• Left Side

• Right Side

• Top

• Bottom

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If applicable, label the interior image Inside.

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4. Identification

• Do not include your name in any file name.

• Do not allow your name or signature to appear in any photograph.

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5. Background

• Use a plain white or plain black background.

• Avoid glare and distracting reflections.

• Do not digitally remove or replace the background.

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6. Camera Angles

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For consistent judging, photograph your entry from the following viewpoints:

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• Front, Back, Left Side, and Right Side: Photograph at eye level with the center of the egg.

• Top: Photograph directly above the egg, looking straight down.

• Bottom: Photograph the underside of the artwork. You may need to carefully lift or support the piece to capture this view.

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Other Helpful Tips for photographing artwork for digital submissions.

 

 

 

 

Rev. 2-20-2025. Please note revisions will occur periodically. Egg Art is a changing art with new materials, styles, equipment etc. We reserve the right to update as needed to improve the program or reflect these changes. Always read thru all the information before submitting an egg to ensure you are in compliance with any changes.