ANNUAL CALLS FOR ENTRY FAQS & GUIDELINES

2023 Calls for Entry are Closed:
• $5K LAUNCH GRANT
• $5K DEVELOPMENT GRANT
• $1K ME&EVE GRANT
• BLUE EARTH FISCAL SPONSORSHIP
• REVIEW SANTA FE PHOTO SYMPOSIUM
• EXCELLENCE IN MULTIMEDIA STORYTELLING AWARD
• THE CENTER AWARDS: PERSONAL, SOCIAL & ENVIRONMENTAL
• CALLANAN EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD – nominations only

EARLY DISCOUNT DEADLINE: February 15, 2023 – 11:59 PM MT
APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 15, 2023 – 11:59 PM MT
FINAL DEADLINE: March 19, 2023 – 11:59 PM MT

ELIGIBILITY

All of CENTER’s Calls for Entry opportunities accept submissions from national and international photographers and lens-based artists. We accept submissions in the language that you feel most comfortable with. Work can have been made at any time, and work that has been previously submitted may be re-submitted as we invite new jurors each year. Applicants may submit multiple projects within the same category as well as the same project to multiple categories.

Work derived from all photographic processes is accepted, and mixed media that is photo-based. Only the Multimedia Award, Review Santa Fe, and Blue Earth Fiscal Sponsorship applications accept video, multimedia files, and/or still images for submission.

• NOT ELIGIBLE: If a photographer is represented by a major international photographic agency ~ applies only to the Project Development Grant, Project Launch Grant, and the Me&Eve Grant only.
• GRANT FUNDS: Granted funds may be used for most expenses related to the project. Please be aware that no additional funds are available for exhibition or travel expenses to Santa Fe should that be requested during the Review Santa Fe event. However, you may use the allotted funds for those expenses. The cash award is the total amount dispersed.

If you have any questions about your eligibility, please email us at programs @ visitcenter.org before submitting your application.

CRITERIA & THE JURY PROCESS

Q: WHAT ARE THE SELECTION CRITERIA?
A: 1) Projects, as well as all submitted text, should be examples of excellence within the discipline, both visually and conceptually. 
2) The award, grant, and Review Santa Fe recipients should be at a place in their work and career where they can benefit from the exposure, networks, and opportunities that CENTER offers.
 3) The photographer must be committed and able to ensure the advancement of the project with the grant funds and/or support is received.

Q: DO YOU “PRE-SCREEN”?

A: No, all work submitted is seen by the designated category jurors only.

Q: WHAT ARE JURORS LOOKING FOR?

A: The jurors are looking for cohesive, compelling bodies of work, or singular images, that are ready for international recognition and support.

Q: DOES THE DEVELOPMENT GRANT JUROR SEE THE LAUNCH GRANT SUBMISSIONS?

A: No, the jurors only review the work submitted within their designated category. Submissions do not transfer over to other award, grant, or review categories.

Q: WILL I RECEIVE FEEDBACK ON THE WORK?
A: Due to the number of submissions, the committee cannot provide specific feedback at this time.

Q: IS THERE A TIME LIMIT WITHIN WHICH THE PHOTOGRAPHS SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN?
A: No, you may submit work regardless of the date it was created.

Q: CAN WE APPLY AS A DUO OR GROUP?
A: Yes, please use one artist’s name and information on the application, and in your project statement note that this is a collaboration. To ensure a blind jury process, please do not list the group of artists’ names in the project statement. Please note, that winners will receive one slot at Review Santa Fe, so the group would sit together in front of each reviewer.

APPLICATION FAQS

Q: WHEN IS THE DEADLINE?
A: February 15, 2023, for the early discounted entry fees, and March 19, 2023, for the final payment and submission deadline.

Q: WHEN ARE THE ANNOUNCEMENTS?
A: Award and Grant recipient announcements are scheduled to go out in late-May.

Q: DO YOU EXTEND DEADLINES?
A: No, CENTER does not extend application deadlines. Please refer to the Calls for Entry overview page for the latest deadline updates.

Q: WHERE DO I APPLY/UPLOAD MY FILES?
A: CENTER uses a separate website for its submission portal. You will upload and submit your work within our online submission system that is sent to you via email once your payment has been processed.

Q: WHAT ARE THE FILE REQUIREMENTS?
A: All images and files must be uploaded through our online submission system. We accept JPG, PDF, TIFF & PNG files for all application categories. JPGs must be sized at 1400 pixels on the longest side with a 125 maximum dpi. Keep any TIFF or PDF documents under 5MB. Additional accepted file types for only the Multimedia Award, Review Santa Fe, and Blue Earth Fiscal Sponsorship include MP3, Mp4, and MOV. Video and Audio files should be under 3 minutes and limited to 200 MB each. Video files should be hosted on Vimeo, Youtube, or a similar service. If they are password protected, be sure to include credentials for the jury.

