Sunny Isles Beach residents have until Thursday, Oct. 15, to submit an original 8-by-8-inch artwork for a chance to see it permanently installed along the Gateway Artway at Gateway Center, 151 Sunny Isles Blvd.

The city announced the Sunny Spaces Art Contest on Wednesday, July 15, tying the open call to its upcoming 30th anniversary. Sunny Isles Beach incorporated on June 16, 1997, putting the three-decade milestone in June 2027.

Contest details

The contest is open exclusively to city residents. Entries must be painted or hand-drawn originals on an 8-by-8-inch surface. Five winning pieces are selected each year and added to the growing outdoor collection at the Gateway Artway, according to the city's Parks and Recreation Department.

Previous winners on display

The Artway already holds work from previous rounds of the contest. In April 2025, the city unveiled five pieces from the second annual edition, themed "Parks and Open Spaces," during a World Art Day celebration at the same location. A third annual round followed with the theme "Living in Motion," inspired by the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Winter Olympics.

The city has not announced a specific theme for the current contest. Its social media posts frame the 30th anniversary as the driving concept.

How to enter

Residents can find full submission guidelines and entry details at sibfl.gov/sunnyspaces. The deadline to enter is Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026.

Gateway Center, the 15,000-square-foot facility that houses the Artway, is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The building sits on Sunny Isles Boulevard between the oceanfront and the Intracoastal Waterway and hosts community programs, fitness classes and events year-round.

What's at stake

Selected artwork becomes part of a permanent public installation that residents pass on their way into Gateway Center. The Artway is a dedicated space where local artists can leave a lasting, visible mark on the community. For a barrier-island city of about 22,000 people, that's no small thing.