Articles on Garafola were published in Art Tour International- Top 10 Artists, Then to Now; American Lifestyle and Munsell Color Online. NJ Savvy Living Magazine featured Garafola as one of the three premier portrait artists in New Jersey; Portrait Signature-Journal of the American Society of Portrait Artists. Additional media coverage includes: Asbury Park Press, Savvy Magazine of Central New Jersey, Long Island Power and Sail Magazine, Courier News, Home News Tribune, , Star Ledger, The Connections Showcase, The Journal, The Warren Historical Society newsletter, Warren Business and Professional Newspaper.

Garafola was a member of numerous art associations. He was a Life Member of the Art Students League of New York and Life Member of the Art Directors Club of New Jersey. In Florida he was a member of the Sarasota Art Center; Portrait Society of Sarasota; Art Center of Manatee, Longboat Key; and Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota. In New Jersey he was a member of the Somerset Art Association; New Jersey Center for Visual Arts in Summit; and Westfield Art Association. Online associations: The International Guild of Realism and LA Art Guide.

• Contemporary Art Gallery Online, All Weather of the Seasons, 2nd Place, Hooper Straight Lighthouse
• Bauhaus Prairie Art Gallery, Portrait Competition
  • Honorable Mention, Henry Morrison Flagler
  • Honorable Mention, Gypsy Mirela
  • Honorable Mention, Jeannie & Goliath
• Contemporary Art Gallery Online, All Landscapes, Best in Show, Waterloo Village
• Bauhaus Prairie Art Gallery, Creative Inspiration – Inaugural year
  • Award of Merit, Noteworthy, Waterloo Village
  • Award of Merit, Noteworthy, Moose in Yosemite
  • Award of Merit, Noteworthy, Mabry Mill
• Bauhaus Prairie Art Gallery, Still Life Competition, Third Place, Carneval De Venezia
• Society of Portrait Artists Foundation, the International Portrait Arts Festival held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Certificate of Excellence, Atsuko Kubota (Japanese Girl)
• Sarasota Portrait Society, Sarasota, FL, 1st Place, Ralph Garafola, Self Portrait
• Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL, 1st Place, Painting on The Left Bank, Paris
• Anna Maria Art League Gallery, Anna Maria Island, FL, 1st Place, Flamenco Dancer
• Art Center of Manatee, Manatee, FL
  • 1st Place, Carnevale de Venezia
  • 1st Place, Twelve Meter Racing
  • 2nd Place, The Golden Ballet Shoes
• Art & Frame, Sarasota, FL, 1st Place, Bridge Street Pier at Sunrise
• Longboat Key Center for the Arts (Div. of Ringling College), Longboat Key, FL
  • 1st Place, Tourist in the Ringling Museum
  • 1st Place, Kubuki Courtesan
  • 1st Place, Memories of a Geisha
• Mountain Art Show, Bernardsville, NJ, Award of Excellence, Atsuko Kubota
• Somerset Art Association, Somerset, NJ, Best in Show, Atsuko Kubota
• New Jersey Center of Visual Arts, Summit, NJ, Award of Excellence, Bill, Guitar Player
• Watchung Arts Center, Watchung, NJ, Award of Excellence, Bobby and his dog Butchie
• Somerset Art Association, Somerset, NJ, Grumbacher Gold Medallion Award, Atsuko Kubota
• New Jersey Center for Visual Arts, Summit, NJ, Marion Anderson Memorial Award for Portraiture, Carolann
• Les Malamut Gallery, Union, NJ, Honorable Mention, Venice Gondola
• Park Avenue Club, Florham Park, NJ, 2nd Place, Au Lapin Agile (Dancing Rabbit) Cabaret, Montmartre
• Ridgewood Art Institute, Ridgewood, NJ, Gamblin “Artists Oil Color” Award, Waterloo Village
• Westfield Art Association, Westfield, NJ
  • Award of Excellence, The Clammer
  • Award of Excellence, Brown’s Head Light
• Art Directors Club of New Jersey, Kearny, NJ, Gold Medal, Special Honor-Service Award, Ralph Garafola