CAMERA USA® 2020: NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION AND AWARD

•           Exhibition on view: May 29 - July 9, 2020

•           One $5,000 prize and five honorable mention awards of $100 each

•           Open to photographers residing in the USA

•           Enter one photograph taken in the USA after January 1, 2016

•           Enter online with CaFÉ at www.callforentry.org

•           Maximum of one entry per photographer

•           Non-refundable Entry Fee of $28. Payable online with a credit card

•           A brick & mortar exhibition at Naples Art, 585 Park Street, Naples, Florida.
      

OVERVIEW

All photographers residing in the United States are invited to submit one photograph taken in the United States after January 1, 2016 for Camera USA® 2020: National Photography Exhibition and Award. Now in its 10th year, Camera USA® is a national competition created by Naples Art to inspire and encourage photographers of all skill levels and from all regions of the United States. The program features three professional jurors, one cash prize of $5,000 and five $100 honorable mention awards. Camera USA® 2020 will culminate with a brick and mortar exhibition held at Naples Art from May 29 through July 9, 2020. A maximum of 75 photographs will be included in the Camera USA® 2020 exhibition. Naples Art is located at 585 Park Street in Naples, Florida in the heart of the 5th Avenue South shopping, dining and entertainment district. 

NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION AND $5,000 PRIZE

One photographer will be nominated for the National Photography Award. The Award Nominee will be notified by telephone or email on May 11, 2020. In order to qualify for the $5,000 prize and become the 2020 Camera USA® National Photography Award Winner, the Award Nominee must pledge to attend the Naples Art preview reception and awards presentation on May 28, 2020, arrive by no later than 6 pm EDT and accept the prize check in person.

TRAVEL AND HOTEL FOR NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD NOMINEE

A National Photography Award Nominee who is residing within the State of Florida will receive up to $300 in travel reimbursement and up to three nights of hotel accommodations in Naples, Florida. A National Photography Award Nominee who is residing outside the State of Florida will receive domestic round-trip economy class airfare for one and up to three nights of hotel accommodations (May 27, 28 and 29, 2020) in Naples, Florida. Ground transportation including airport shuttle or rental car will be the Award Nominee’s responsibility and will not be arranged or reimbursed by Naples Art.

PRIOR CAMERA USA® NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD WINNERS

Prior winners are Riley Arthur of Detroit, Michigan in 2019; Christer Berg of Raleigh, North Carolina in 2018; Brian Malloy of Plympton, Massachusetts in 2017; Art David of Naples, Florida in 2016; Kathleen Brennan of Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico in 2015; Brett Grandson of Duluth, Minnesota in 2014, Tony Hertz of Pismo Beach, California in 2013; Jon Malis of Washington D.C. in 2012 and David E. Wensel of Geneva, Illinois in 2011.    

ABOUT THE JURORS

David Albers

David Albers is a commercial, corporate and editorial photographer. A native of Saint Louis, Albers began his career shooting pictures for his high school newspaper before studying photojournalism and French at Western Kentucky University. During and after college, he worked at the Springfield, Illinois State-Journal Register, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Salt Lake Tribune, the Muskegon Chronicle and the Kalamazoo Gazette. In 2006 he went to work for the Naples Daily News where he became the chief photographer. During a decade with the paper, he worked throughout Collier County, Southwest Florida and elsewhere covering breaking news, current events and human interest stories. His photojournalism took him from the frontlines of wildfires in rural Collier County to the 2010 earthquake aftermath in Haiti. Currently, he is a corporate photographer with Arthrex, a global orthopedic medical device company. His award-winning work has been included in national and international publications including The New York Times, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.

Leigh Gleason

Leigh Gleason is the Director of Collections at UCR ARTS, which includes the University of California, Riverside's California Museum of Photography. She oversees a diverse collection of photographic archives, fine art and historical photographs and negatives, a large camera and technology collection, and a research library. Gleason studied photography at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and holds a PhD in visual history from De Montfort University, a Master of Arts degree in the history of art from the University of California Riverside, where she focused on the history of photography, and an MLIS in archival studies from San José State University. She has written on and curated exhibitions on a variety of topics within the history of photography.

