The Up Close Show

CALL TO ART

Theme: The Up Close Show

The Up Close Show is a juried photography exhibition exploring the relationship between the photographer, the subject, and the viewer. This exhibition asks artists to consider the responsibility of storytelling through photography.

Every photograph is an act of choice. Where the camera is placed, what is included or excluded, and how a subject is represented all shape meaning. This exhibition invites work that examines ego, attention, personality, power, perception, and reality, questioning how images are made and how they are received.

Artists are encouraged to submit work that approaches the theme both literally and conceptually. Intimacy and distance, presence and absence, control and collaboration are all valid points of entry. What does it mean to be close to a subject? How does proximity influence truth, authorship, or interpretation? What role does the photographer play in shaping narrative, and what responsibility follows?

Submissions may include portraits, documentary work, staged imagery, abstraction, or experimental approaches. All photographic processes are welcome, including digital, film, and alternative processes, as long as the work demonstrates a thoughtful engagement with the relationship between maker, subject, and audience.

All photographic processes are welcome.
Film and digital images will be accepted.

AI-generated or AI-assisted imagery will not be accepted.
All submitted work must originate from a camera-based photographic process.

Submission Details

• Up to 5 submissions per artist (not all submissions will be accepted)

• Digital, film, and alternative photographic processes accepted

• 10–15 works will be juried for this exhibition

• Maximum framed size: 16 × 20 inches

• Selected work must be framed and ready to hang with wire hangers

Important Dates:

Submission Deadline: Friday, February 13th, 2026

Artist Notifications: Saturday, February 14th, 2026

Artwork Drop-Off Deadline: Saturday, February 28th, 2026 (times coordinated individually)

Exhibition Opening: Friday, March 6th, 2026

Exhibition Closing: Friday, April 3rd, 2026

Final Artwork Pickup Deadline: Sunday, April 15th, 2026 (times coordinated individually)

Eligibility:

• Open to photographers working in digital, film, and alternative processes

• All work must be original and created by the submitting artist

• AI-generated imagery is not permitted

Additional Information:

• No submission fee

• This is a juried exhibition

• Submitted images should accurately represent the final artwork

• Selected artists are responsible for framing, delivery, and pickup of artwork

• All selected work must be ready to hang and professionally presented

Sales & Consignment:

Artists are required to sign a gallery consignment agreement. Artwork may be designated as Not For Sale. The gallery retains a 30% commission on all sales. All sales inquiries (if applicable) will be handled through the gallery.