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Total prizes reach 1000 
But of course there are always the rules......
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"We can control the medium.
We can control the context of presentation.
Is there anybody on the receiving end?
Reaching out for some kind of connection.
Come on and wash these shores away.
Come on and wash these shores away.
I am looking for the crest,
I am looking for the crest of a new wave.
We can be the bands we want to hear.
We can define our own generation.
Is there anybody on the receiving end?
Are you ready to brave new directions.
Come on and wash these shores away.
Come on and wash these shores away.
I am looking for the crest,
I am looking for the crest of a new wave.
Let breathe new dawn this art is dead!
No signs of original thought in the mainstream.
Is there anybody on the receiving end?
We can eclipse all that came before us.
Come on and wash these shores away.
Come on and wash these shores away.
I am looking for the crest,
I am looking for the crest of a new wave."
-Against Me!, New Wave
[link]
I hate the word "kitsch".
Here's a brief summary brought to you by wiki...
"denoting art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art. The term kitsch was a response to the 19th century art whose aesthetics convey exaggerated sentimentality and melodrama, hence, kitsch art is closely associated with sentimental art. Moreover, kitsch (art) also denotes the types of art that are like-wise æsthetically deficient (whether or not it is sentimental, glamorous, theatrical, or creative) making it a creative gesture that merely imitates the superficial appearances of art (via repeated conventions and formulae), thus, it is uncreative and unoriginal; it is not Art. Contemporaneously, kitsch also (loosely) denotes art that is æsthetically pretentious to the degree of being in poor taste, and industrially-produced art-items that are considered trite and crass."
Who can judge art like this?
Who could say this about someone else's art?
We are all products of our surroundings. Things we are exposed to, things we've chosen to expose ourselves to. But we are not original. Not really. An original mix of things maybe... and our creations, whether music, art or otherwise, will be the same. Combinations of things that have already been. We take what we've seen... mix it with something else and try to do it better. But is there ever anything new?
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Contempt 
I always understood "Kitsch" as stuff you can by in souvenir shops, knickknack, still lifes with flowers, things that can be decorative but have no deeper meaning and do not intend to express or convey something.
Of course, one may connect memories with souvenirs and therefore give them a meaning, but that's different again, because we all put something of our personality into every aspect of life and associate various personal events, emotions and memories.
I think, imitation does not define Kitsch. Imitation can be a satire, critique or a salute to the original and yet has something that is different from the original.
I don't really think it usually applies to the kind of art that people put their heart and soul into. I think it usually applies to mass-produced art that was just made to be decorative, cutesy, placating, like the kind of things you see in the dentist's office. Its not really art, because its mass-produced and probably made in a kind of mindless way, wherein the "artist" just whipped something up real quick that looks like something they've seen before. It's meaningless. The only reason one might really consider it art in the first place is because it's a photograph, or a collage, or a painting, but generally, not an interesting or meaningful one at all.
Thomas Kinkade all the way!! He sucks!!! Hahaha I mean I guess the guy has technical skill, and his images are pretty and soothing to look at, but once you've seen one, you've seen them all. It's like he painting something and plenty of people liked it, so he painted it over and over again to make lots of money. Honestly I've heard people say "That's so Kinkade" if something is lame or, well, kitschy.
I can. I really hate to come off like an art Nazi. But I can judge art like that. I have the perfect artist too.
Thomas Kinkade fits the description of "kitsch." Just look at this link -------> [link] I defy anybody to tell me that is not "kitsch".
Kinkade is a cliche of himself now. To say that I loathe his work would be an understatement. When I look his work it worse than nails on blackboard for me. I just want to puke all of his paintings. Maybe then it would look better. Velvet pictures of Elvis over a fireplace mantel have more artistic INTEGRITY and MERIT than his work.
Kitsch describes Kinkade perfectly. But while I stand in artistic loathsome ideology of Kinkade he is making millions off of his tastless paintings. Kinkade is an industry that is publicly traded. Aparently there is enough people out there that find artistic merit in his repugnant images. I hate to even call his work art.
I wouldn't have put it up if I didn't want other people's opinions. <3
Thomas Kinkade is an interesting subject to bring up. Hm. I would say it's less art and more business. Just because something is a painting, is it art? Because I think at this point he's really just a business owner.
Personally, for something to be defined as art to me there has to be some part of the artist in it... and his work lost that years ago. Despite his little love letters to his wife, ect that he sneaks in pieces. The fact alone that he pays other people to add paint to his prints so that he can sell them for more is... well, not art. It's business.
But I guess you're right. He does fall into a good deal of "kitsch" definition.
This also brings up the idea of "selling out" but that's a whole different can of worms.
I mean... how can something possibly be your art if you're not even doing it?
I think the actual creation of a piece is very very important. The creation is the art. (I think that's why I'm so fascinated with all the youtube videos of people working in their art journals.) It's the beginning of the connection. Where you try to communicate and reach out to others, how could you possibly connect with someone if you're not even doing the art that's suppose to connect?
That's like when you have a favorite band... and you're so in love with them because their lyrics are amazing and go straight to your heart - and then you find out they don't even write their own stuff... it's rubbish.
(also - play devil's advocate as much as you like. I love good conversation and discussions. Especially about art, and I don't get to have them nearly enough.)
But with the music, I try never to learn if they write their own music or lyrics...I like what I like and whoever wrote them still got paid even if we don't know who they are...but then I'm not much of a music conniseur...(spelling on that last word...yikes)
I use the word kitsch all the time to my students...when they draw crap like hearts, rainbows, unicorns, etc that is trite/kitsch/juvenile and I urge them to explore more. I'm pretty sure things like that or the ideas behind them could be done more tastefully...
Things of a business nature can be art.
Just because something makes a profit doesn't mean it stops being art.
I think it has a good deal to do with intentions.
I think it becomes a business when the quality takes a back seat to the profit.
It really depends on what you're goal is. What you're trying to accomplish with what you're making.
And I love using those things in pieces. I don't consider them "kitsch" at all. A bit juvenile perhaps - but I love using symbols that as a whole mean something so much bigger. And you never really know what one little thing could mean to someone else, you know? There could be an entire world of things within that one little symbol.
I completely understand the idea of pushing further to find other more creative ways of expressing these same things, but I definitely wouldn't call them kitsch. (I think there's just such a negative connotation to the word EVERY TIME I've ever heard it used, that it just leaves a rather bad taste in my mouth.)