Susan Spiritus

Susan Spiritus has been in the forefront of fine art photography for the past 42 years. She opened the doors to her Southern California gallery in 1976. The gallery handles the work of approximately 50 artists including photographic luminaries, many of today's most popular and award winning contemporary photographers as well as emerging talent. Susan Spiritus Gallery has been actively involved in the participation of local art fairs, including photo l.a., Los Angeles Art Show, Festival of Books and the BTB International Contemporary Art Fair. Spiritus serves on the advisory board for the Center for Fine Art Photography, and reviews portfolios for Review LA & Santa Fe, Photolucida, PhotoNola, Palm Springs Photo Festival, MOPLA’s Fresh Look, International Photography Awards, Critical Mass, WIPI, and the Center for Fine Art Photography.

ENTER ONLINE WITH CaFÉ

Use CaFÉ to enter Camera USA® 2020. CaFÉ accounts are free, easy to set up and do not expire. After setting up your account and creating a portfolio of images, you may enter current national competitions hosted by Naples Art as well as competitions hosted by other organizations around the country and the world. To get started go to callforentry.org, click on the “Help” tap and then the “How to Apply” tab.

ELIGIBILITY

Photographers residing in any of the fifty States in the USA are eligible to enter one photograph taken in the United States after January 1, 2016 and not exhibited in Naples Art’s galleries within the past 12 months. Photographs must remain on display for the entire duration of the Camera USA® 2020 exhibition.

NON-REFUNDABLE ENTRY FEE  

A $28 non-refundable entry fee covers the processing of your entry. There is a limit of one photographic entry per person. The non-refundable entry fee is payable online by credit card during the entry process. 

SIZE LIMITATION

Maximum overall dimensions (including frame, if a frame is used) are not to exceed 40 x 40 inches. When completing your application, enter the overall dimensions, including the framed if a frame is used.

PRESENTATION AND SIZE LIMITATIONS FOR GLASS

Photographs for the Camera USA® 2020 exhibition must be delivered in exhibition ready condition. All types of photographic prints are eligible for the exhibition, but photographs must be ready to hang with a proper hanging wire and raw wire ends taped. Photographs mounted on metal or acrylic can be equipped with a French cleat for hanging. Sawtooth hangers are not permitted. For safety reasons, glass may be used only if the frame is 20 x 20 inches or smaller. Larger frames requiring a glazing must have Plexiglas or another type of shatterproof glazing.

JURY PROCESS RESULTS NOTIFICATION

Notifications will be posted in the users CaFÉ account on April 9, 2020. To view the status of your entry, log into your CaFÉ account and click on “My Applications.” Shortly before results are posted an email notification will be sent to the email address in your CaFÉ account. For photographers invited to participate in the exhibition, a PDF file will be attached to the email message with instructions and addresses for hand delivering or shipping. It is your responsibility as an entrant to log into your CaFE account and check the status of your entry. It is also the entrant’s responsibility to have a current and valid email address entered in their CaFÉ account for communication.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

An artist’s statement of not more than 2,000 characters is required with your entry. Characters include all punctuation and spaces. Statements provide information and your insight for the jurors. If you are invited to exhibit your photograph, the artist’s statement you submit with your entry will be printed and mounted in the gallery adjacent to your work. Artist’s statements cannot be changed after entering. Visitors to the galleries will read the identical statement the jurors read during the jury process. Your artist’s statement cannot be changed, edited or otherwise modified at any time after the March 18, 2020 entry deadline.

Do not include your name in your artist’s statement. The jury process is “blind” which means the jurors will not see your name when they view your entry. To avoid being disqualified from the jury process, also refrain from including your website URL or any other personally identifying information in your artist’s statement or in any of the descriptive fields for your entry.

