This 8th Annual Allegany National Photography Competition & Exhibition (ANPCE), sponsored by the Allegany Arts Council in Cumberland, MD, will meld the region’s rich concentration of photographic artists with an influx of national photographers in a juried competition offering more than $5,000 in cash prizes.

Show Dates

The exhibition will run from April 2-23, 2022, in the Saville and Schwab Galleries of the Allegany Arts Council in Cumberland, MD. Cumberland is located in the scenic and historic Mountain Maryland region, roughly midway between Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

The Public Opening and Awards Ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, April 2, 2022, from 6-8 PM, barring COVID-19 restrictions. In the event social gathering is not permitted, a livestream event featuring the awards presentation will take place at the same time.

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 2021, the show attracted 827 entries from 250 photographers nationwide, with 70 works making the final cut for exhibit in the ANPCE physical and digital galleries.

Juror
Some of the country’s foremost fine-art authorities have juried the show. The 2022 juror is David Oresick, Executive Director and Chief Curator of Silver Eye Center for Photography, in Pittsburgh, PA. Silver Eye promotes the power of contemporary photography as a fine art medium by creating original exhibitions, unique educational programming, and a space for artists to learn, create, and connect through its digital lab. Oresick holds an MFA from Columbia College Chicago and a BFA from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He also teaches the history of photography at Carnegie Mellon University. David has curated dozens of exhibitions at Silver Eye and he was a co-founder of the screening series Video Playlist at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago. He also was the Lab Manager of Light Work in Syracuse, NY.

Previous ANPCE jurors have included 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; Stephen Perloff, founder and editor of The Photo Review; and nationally recognized photographers Brownie Harris and Kenneth Garrett.

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

Artwork must meet the following criteria:

• All entries must be for sale.
• All entries must have been completed by the applicant within the past three (3) years.
• No entries will be accepted which have been previously exhibited in the Allegany Arts Council galleries.

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 Sculpture     The Photography as Sculpture category is about expanding the two-dimensional photographic plane into a three-dimensional installation. This should be accomplished by incorporating a dynamic combination of materials, methods, and concepts that challenge traditional photography boundaries.

We are looking for an original approach which merges photographic image(s) and materials and inhabits a three-dimensional space in a unique, creative and non-traditional installation. 

Submissions may combine any media, but must be fundamentally photography-based. This category does NOT include: applied texture on the surface of a two-dimensional (flat) print; stereoscopic photographs; two-dimensional (flat) prints that portray a perspective shift, or pseudo-3D images. 

The artwork installation must be ready for display; free-standing, placed on a pedestal, or wired for hanging. Overall size may not exceed 48" in any dimension and weight may not exceed 30 lbs. If needed, standard electrical AC power (60Hz, 120V) is available. To best represent the work, we encourage the artist to submit a short video under 5MB or a single image incorporating multiple views of the installation. Written commentary describing the installation is also encouraged.

Entries MUST meet the above definition to qualify for jurying.

Entry Guidelines
The minimum entry fee is $30, which may include up to two (2) works. Each additional entry is $15 per work.

Applicants may enter up to six (6) works into the competition with no maximum per category. Please double-check entries using the Image Category Selector to specify the appropriate category for each entry. The Allegany Arts Council reserves the right to reclassify entries which do not select a category or which do not meet the stated guidelines of the selected category.

For applicants entering the Photography as Sculpture category, a single video for each entry may be submitted in lieu of a digital image. Digital files may not exceed 5MB. Each visual representation of submitted work, whether digital image or video, will count as a single entry.

Applicants retain ownership and all copyrights to their work. However, those whose work is juried into the show agree to allow the Allegany Arts Council to use their names and the digital representation of their work on the show’s website and in promotional materials and social media communications. 

PLEASE NOTE: Because of the functionality of the CAFÉ entry system, applicants entering only one entry must upload the same piece twice, both in the CAFÉ portfolio and entry application.

For troubleshooting or assistance with entry, please contact the Allegany Arts Council at 301.777.2787 or at art@alleganyarts.org.

Awards
Best in Show: $1,500

Color Category:
1st Place: $800
2nd Place: $250
3rd Place: $100

Monochrome Category:
1st Place: $800
2nd Place: $250
3rd Place: $100

Photography as Sculpture Category:
1st Place:    $1,000

People’s Choice:  $500

The juror reserves the right to not present an award in any category if insufficient quantity or quality is determined.

Important Dates                                                 
Entry Deadline: February 11, 2022
Artist: Notifications: March 1, 2022     
Artwork Delivery Deadline:  All artwork must be received by March 25, 2022 
Exhibition: April 2-23, 2022
Awards/Opening: Saturday, April 2, 2022           Pick-Up / Return: April 26-29, 2022

Application Requirements

The minimum entry fee is $30, which may include up to two (2) works. Each additional entry is $15 per work.

Applicants may enter up to six (6) works into the competition with no maximum per category. Please double-check entries using the Image Category Selector to specify the appropriate category for each entry. The Allegany Arts Council reserves the right to reclassify entries which do not select a category or which do not meet the stated guidelines of the selected category.

For applicants entering the Photography as Sculpture category, a single video for each entry may be submitted in lieu of a digital image. Digital files may not exceed 5MB. Each visual representation of submitted work, whether digital image or video, will count as a single entry.

Applicants retain ownership and all copyrights to their work. However, those whose work is juried into the show agree to allow the Allegany Arts Council to use their names and the digital representation of their work on the show’s website and in promotional materials and social media communications. 

PLEASE NOTE: Because of the functionality of the CAFÉ entry system, applicants entering only one entry must upload the same piece twice, both in the CAFÉ portfolio and entry application.

For troubleshooting or assistance with entry, please contact the Allegany Arts Council at 301.777.2787 or at art@alleganyarts.org.

Eligibility Criteria

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

Artwork must meet the following criteria:

• All entries must be for sale.
• All entries must have been completed by the applicant within the past three (3) years.
• No entries will be accepted which have been previously exhibited in the Allegany Arts Council galleries.