Q: HOW SHOULD I LABEL MY FILES?
A: To successfully order files during upload, we suggest you rename files before uploading them as they are uploaded and organized in alpha order. Begin the filename with a lower-case alphabetical letter, underscore, and the image title in the filename [ex: a_Title.jpg, b_Title.jpg].

Q: I JUST PAID, WHAT DO I DO NEXT?
A: CENTER will send you an email with the link to submit your application(s).

Q: WHERE IS MY CONFIRMATION EMAIL?
A: Please check your spam/junk folder for an email labeled ‘Awards, Grants, or Review Santa Fe Payment Confirmation’. If you don’t receive it after 30 minutes, please email us to troubleshoot. Add programs@visitcenter.org to your contacts to ensure our communications do not end up in your spam folder.

Q: WHY DO I HAVE TO REGISTER WITH SUBMITTABLE TO APPLY?
A: Registering for a free CENTER + Submittable account saves your contact information and allows you to choose a password so that you may log back in at any time to continue uploading or editing your submission(s). You must create or have a CENTER + Submittable account in order to successfully submit your application as a normal Submittable account will not work here.

Q: I’VE APPLIED TO CENTER’S CALLS FOR ENTRY IN THE PAST, DO I NEED TO RE-REGISTER WITH SUBMITTABLE?
A: Everyone who wants to apply to CENTER must register or log in to their CENTER + Submittable account. However, if you already have a CENTER + Submittable account, please use that login as there is no need to create a new account each time you apply.

Q: I JUST SIGNED UP AS A MEMBER, WHERE IS MY SUBMISSION LOGIN INFORMATION?
A: Becoming a CENTER Member does not count as payment to the Calls for Entry. You must fill out the application form and pay for your desired categories to receive access to the online submission form and instructions.

Q: IM A NEW CENTER MEMBER & AM HAVING AN ISSUE LOGGING INTO THE SUBMISSION PORTAL. WHY IS IT NOT REGISTERING MY NEW ACCOUNT FROM THE RECENT PAYMENT?
A: The CENTER and online submission system are two separate websites. Any information entered into the application form will not reflect in the CENTER + Submittable account. If you have never submitted your work to CENTER Call for Entries you will need to create a new account. Instructions on how to do so are located in your payment confirmation email.

Q: WHY CAN I NOT ACCESS SUBMITTABLE?
A: You most likely do not have a CENTER + Submittable account. A normal Submittable login will not work on our secondary site. Please note, submitting payment in the CENTER entry form does not create a CENTER + Submittable account. The information requested at the time of payment and submitting your work is separate.

Q: HOW CAN I EDIT MY SUBMISSION?
A: Only once you have submitted your application can you request to edit through the submission portal in your drafted submission or you can email us and request we re-open your submission. In the ‘My Submission’ tab under the application, you can access the editing field under the ‘Form’ tab. Changes are allowed until the final submission deadline.

Q: MAY I SUBMIT TWO OR MORE BODIES OF WORK TO THE SAME CATEGORY?
A: Yes, you can submit more than one portfolio to the same category, however, you must pay for any additional entries – this applies to all submission categories.

Q: DO YOU ACCEPT OR REQUIRE A RÉSUMÉ OR CV FOR APPLICATION?
A: No we do not accept or review any résumés or artist CVs that are submitted, mailed, or emailed to us. Résumés are requested from the Blue Earth Sponsorship applicants only.

Q: MAY I SEND WEBSITES, PRINTS, BOOKS, POSTERS, EXHIBITION ANNOUNCEMENTS, ETC. FOR SUBMISSION?
A: Websites, prints, books, posters, announcements, and other physical/emailed materials sent to us will are not be reviewed for submission. You must submit your work within the online submission portal for your work to be reviewed by the categories juror.

Q: MAY I COMBINE BLACK & WHITE AND COLOR IMAGES INTO ONE BODY OF WORK?
A: Yes, all types of image processes are allowed into each submission.

Q: CAN I SUBMIT MORE THAN 6 IMAGES TO THE CENTER AWARDS?
A: Yes, you are welcome to go ahead and submit your images, and we can send over an invoice for the additional images/files. After you have submitted, please email us with the number of images, and provide an email for us to send an invoice through PayPal.

Q: DO YOU ACCEPT SUBMISSIONS FROM FEMALES TO THE ME&EVE GRANT OR ONLY LGBTQ+ INDIVIDUALS?
A: Yes, the me&EVE Grant accepts submissions from the following: women, female-identified, non-binary, transgender, gender non-conforming, or two-spirited photographer, that are 40 years of age and over.