The purpose of an artist’s statement is to help others understand the aspects of your work you think are the most important. Your artist’s statement can put readers “in your shoes” by revealing your goals and aspirations as a photographer. When you talk to others about your work, you probably address one or more important aspects behind it. Writing an artist’s statement can be merely the process of clearly stating the thoughts you express during a critique, a conversation in your studio and even during a social gathering when someone learns you are a photographer and asks, “What kind of photographer are you?” Providing an artist’s statement allows you to share your ideas and opinions when you are not present.

PHOTOGRAPH DELIVERY

After receiving an invite notification, photographers may either hand delivered or ship their work. All shipped photographs are sent to ARTMove, LLC in Naples. You may ship your photograph as soon as you are invited to exhibit. The deadline for shipped photographs to arrive at the ARTMove, LLC warehouse in Naples, Florida is May 5, 2020. The ARTMove, LLC shipping address and contact information will be provided to all entrants who are invited to exhibit. All exhibited photographs must remain on display for the entire duration of the exhibition and the earliest date photographs may be removed from Naples Art is July 10, 2020 at 10 am.

HAND DELIVERY

Deliver your accepted photograph on Friday, May 8 from 10 am to 2 pm or on Saturday May 9 from 12 noon to 2 pm (delivery prior to May 8 is available by appointment and during regular gallery hours). Naples Art is located at 585 Park Street, Naples, FL 34102. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm.

SHIPPING YOUR INVITED PHOTOGRAPH

Photographers invited to exhibit, who are not hand delivering, will ship their work to ARTMove, LLC in Naples, Florida to arrive by no later than May 5, 2020 (you may ship immediately after receiving an invite notification). The ARTMove, LLC address and contact information will be provided in the jury-process notification email sent to all applicants who are invited to exhibit. Exhibitors are responsible for the cost of transporting their photograph to and from Naples, Florida. Shipped photographs must include a FedEx or UPS prepaid return shipping label, or a FedEx or UPS account number for return. Return shipping to PO Boxes is not permitted. ARTMove, LLC will return all shipped photographs with prepaid return shipping provided.

Use care when packing your photograph. Cushion it on all sides with at least 4 inches of packing material and pack it in a sturdy shipping carton. Popcorn (loose foam) is not an acceptable packing material as it will allow your photograph to shift during transit. Airfloat Systems sells excellent cushioned-shipping “Strongbox” containers that are sturdy and reusable. Enter code NAA when ordering online to receive a 20% discount on all orders. See https://airfloatsystems.com/strongbox/. FedEx Office locations sell several types of lightweight boxes specifically designed for shipping artwork https://www.fedex.com/en-us/shipping/packing-boxes/services.html#specialtyboxes.

PLEASE NOTE

Naples Art and ARTMove, LLC are not responsible for photographs damaged during shipment. Naples Art reserves the right to disqualify damaged photographs from the exhibition.

PREVIEW RECEPTION AND AWARDS PRESENTATION

On Thursday, May 28, 2020 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm Naples Art will host a preview reception and awards presentation for the Camera USA® 2020 exhibition at 585 Park Street in Naples. Exhibiting photographers are admitted free of charge regardless of their membership status. Non-members are welcome to attend. All non-members are $20 at the door which may be applied toward a membership that same day.   

MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN $5,000 PRIZE

In order to receive the prize of $5,000, the Camera USA® 2020 National Photography Award Nominee must attend the May 28, 2020 Camera USA® Reception and Awards Presentation and must be present by no later than 6 pm EDT in order to qualify for the cash prize. The Camera USA® 2020 National Photography Award Nominee will be announced during the reception. If they are present, they will accept the award and be named the Camera USA® 2020 National Photography Award Winner.

Honorable mention winners will also be announced and their awards will be presented. There are no attendance requirements for the Honorable Mention winners.

