Call Description

IMPORTANT: This opportunity is only open to photographers (professional and non-professional)  with either a physical or studio address within San José, CA. Submissions that do not meet this requirement will automatically not be considered for selection.

 Background and Project Description

Background

The City Hall Exhibits Program of the City of San José’s Office of Cultural Affairs (“City”) is seeking submissions of digital photographs from San José photographers (both professional and non-professional) of new or previously shot photographs for temporary display on monitors in public spaces in City Hall. 

From January through July 2026, San José will be an epicenter for a series of world class athletic events. These upcoming major events include Super Bowl LX (2026), NCAA basketball tournaments, and the FIFA World Cup, that will attract national and international attention. During this time, With this spotlight on San Jose, City is highlighting arts and culture in a variety of ways to amplify San José’s rich sports history and contemporary relevance. These arts initiatives are timed to align with the scheduled sporting events.

The overarching theme of these City Hall projects is Hometown Heroes, celebrating athletes and sports figures with a meaningful connection to San José or the greater region, as well as other aspects of how sports impact and engage the community. This may include individuals who were born, raised, trained, competed, or currently reside in the area.

Project Description

City will curate up to thirty (30) photographic images from local photographers (professional and non-professional) that will be selected for temporary “slideshow” display on up to six large monitors in various public areas throughout City Hall. The selected photographs will be displayed from January through the end of July 2026 to align with the scheduled sporting events.

Photographs may interpret the sports theme broadly: highlighting professional athletes, local legends, community coaches, youth champions, barrier-breaking pioneers, or unsung heroes whose contributions to sports and the community deserve recognition. Photographs may depict specific individuals or teams, convey symbolic or abstract representations of athleticism and perseverance, or explore the cultural and social impact of sports in shaping the identity of San José. The goal is for the photographs to resonate with civic pride and reflect the diversity, resilience, and excellence of the local sports community and community activities.

 About San José City Hall Exhibit Program

The purpose, goals, and objectives of the San José City Hall Exhibit Program are:

1. To enliven and enrich the City Hall environment by incorporating photographs and artifacts into exhibits on the following topics:

• Our History — exhibits illustrating the history of the City of San José.

• Our Community — exhibits providing information on the varied neighborhoods and residents of San José.

• Our Creativity — exhibits illustrating the visual and performing arts in San José and the South Bay; the many contributions to technology and innovation from San José and the South Bay.

• Our Government — exhibits providing information from the City regarding an “Integral Government Function,” which includes, but is not limited to, a duty which the City is required to perform by law; activities reasonably necessary to conduct the City’s business; public educational activities engaged in traditionally by the City; information related to the functions and activities of City; official proclamations of the City and transmission of information regarding Sister Cities of the City.

2. To enhance the aesthetic experience of persons visiting and working in City Hall;

3. To increase the awareness of the high-quality and professional artwork and photography produced by photographers and others who live locally, with particular emphasis on San José and the South Bay, but not to highlight any one particular artist, photographer or individual;

4. Provide exhibit space for the City’s art and cultural material collection.

For more information on the City Hall Exhibits Program, please visit http://bit.ly/47qLLNV

Submittals

Up to thirty (30) photographs from local photographers (both professional and non-professional)  will be selected based on the merits of the photograph and how the photograph aligns to the ideas and goals of this project as described in Section 1, above. At the City’s discretion, the final number of photographs selected may be less or possibly more than 30. Not all photographers who apply will have their photograph selected.

Each applicant may submit up to a maximum of three digital photographs for consideration.  A maximum of two images per photographer may be selected for display. All copyrights will remain with the photographer.

Images must be original photographs captured using a camera. Digitally created artwork images, AI-generated imagery, or other non-photographic images that are not true photographs are not eligible to be considered. Photographs may be in color, black and white, sepia tone or similar styles.   

In addition to the photograph, applicants will be asked to include a brief written description of their photograph and a short biographical statement, including their connection to San José. These materials may be used in exhibit signage, on the City’s website, and in social media or other promotional materials directly related to the project.

All submittals must be online via CaFE. Please see Part "How To Apply" section for detailed instructions on how to submit..

Fee to Photographer for Selected Photos

Photographers will receive a fee  of $250 for each photograph selected for short term display, with a maximum of two images per photographer (maximum total possible compensation of $500). Payment of fee will be made electronically via PayPal.

