CALL FOR ENTRIES

The Submission Deadline was June 17, 2024

The Print Center announces its 99th ANNUAL International Competition, to be juried by Drew Sawyer and Claudia E. Zapata.

The ANNUAL is one of the oldest and most prestigious competitions in the United States. Open to local, national and international artists, The Print Center is particularly interested in highlighting the use of photography and/or printmaking in new and intriguing ways, both in content and process.

Any artist using Photography and/or Printmaking as critical components in their work can enter. Artists whose work pushes the boundaries of traditional photographic and printmaking practices are encouraged to enter. 2D and 3D works are eligible.

The Print Center honors the power of photography and print to raise and amplify a multiplicity of voices. We are committed to fostering that power to advocate for change as well as supporting artists working for equity and justice in our exhibitions and programs. The Print Center welcomes artists, audiences and participants of diverse backgrounds, races, religions, sexual orientations and gender identities. We value diversity in all facets of operations and in the range of communities with which we engage. We welcome and encourage the participation of individuals of all backgrounds who are inspired by our shared purpose.

Drew Sawyer is the Sondra Gilman Curator of Photography, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY.

Claudia Zapata is the Associate Curator of Latino Art, Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin.

The Jurors will select a group of 25 Semifinalists + 10 Finalists.

A wide variety of exhibition, museum acquisition, cash and material prizes are provided by supporters of the ANNUAL to be awarded to Semifinalists and Finalists, including:

  • Three Solo Exhibitions at The Print Center (Finalists only)
  • Stinnett Philadelphia Museum of Art Collection Award
  • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Purchase Award
  • Art Museum of West Virginia University Purchase Award
  • Callan/McNamara Award ($500)
  • Olcott Family Award ($500)
  • Jacqueline L. Zemel Prize for Printmaking ($500)
  • The Blake Bradford Fitler Club Artist in Residence Award
  • The Print Center Honorary Council Award of Excellence
  • Print Center Gallery Store Contract
  • Numerous additional cash and material prizes

ABOUT THE JURORS

Drew Sawyer (he/him) is the Sondra Gilman Curator of Photography at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY. He has a PhD in art history from Columbia University, New York. Sawyer has curated numerous exhibitions including Copy Machine Manifestos: Artists Who Make Zines (2023), Suneil Sanzgiri: Here the Earth Grows Gold (2023), Jimmy DeSana: Submission (2022), John Edmonds: A Sidelong Glance (2020), Liz Johnson Artur: Dusha (2019) and Art after Stonewall, 1969 to 1989 (2019), for which he received an Award for Excellence from the Association of Art Museum Curators. He is also a regular contributor to publications and magazines. 

 
 

Claudia E. Zapata (they/them) is the Blanton Museum of Art's first Associate Curator of Latino Art. Zapata has a BA and MA in art history from the University of Texas at Austin and a PhD in art history from Southern Methodist University's RASC/a: Rhetorics of Art, Space and Culture program, Dallas, TX. Zapata was previously the Curator of Exhibitions and Programs at the Mexic-Arte Museum, Austin, TX and a Curatorial Assistant of Latinx Art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC. In 2022-2023, they were part of the first cohort of Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellows at the University of California, Los Angeles, administered by the Chicano Studies Research Center.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

Submission Deadline: June 17, 2024, 11:59pm (ET)

Entry Fee: $45 – for up to five single images or videos

 

The Print Center raises 100% of its operating budget each year, and fees from the ANNUAL directly support the mounting of the three Solo Exhibitions and presentation of the digital portfolios from the ANNUAL, as well as all of our other compelling and innovative programs.

Click here to download the Prospectus as a pdf

Eligibility

Any artist using photography and/or printmaking as critical components in their work can enter. Work submitted must have been completed in the last three years. Up to five images may be submitted and only one submission per person is allowed.

Former ANNUAL Semifinalists and Finalists are eligible to apply.

 

Slideroom

Each uploaded file must be labeled with: Title, Date, Medium (e.g. etching, inkjet, gelatin silver, lithograph) and Dimensions (paper size, video duration or installation measurements). Additional information, up to 100 words, may be included, but is not required.