GALLERY HOURS

The Camera USA® 2020 exhibition will be on view from May 29 through July 9, 2020. It is a brick and mortar exhibition (as opposed to a web-based display). The exhibition will not be available for online viewing and the only way to experience it will be to visit Naples Art. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is free during regular gallery hours. 

COPYRIGHT AND USE

All submitting photographers retain copyright to their images. Photographers whose submissions are chosen for the exhibition grant Naples Art the right to use their images for the purpose of promoting the photographer, Naples Art programs and exhibitions with subsequent display on the Naples Art website of current and past exhibitions. Naples Art and its assignees may place images on social media or share them with magazine and newspaper publishers along with a photographer credit.

SALES

Photographs exhibited in Camera USA® 2020 may be available for purchase or listed as NFS (not for sale). Naples Art processes sales and will retain a 30% commission on all photographs sold during the exhibition. Proceeds from the sale of photographs support Naples Art’s exhibition programs. Photographers’ proceed checks will be mailed to the address listed in the entrants CaFE account at the time of entry. Photographers should receive their checks within three weeks from the close of the exhibition and by no later than July 31, 2020. Once stated, the price of a photograph may not be changed. Take into consideration your cost for printing, framing, delivery and the 30% sales commission before establishing a price for your photograph.

END OF EXHIBITION PICK UP or SHIPPED PHOTOGRAPH RETURN

Photographs will be available for pickup from 10 am to 2 pm on Friday, July 10, 2020 and from 12 noon to 2 pm on Saturday, July 11, 2020. Shipped photographs with prepaid return shipping provided will be return shipped by ARTMove LLC during the weeks of July 13 and July 20, 2020. Storage space is limited. Photographs should be picked up during scheduled pick up dates. If you are shipping your photograph, return shipping should be arranged in advance. Photographs not picked up by August 12, 2020 will become the property of Naples Art.  

ADVICE FOR ALL WHO ENTER

Before choosing an image to enter, it is important to consider print quality and the cost of framing and shipping. Make a test print at the size you are proposing for the exhibition and check your test print for good quality print resolution. Plan ahead for expenses by getting one or more estimates for framing or mounting your photograph. If you will need to ship your photograph, check shipping rates to and from zip code 34108 in Naples, Florida by calling FedEx at 1.800.GoFedEx (463-3339) or UPS at 1 (800) 742-5877 or by using their online shipping rate estimator and transit time tools at https://www.fedex.com/ratefinder/home?link=4&cc=US&language=en and https://wwwapps.ups.com/ctc/request?loc=en_US

WAIVER

Due care will be taken with all photographs. However, Naples Art and ARTMove, LLC will not be held responsible for loss or damage to exhibited and/or shipped photographs. Naples Art recommends Camera USA® 2020 exhibition participants acquire insurance to cover loss or damage.

CALENDAR FOR CAMERA USA® 2020

March 18, 2020, Entry Deadline

April 9, 2020; Notification Date (notification posted to CaFE accounts and email sent)

May 5, 2020; Shipped Artwork Deadline (ship to ARTMove, LLC any time after receiving an Invite notification from CaFE. Your photograph should arrive in Naples by no later than May 5.)

May 8, 2020 from 10 am to 2 pm; Artwork Receiving (or on an earlier day by appointment)

May 9, 2020 from 12 noon to 2 pm; Artwork Receiving

May 11, 2020; Camera USA® 2020 Award Nominee Notified

May 28 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, Reception and Awards Presentation

May 29 - July 9, 2020; Exhibition On View with Free Admission

July 10, 2020, 10 am to 2 pm; Artwork Pick-up

July 11, 2020, 12 noon to 2 pm; Artwork Pick-up

Weeks of July 13 and July 20, 2020; Photographs with return shipping arrangements made in advance will be return shipped by ARTMove, LLC

Contact Person: Jack O’Brien, (239) 262-6517 ext. 106, Jack.Obrien@NaplesArt.org

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria