imagined — Online Photography Exhibition

A Smith Gallery invites photographers from around the world to submit work for 'imagined' — an online juried exhibition celebrating the visionary, poetic, and dreamlike possibilities of photography.

Juror Susan Burnstine is an award-winning fine art and commercial photographer known for her handmade cameras and lenses crafted from plastic, vintage parts, and household objects. With over 35 solo exhibitions internationally and work held in numerous museum collections, she brings a thoughtful and distinctive eye to this selection.

Eligibility

The competition is open to all photographers — professional and amateur — working in any photographic medium or style. International entries are welcomed. Work previously exhibited in an A Smith Gallery competition is not eligible. The gallery prefers not to accept AI-generated images at this time.

Entry Fees

• $40 USD for up to 5 images
• $5 USD per additional image (no upper limit)
• Optional 30-minute portfolio review: included free for 13+ image submissions, or $20 additional for fewer entries

What Selected Artists Receive

Up to 47 images will be selected for the online exhibition. All selected artists will receive:

• Features on the gallery's Facebook and Instagram throughout the exhibition
• Inclusion in the GalleryTalk hosted by the gallery directors
• Listing in the gallery's online store
• Inclusion in a published exhibition catalogue
• Permanent archiving of the exhibition and GalleryTalk

The 27 Hardbound Book

27 images from the selected works will be chosen for 'The 27', a hardbound fine art exhibition book available for purchase.

Awards

• Juror's Award: online solo exhibition, 'The 27' book, and a feature story on the gallery blog
• Director's Award: 'The 27' book and a feature story on the gallery blog
• Visitors Award (most Instagram likes): $100 USD

Key Dates

• Entries due: 25 May 2026
• Results emailed: 5 June 2026
• Exhibition: 19 June – 30 July 2026
• Online reception: 27 June 2026, 3pm CST

Photographers retain full rights to their images. The gallery uses a blind jurying process — jurors do not see entrants' names. Image submissions should be JPEG, 1800px on the longest side, at 72ppi.