This fee is compensation for providing the photograph for City use as described, including any necessary preparation of the digital image for use including revisions and formatting adjustments if needed.

If a photograph is selected, and the applicant is notified by City of its selection, payment will be made after City receives the photograph and confirms the digital image is formatted correctly for digital display.

All costs related to creating the digital slideshow for display on the monitors will be covered separately by the City.

 Schedule

• August 2025 – Call for Submittals released August 15, 2025.
• September  2025 – City’s review and selection of photographs. All entries must be submitted online by 10:59 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, September 30 (extended deadline.)
• October 2025 – Recommended photograph selections reviewed and approved by the City Hall Exhibit Program Committee.
• November – December 2025 – Digital photo stream created and test run in City Hall display monitors.
• January 2026 – Exhibit opens to the public. It is planned that monitors will run continuous feed for public viewing during regular City Hall business hours.

PHOTOGRAPH SELECTION: Review & Curatorial Process

Staff will review all submittals to ensure they meet eligibility requirements and that the submittal content falls within the focus of this project and the Exhibit Program Guidelines. The submittals will then be reviewed and rated. Review and rating criteria for selection will include the aesthetic integrity of the photo, how it aligns with the opportunity and captures the spirit of this initiative. The ratings are then the basis for the recommendation for selection of photographs. The City Hall Exhibits Program curator will finalize curation of the photographs. The list of recommended photographs will then be reviewed by the City Hall Exhibits Committee at an upcoming meeting (meeting date yet to be determined.)         

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

 A.  City’s Right to Terminate Process:  The City reserves the right to terminate this Call at any time.

B.  Costs of Preparing Submission:  Photographer bears all costs associated with its efforts in responding to this Call.

 COMMUNICATIONS REGARDING THIS CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Submitting a Question or Inquiry:  Photographers must submit any questions or inquiries to this Call to the Contact Person:

Lynn Rogers, Senior Project Manager

email: publicart@sanjoseca.gov

 Questions and inquiries must be submitted via email. Contacting any City representative(s) other than the Contact Person about this Call is prohibited and is grounds for disqualification.

Application Requirements

HOW TO APPLY

Entries (described below) must be received by the  CaFÉ™ submittal deadline of 10:59 PM Pacific Time on September 30, 2025. 

APPLICATION PROCESS

 All materials must be submitted online, via CaFÉ™ website (www.callforentry.org); there are no exceptions. There is no application fee to apply or to use the CaFÉ™ online system.  

To view the Application, go to www.callforentry.org and, if you are new to CaFÉ™, register a username and password (or log-in if you already have an account) , navigate to “Apply to Calls” and search the list for “City of San José Call for Sports-Theme Photographs.” Open that call and follow the directions for completing the online application, uploading your digital photo and submitting.

Assistance in using the CaFÉ™ system is available during regular business hours by calling 303- 629-1166 or 1-888-562-7232, or via e-mail at cafe@westaf.org.

For the purpose of this Call for Submissions, “display ready photographs” are defined as digital JPEG or JPG files (300 dpi resolution) that can be displayed “as is” without requiring additional editing or adjustments for digital display.

REQUIRED SUBMITTAL MATERIALS
The submission must include the information and materials described below all of which are required to constitute a complete submission (“Submission”). Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed or considered.

1. Photographer may submit up to three photographs for consideration.

2. Each photograph submitted must be a digital image in JPEG or JPG format (300 dpi resolution).

3. A brief description (up to 150 words; 1-2 sentences) of photograph submitted:  indicate the title  (if there is one) and date photograph taken (if available) and any brief notes about the content. 

4. A brief statement (up to 150 words; 1-2 sentences) about the photographer’s own background and relationship to San José.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility

This opportunity is open only to photographers (professional and non-professional) with either a physical or studio address within San José, CA. Photographs submitted by photographers who do not meet this requirement are ineligible and their submissions will not be considered for selection.

All photographers submitting photographs for this call must:

• be at least 18 years of age,
• be eligible to work in the United States and
• have all necessary documentation and permits to work in the United States at the time of submittal
• submit a Tax ID or Social Security Number to receive payment.

Per City regulations, current City of San José employees are not eligible to apply.