Alaska Photographic Center invites you to participate in Rarefied Light 2024, Alaska’s largest juried photography exhibition.

Eligibility for Rarefied Light 2024

The competition is open to all artists residing in Alaska.  All work submitted must be original work created and owned by the submitting photographer.

This call is open to all forms and categories of photography with the exception of AI-generated work. Only original works not previously exhibited or scheduled for exhibition in a statewide juried exhibition in Alaska are eligible for submission. Recent work preferred.

The Rarefied Light juror for 2024, Aline Smithson is an interdisciplinary artist, filmmaker, educator, and editor based in Los Angeles, California. Her practice examines the archetypal foundations of the creative impulse and she uses humor and pathos to explore the performative potential of photography.

Aline Smithson has exhibited widely including over 50 solo shows at institutions such as the Griffin Museum of Photography, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the Fort Collins Museum of Contemporary Art, and others.

Smithson founded LENSCRATCH, a journal that celebrates a different contemporary photographer each day. She has been the Gallery Editor for Light Leaks Magazine, and writer for Diffusion, Don’t Take Pictures, Lucida, and F Stop Magazines.  Smithson has curated and jurored exhibitions for galleries, organizations, and on-line magazines, including Review Santa Fe, Critical Mass, Flash Forward, and the Griffin Museum. She is a reviewer and educator at many photo festivals across the United States. Smithson has been teaching at the Los Angeles Center of Photography since 2001 and teaches at institutions such as ICP, SFW, MMW, and others.

Digital Submissions & Judging
Rarefied Light 2024 judging will be completely done online using the submitted digital entries. Participants will be notified of acceptance into the show in July, after Aline has made the final selections. Final exhibition ready artwork will be collected in October, prior to the opening show in Anchorage at Alaska Pacific University in November.

APC Membership (optional):
$25 for one-year membership
$15 for students or senior citizens (65 and older) use code: MEMBERDISC at submission.

Fees
APC Members: first entry $15, $5 per each additional entry.
Non-Members: first entry $30, $10 each additional entry.
There is a limit of 20 entries per artist that may be submitted.

APC Members who have active memberships or renew using CallForEntry, are eligible to use coupon code: APCMEMBER to receive your discount on submission rates.

NOTE: You must apply the coupon code to EACH image submitted for the discount to be applied fully.

NOTE: Once you submit to the call, you cannot go back and add additional images! The call closes June 4th, 9:59 PM AST (11:59 PM Mountain Time)

Awards
There will be a Best of Show selection with a $300 Award provided by APC. Additionally, the juror will select Honorable Mention Awards of $100.

Final submission - Exhibition-ready artwork = Gallery Quality Framing
Artwork that is selected from the digital submissions for the final show in Anchorage must be exhibition-ready by a TBD in October 2024.
Exhibition ready requires: 

• No watermarks or logos on the printed images.
• Two dimensional art should be framed in a simple, black, white, or silver colored metal or wood frame no wider than 1.5 inch.
• No brown wood frames please.
• With a goal of a more uniform show, we cannot accept ornately carved or colored frames.
• If matted, please use white or natural museum board; no colored mats.
• No saw-toothed hangers; use framing wire.
• Metal and Canvas prints must be framed for protection.
• Plexiglass must be used for framed artwork larger than 20 inches on the longest side.
• Frame size is limited to 24 inches on the longest side (due to shipping container constraints)
• 3 Dimensional art work may not be able to travel with the show due to the fragile nature of the pieces and gallery display limitations.

APC reserves the right to exclude submitted artwork that does not meet the above criteria or is ineligible for public display in any specific gallery space.

Exhibition
Rarefied Light 2024 has exhibitions planned in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Kenai. Selected art is currently scheduled to be returned to the artist in the spring of 2025, and cannot be withdrawn prior to the end of the tour. Exhibit venues may be added and extend the duration of the traveling exhibit.

Any pieces with fragile components may not be eligible for traveling with the show.
                                                                                       Liability
APC will not be liable for artwork that is damaged during shipping/display. Metal and Canvas works should be packaged in individual sturdy, reusable boxes suitable for shipping. This includes acceptable packing materials to protect the surface of the work. (No packing peanuts or loose fill materials)

Conditions and Sales
Sales will be encouraged. Each venue takes their standard gallery commission. Images may be used by APC for purposes of documentation, promotion, in publicity, APC publications and exhibitions.

All copyrights remain with the photographers.

Application Requirements

Applicants will follow the instructions on the callforentry website.

Eligibility Criteria

The competition is open to all artists residing in Alaska. All work submitted must be original work created and owned by the submitting photographer.