Q: WHAT TYPE OF PROCESSES ARE ACCEPTED FOR SUBMISSION?
A: Work derived from all photographic processes is accepted, including mixed media that is photo-based – applies to all categories.

Q: MAY I ENTER WORK THAT HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN A MAGAZINE?
A: You may submit work that has been published in a magazine to all of the categories except for the Project Development Grant.

Q: CAN I UPLOAD THE SAME PORTFOLIO TO MULTIPLE CATEGORIES?
A: Absolutely, you can submit the same portfolio to any number of categories.

PROJECT STATEMENTS

Required for all Award, Grant, and Review Santa Fe categories, project statements are limited to 325 words. The first sentence of your project statement should include a short synopsis of the project. As our jurying process is blind, please do not include your name, any website links, or emails in your statement.

Q: WHERE DO I UPLOAD MY STATEMENT?
A: You will upload your project statement within the dedicated field within our online application form that is provided via email. You will not be submitting a PDF document for your statement except for the Blue Earth Fiscal Sponsorship project proposal.

Q: HOW IMPORTANT IS THE PROJECT STATEMENT & WHAT SHOULD IT ADDRESS?
A: The project statement is very important and will often move a submission forward in the judging process or conversely, a poorly executed statement will eliminate the project. The first sentence of your statement should include a short synopsis of the project. The overall statement should address the “why” more than the “what.” For example, address why you decided to photograph the subject and what your photographs are meant to convey.

Q: WHAT INFORMATION IS PROHIBITIVE TO ADD IN THE PROJECT STATEMENT?
A: To ensure a blind jury process, we ask that you please do not include any information that includes the names of involved artists in the project statement. Include one artist’s name in the application form and include information about how many individuals are involved, but please no names.

Q: WHERE CAN I INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROCESS AND MEDIUM OF MY WORK?
A: Please indicate the process and the medium used for your project, series, singular images, or multimedia project in the dedicated section below the project statement. This field is not required to complete, however, it provides the jury with important information about your series that may progress it into the final selection process.

Q: WHY IS THERE A WORD OR CHARACTER LIMIT TO THE STATEMENTS?
A: All of the project statements, except for the Blue Earth Fiscal Sponsorship category, are limited to 325 words. This ensures only the most important information is shared with the jurors. Please note, statements that are longer than 325 words will be cut off in review mode.

REVIEW SANTA FE EVENT FAQS

Q: WHAT ARE THE SELECTION CRITERIA?
A: The Selection Committee is looking for cohesive, compelling bodies of work that may be relevant for the reviewers and that may benefit from wider recognition. Projects, as well as all submitted text, should be examples of excellence within the discipline, both visually and conceptually.

Q: WHO IS THE SELECTION COMMITTEE?
A: Three photography professionals representing different aspects of the field (ex: a curator, a gallerist, and an editor). Two of the committee members have attended Review Santa Fe as reviewers and have a keen understanding of the types of work that fit best with this particular review event. Read the 2022 Selection Committee Statements here.

Q: HOW DOES THE SELECTION PROCESS WORK?
A: Three photography professionals rank every project. The highest in the points receive invitations to attend, and the next 50 highest are invited on the waitlist. Please note, Review Santa Fe is not a competition, it is a selection of projects best suited to take advantage of the opportunities the flagship event offers.

Q: HOW WILL I KNOW IF MY WORK HAS BEEN INVITED TO ATTEND?
A: You will receive an invitation via email from us to attend the review event. With this in mind, yes, there is a waitlist that is determined by the Selection Committee votes. After invitation, you will be provided an event schedule that includes a schedule for your portfolio reviews and a list of the available programs throughout the weekend.

Q: WHAT ARE MY CHANCES OF GETTING IN?
A: Approximately 1 in 5 applicants are accepted into Review Santa Fe.

Q: IS THERE A WAITLIST?
A: Yes, the waitlist is chosen by the Selection Committee and photographers must be invited to be on the waitlist. Invitations off the waitlist are dependant on participant cancellations, and we are unable to determine when an invitation may be sent. Due to the nature of the invitations, staff are unable to provide information relating to your position on the waitlist.

Q: SHOULD I SUBMIT IF I HAVE APPLIED BEFORE AND DID NOT GET INVITED?
A: Yes, the Review Santa Fe Selection Committee and Reviewers change each year.

Q: IF I AM ACCEPTED AND ATTEND HOW MANY REVIEWS WILL I RECEIVE?
A: Tuition includes up to nine 20-minute formal reviews over two days. Please note, occasionally there are additional portfolio reviews that become available during the weekend’s event, and are available for an additional price, as first-come-first-serve, during the specific listed review times. Information on what Reviewers are available for these extra reviews is not made available until the morning of each review session.

