Call Description

GALLERY ONE VISUAL ARTS CENTER announces their ninth national juried exhibition. Entries of photographic works on the theme of America 250 celebrating the Semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary of the United States of America, will be accepted from across the nation and juried by Gail Gibson and C. Meier for inclusion in a six-week exhibition, June 19 – August 1, 2026 on multiple levels at Gallery One in downtown Ellensburg, WA. $800 in awards will be distributed by the jurors, Gail Gibson and C. Meier.

Questions:  Call Gallery One Visual Art Center at 509-925-2670 or email renee@gallery-one.org

Media: Only photographic works will be accepted for this exhibition. Artists are asked to submit works that turn the camera lens onto our nation, the United States of America, and reflect an aspect of our country, what it means, what it stands for, or what it could be. Works should not promote or slander a particular political party or candidate or depict overtly graphic imagery. For the purpose of this exhibition, we define photography as works created using a digital or film camera that are unaltered except where slight enhancements are needed for lighting, coloration or contrast. Works created using AI are not allowed. 

Images: maximum of 6 artwork entries

Entry fee:  $20 for first entry - $10 each additional entry

Jurors: 
Gail Gibson has worked in the gallery industry for more than 35 years, and her degrees in Art History, Painting, and Photography led her to the profession. From 1987-1991 Gail was the director of the Weston Gallery in CA, and then opened G. Gibson Gallery in Seattle in August, 1991. She is also a long time member of AIPAD. In 2019 the brick and mortar G. Gibson Gallery morphed into G. Gibson Projects, an online and ‘by appt.’ space. G. Gibson Projects curates and showcases physical and online exhibits through partnerships with local arts organizations and alternative spaces. The freedom from retail has allowed time for other projects and a larger chance for her to give back to the community when it’s needed.

Gail has lived along the west coast throughout her life – from Los Angeles, to Monterey, CA, and Seattle. Having dogs as added family members, getting into the woods as much as possible, and constant museum visits everywhere have been glorious distractions.

C. Meier (American, b. 1982, they/them) is a non-binary artist and curator based in Portland, OR. As Exhibitions Director at Blue Sky, Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts, they have organized over 90 photographic exhibitions since 2021. Additionally, Meier co-curated the 2017 exhibition re:collection at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago (MoCP), and curated the 2023 exhibition Size Matters for Medium Photo, San Diego. Other professional roles include Collections Manager / Registrar (2018-2020) at the MoCP, and Studio Assistant to artist Barbara Kasten (2019-2020). 

Meier’s own art practice explores materiality, reveling in the hybridization of processes including drawing and photographic methods. They are especially interested in alternative and cameraless approaches to photography. Meier earned their MFA in Photography from Columbia College Chicago (2017) and BFA in Studio Art from Pacific Lutheran University (2004). They have exhibited at Candela Books + Gallery, Hyde Park Art Center, Mana Contemporary (Chicago), Filter Space, Nine Gallery, Solas Gallery, Carnation Contemporary, among others, and their work is part of the Permanent Collection of Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma, WA).

Awards:  
·         $300 – Best at capturing the exhibit theme
·         $200 -- Best traditional approach to photography
·         $200 -- Best non-traditional approach to photography
·         $100 -- Award of Merit 

Calendar:
May 17, 2026                             deadline for entries
May 18-26, 2026                        juring takes place
May 27, 2026                             acceptance notifications sent out
June 5-12, 2026                         shipped entries must arrive at Gallery One
June 13-14, 2026                       hand-delivered works may be dropped off at Gallery One
June 19 – Aug 1                        exhibit open for viewing                        
July 3, 2026                               exhibit reception from 5 to 7pm with awards announced at 6:15pm
August 2-3, 2026                       hand-delivered work picked up 
August 4, 2026                          return shipping begins 

Application Requirements

Only photographic works will be accepted for this exhibition. Artists are asked to submit works that turn the camera lens onto our nation, the United States of America, and reflect an aspect of our country, what it means, what it stands for, or what it could be. Works should not promote or slander a particular political party or candidate or depict overtly graphic imagery. For the purpose of this exhibition, we define photography as works created using a digital or film camera that are unaltered except where slight enhancements are needed for lighting, coloration or contrast. Works created using AI are not allowed. Acceptance implies the use of your images and your name in any printed or online publicity. 

Eligibility Criteria

• artists must be 18 year of age or older at time of submission and live in the USA at least 50% of the time
• all work must have been completed by the artist and cannot have been created under the direction of an instructor or as a matriculated student
• accepted entries MUST be identical to submitted images, or the work will not be exhibited
• all entries must be submitted through CallForEntry.org, also known as Café
• digital images must be cropped to include artwork only, no frames, mountings or added text unless they are considered part of the piece
• acceptance implies the use of your images and your name in any printed or online publicity
• images will not be accepted after 11:59pm PST, May 17, 2026
• jury result notifications will be sent via email to all entrants by May 27, 2026
• artists may not substitute, alter, withdraw work, or change sales price after acceptance
• Gallery One reserves the right to refuse any entry which does not meet the criteria listed
• artists whose work is purchased will receive a 60% commission of the retail value via check within a month after the close of the show
• artwork is not required to be for sale, however a value will be required for insurance
• the maximum value of artwork to be shown is $10,000 whether or not it is listed for sale
• refunds will not be granted to applicants who do not meet the guidelines for entry
• the artist is responsible for notifying the gallery of any changes in address or contact info from what is listed on the Cafe' website. The gallery is not responsible for incorrect artist profile information that could lead to checks and/or artwork being shipped to an outdated address.