Accepted file formats for submission:
Images: Up to 5 MB/each: jpg, png, gif
Videos: Up to 250 MB/each: mov, wmv, flv, mp4

Do not use links from previous years – use only the current link from this prospectus. If you are having difficulty accessing Slideroom, refresh your browser, clear browser cookies, or try an alternate browser.

Please make sure to update existing Slideroom accounts with your current contact information. You will be notified of the status of your application via the email connected to your Slideroom account.

For technical support, contact Slideroom at support@slideroom.com.

AWARDS + EXHIBITIONS

  • 25 Semifinalists and 10 Finalists will be selected by the Jurors.
  • All Semifinalists and Finalists are eligible for institutional acquisition, purchase, cash and material awards.
  • All Finalists are eligible for Solo Exhibition Awards.
  • All Semifinalists and Finalists receive online portfolios and are included in a digital presentation in The Print Center’s galleries during the Solo Exhibitions.

Museum Acquisition Awards

  • Stinnett Philadelphia Museum of Art Collection Award
    Selected by a curator from the Department of Prints, Drawings and Photographs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, work will be accessioned into the Philadelphia Museum of Art's Permanent Collection.
  • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Purchase Award
    Selected by the curatorial staff, work will be accessioned into the Museum’s permanent collection.
  • Art Museum of West Virginia University Purchase Award
    Selected by Robert Bridges, curator, work will be accessioned into the Art Museum’s collection through the Beth and Joe Hestick Acquisitions Fund.

Digital Exhibition

Images submitted by Semifinalists and Finalists will be presented onscreen at The Print Center during the Solo Exhibitions (January – March 2024).

Online Portfolios

The Print Center will mount an online portfolio exhibition for Semifinalists and Finalists, including up to five images, biographical information and artist statements. Finalists may present an additional 5 images for inclusion (up to 10).

 

Solo Exhibitions

Three Finalists will be selected by The Print Center to receive Solo Exhibitions at The Print Center (January – March 2024) as well as an honorarium. Selected artists will work with our Jensen Bryan Curator on the selection of works and installation design.

Artists are responsible for delivery/shipping to and from The Print Center, and other costs not explicitly covered by The Print Center, including framing (if required).

The Print Center provides:

  • The venue, professional installation and deinstallation, gallery signage and labels, and insurance while work is on The Print Center’s premises.
  • Publicity including visual branding for the exhibitions, promotion via press release to over 2,500 press outlets, exhibition announcement cards mailed to 2,500 individuals, website presence, weekly email newsletters to 10,000 and social media posts on Facebook and Instagram.
  • Documentation, including professional photographic documentation and Gallery Notes – a full color, professionally printed exhibition brochure, distributed free of charge to visitors, and available as a pdf on The Print Center’s website.

Sales

If artworks are available for sale, The Print Center will facilitate the transaction, including shipping. The Print Center will receive a 50% commission on works sold. The Print Center will pay the artist’s commission 90 days from the close of sale.

Liability

The Print Center is not responsible for damage to work during shipping or delivery. Works are insured while on The Print Center’s premises.

CALENDAR

Submission Deadline: June 17, 2024, 11:59 PM (ET)
Notification of Semifinalists and Finalists by email: September 18, 2024
Solo Exhibitions and Digital Exhibition: January – March 2025 (specific dates TBD)
Online Portfolio: Launches February 2025

 

ABOUT THE PRINT CENTER

For more than a hundred years, The Print Center has encouraged the growth and understanding of photography and printmaking as vital contemporary arts through exhibitions, publications and educational programs. An international voice in print, The Print Center presents a wide variety of programs including temporary exhibitions and related public lectures and events; the Artists-in-Schools Program; the ANNUAL, which is the longest running competition for photographs and prints in the country; and the Gallery Store, which offers a diverse selection of contemporary prints and photographs for sale, providing direct support to artists. We invite you to become a Member, or find out more about how you can support The Print Center.

 

Contact

Direct questions to info@printcenter.org.

Click here for more information about The Print Center's ANNUAL International Competition and its history.