Current Calls for Entry
SPOTLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES
How Our Calls Work:
SPOTLIGHT
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Juror-led.
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Curatorial insights.
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Competitive.
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$1,000 Cash Prizes.
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$25 entry fee.
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For photographers seeking rigorous,
selective placement.
FLASH
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Curated by Decagon.
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No entry fee.
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Focused thematic exhibitions.
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For engagement without
financial barrier.
PROJECT SOLO
(coming soon)
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Projects chosen by Decagon.
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Competitive.
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$20 entry fee.
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Exhibition accompanied with photographer interview.
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In-depth curatorial statement.
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Promotion of selected works from all submissions.
A juried exhibition with rigor, limits, and recognition.
SPOTLIGHT is Decagon Gallery’s premier call for entry. Each exhibition is curated by an established external juror — a working curator, museum professional, editor, or respected artist with a distinct curatorial voice.
Entry Fee: $25 for up to 4 images
First Place: $500 + a solo exhibition on the gallery's webpage
Second Place: $250
Third Place: $150
Two Honorable Mentions: $50
Human Presence Award
Selected artists receive:
– Inclusion in a professionally curated online exhibition
– Publication in a printed exhibition catalog
– Digital badge
– Certificate of Participation
—Promotion on our social media and newsletter.
SPOTLIGHT exhibitions are built for photographers seeking meaningful recognition, curatorial discernment, and a competitive environment.
A focused, fee-free call centered on engagement and response.
FLASH is Decagon Gallery’s open, no-fee call. It is curated internally by the Decagon team or guest juror and is designed to encourage participation without a financial barrier.
FLASH exhibitions are selective but not prize-driven. There are no cash awards, and the focus is not competition but thematic clarity and shared visibility.
Selected artists receive:
– Inclusion in the online exhibition
– Digital badge
– Certificate of Participation
FLASH allows photographers to respond quickly to a theme, test new work, or engage with Decagon’s curatorial direction without entry cost. It maintains standards, but removes the competitive framework.
Some bodies of work deserve more than a place in a group exhibition. PROJECT SOLO is Decagon Gallery's opportunity to recognize a photographer whose work rewards sustained viewing and a deeper conversation.
Photographers submit a cohesive body of work for consideration. One artist will be selected by the Decagon Gallery curatorial team to receive a dedicated online solo exhibition. The exhibition will include an in-depth curatorial essay and an interview or conversation exploring the ideas, process, and motivations behind the work. Together, these elements create a lasting presentation that goes beyond simply displaying photographs, offering viewers a deeper understanding of the artist and their practice.
The curators will also select a group of outstanding photographs from all the submissions for Curator's Picks. These individual images will be showcased through Decagon Gallery's website and social media.
Recent $500 Prize Winners
Submission Guidelines:
- Open to all photographers over 18, regardless of experience level or location
- The submitted work must be your own, and does not violate any other person's copyright
- Images must be submitted in JPEG format, with a maximum file size of 5 MB per image
- Submitted works should be at least 2100 pixels on the longest side
- Your file names MUST be in this format: First Name-Last Name_title.jpg
You retain all rights, including copyrights, to your photographs
Our Policy on AI — Artificial Intelligence
As more image processing software incorporates AI techniques, we find it necessary to clarify our position on this. If a substantial portion of the image is created using Artificial Intelligence, it will not be considered for the exhibition. On the other hand, if AI is used simply to erase an object in the background or to extend the borders of an image, we would be able to accept it for consideration. The ultimate decision would be made by the exhibition juror as well as the gallery, and the decision to include or exclude an image will be final. We suggest that you should make a judgment as to whether your images appear to be substantial produces of AI, and if they do please do not submit them.