This 11th Annual Allegany National Photography Competition & Exhibition (ANPCE), sponsored by the Allegany Arts Council, will meld the region’s rich concentration of photographic artists with an influx of national photographers in a juried competition offering $6,500 in cash prizes.

Show Dates

The exhibition will run from March 29-April 19, 2025, in the Stephanie Ann Roper Gallery, located on the Frostburg State University campus in Frostburg, MD. Frostburg is located in the scenic and historic Mountain Maryland region, roughly midway between Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

The Public Opening and Awards Ceremony is scheduled Saturday, March 29, 2025, from 6-8 PM, and is free to attend. 

NOTE: In 2024, the Allegany Arts Council left its longtime home and purchased a property which will serve as its future home and galleries. Renovation of the property began in 2024, with an estimated completed timeframe of 2026. During this time, our offices are located in temporary space in downtown Cumberland and we partner with community collaborators to host gallery exhibitions in alternate sites.

Background

The ANPCE has grown to become one the largest and most respected juried shows in the country. Since its inception in 2015, photographers from all 50 states have entered work, seeking national recognition and the opportunity to win cash awards.

In 2024, the show attracted more than 800 entries from with just over 60 making the final cut for exhibition in our physical, as well as our digital galleries. 

Juror

Some of the country’s foremost fine-art authorities have juried the show. The 2025 juror is Crista Dix, Executive Director of the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, Massachusetts. The Griffin Museum of Photography produces approximately fifty exhibitions annually in its Winchester and satellite galleries across New England. The Griffin Museum is thrilled to be looking toward the future of contemporary works and projects revolving around photography. Its exhibition programs aim to bring photography off the walls supporting experiential and immersive projects. In 2024 the museum created new residency programs, scholarships and public art projects as part of the mission to enhance its connection to photography and outreach to artists, patrons and public.

Before coming to the Griffin Museum in 2020, Ms. Dix spent fifteen years operating her own photography gallery, wall space creative, closing it in 2020 to make the move to New England and the Griffin. In addition to curating exhibitions and mentoring photographers, she has written essays about photography, been a member of panels and discussions on the craft, juried creative competitions, and has participated in major portfolio reviews across the country.

Previous ANPCE jurors have included Todd Tubutis, director of the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona; Karen Irvine of the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago; Dan Leers of the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, PA; Shannon Thomas Perich of the Smithsonian’s Photographic History Collection; David Oresick of the Mattress Factory; Stephen Perloff, founder and editor of The Photo Review; and nationally recognized photographers Brownie Harris and Kenneth Garrett.

Application Requirements

Applicants may enter no more than six (6) entries, with no maximum per category.

Following the spirit and philosophy of our longstanding Allegany National Photography Competition and Exhibition, we ask that submitted images originate as lens-based photographs created solely by the entrant. They may not incorporate images produced by anyone or anything else (for example, clip art, replacement skies, stock photos or AI-generated images).

In addition, artwork must meet the following criteria:

• All entries MUST be for sale.
• No entries will be accepted which have been previously exhibited in the Allegany Arts Council galleries.
• Although there is no restriction on when entries were created, artists are encouraged to enter their latest work.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants may enter no more than six (6) entries, with no maximum per category.

Following the spirit and philosophy of our longstanding Allegany National Photography Competition and Exhibition, we ask that submitted images originate as lens-based photographs created solely by the entrant. They may not incorporate images produced by anyone or anything else (for example, clip art, replacement skies, stock photos or AI-generated images).

In addition, artwork must meet the following criteria:

• All entries MUST be for sale.
• No entries will be accepted which have been previously exhibited in the Allegany Arts Council galleries.
• Although there is no restriction on when entries were created, artists are encouraged to enter their latest work.

Entry Categories and Descriptions

Category 1: Color
Two-dimensional photographic works of art printed in color on any medium/substrate (paper, canvas, metal, etc.) and using any process (wet darkroom, computer, etc.), maximum 48” in width, professionally presented and wired for hanging.

Category 2: Monochrome/Black and White
Two-dimensional photographic works of art printed in black and white or monochrome on any medium/substrate (paper, canvas, metal, etc.) and using any process (wet darkroom, computer, etc.), maximum 48” in width, professionally presented and wired for hanging. 

Category 3: Photography as a 3-D Art Form  

Any photographic work presented in a unique, creative, non-traditional way, incorporating three dimensions. This work must have height, width, and depth as an integral part of the physical piece with photography and the three-dimensional form cohesively combined. Abstract and representational works in 3-D medium are welcomed. Traditional 2-D framed photographic work is not permitted in this category and may be submitted in one of the other two categories, Color or Monochrome/Black and White.

Entries in this category may combine any media, but must be fundamentally photography-based.

If three-dimensional, the artwork installation must be ready for display; free-standing, placed on a pedestal, or wired for hanging. Overall size may not exceed 84” in height and 48 inches in length and width. Weight may not exceed 40 lbs. If needed, standard electrical AC power (60Hz, 120V) is available. Entries MUST meet the above definitions to qualify for jurying.