Q: WILL I HAVE A CHOICE OF WHICH REVIEWERS I WILL SEE?
A: Yes, you will be asked to put all reviewers in order of your preference into an electronic lottery system. It is likely you will receive at least one reviewer from your top 3 reviewer picks, a few more reviewers from your 4-8 ranking picks, and a few more reviewers from your 9-15 ranking selections on your list. It is possible to get one reviewer lower on your list but very unlikely and not more than one.

Q: WHEN DO I CHOOSE MY REVIEWERS?
A: After you have been invited, you will have the opportunity to enter in your reviewer preferences approximately two weeks prior to the event.

Q: CAN I SHOW MORE THAN ONE PORTFOLIO DURING MY REVIEW SESSIONS?
A: Yes, you can showcase more than one series, however, as the reviewers are expecting to see work that was pre-juried into Review Santa Fe, we ask that you first showcase the juried portfolio, and if you have extra time, you may showcase the other portfolio(s).

Q: SHOULD I SUBMIT MY WORK EVEN IF I CAN NOT AFFORD THE EVENT FEE?
A: Absolutely, if you are accepted we will work with you on a payment plan. There are also Scholarships available to those in need of financial assistance.

Q: HOW DO THE SCHOLARSHIPS WORK?
A: Scholarship applications are open to all national and international photographers who are INVITED to attend. Scholarships are in the amount of full or half-tuition. Shortly after receiving the acceptance letter, the applicant will need to submit an application to be considered. Details around how to apply are sent directly to the attending Review Santa Fe participants via email.

BLUE EARTH FISCAL SPONSORSHIP FAQS

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE APPLYING –
• Before sending in your proposal, please make sure you understand that the CENTER 501(c)3 Fiscal Sponsorship is a tax status that can be used to approach U.S. companies, foundations and private individuals for tax-deductible donations. Ordinarily, this tax status will NOT be useful in seeking funding from sources outside the United States.
• Photographers, lens-based artists, and filmmakers are primarily responsible for developing funding requests for the project. Receiving the Fiscal Sponsorship does not eliminate the substantial amount of work required on your part to secure grants and donations to fund the project.
• All requests for funds under the organization’s name are subject to CENTER approval and are made on behalf of CENTER, which will administer the funds and, after deducting a 10% administration fee, distribute those funds to the project as it progresses. This information will be covered in detail once the project is accepted.
• Accepted project photographers, lens-based artists, and filmmakers are required to sign a Fiscal Sponsorship contract and report to CENTER on a regular basis.
• CENTER seeks a diverse project portfolio and, as a result, not all worthy projects can be accepted. CENTER may not be able to provide an applicant feedback from the selection panel about their project proposal seeking sponsorship. The Blue Earth Council Members and project portfolio varies somewhat each review round and applicants are encouraged to apply when eligible. If your project falls within the CENTER mission statement, we can review your project again in a subsequent submission round.

SUBMISSION FEES

CENTER is a not-for-profit organization that honors, supports, and provides opportunities for gifted and committed photographers. We have submission fees for our Call for Entry opportunities for the following reasons: we compensate all of the jurors, reviewers, and mentors, provide orientations for each to ensure mutual investment in the process, we keep all submissions and alumni projects in our database to provide access to the jurors long after the judging, allowing them to reference work at any time, as well as providing CENTER partners and staff a reference for any upcoming exhibition or publishing opportunities.

Submission Fee Waivers are available on a case-by-case basis for those that cannot afford the entry fees for whatever reason. To apply, you must fill out the Submission Fee Waiver Request Form before the deadline of 11:59 PM MT on March 6, 2023. Please note, there are no deadline extensions.

Have additional questions? Please contact us 505.933.9146 or email us at programs @ visitcenter.org

HOW-TO ENTER

Want an inside view of the application process? Join Programs Manager Whitney Wernick in the ‘How-To ENTER CENTER‘ webinar that will walk you through the application and submission process and cover some frequently asked questions.

To access the video, please click on the link above or the image to the right →

TERMS & CONDITIONS


As we are a small 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, application fees for all categories are non-refundable after the submission deadline.

WHO CAN ENTER:
The Awards, Grants, and Review Santa Fe are open to submissions from all photographers, national and international. CENTER employees, board members, advisory council members, contest sponsors, and family members of the aforementioned may not apply to the Awards, Grants, and/or Review Santa Fe Photo Festival. Previous CENTER cash award/grant winners may enter but are ineligible to win 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, or Honorable Mention again for up to 3 years. Award winners and Honorable Mention finalists may enter and are eligible to win in the upcoming year.

LIABILITY:
Submissions from national and international lens-based artists are welcome to all categories. All winners are responsible for the duties of any prizes awarded and the shipping, packing, and delivery of work for exhibitions, Review Santa Fe, or our Summer programs. Please note, CENTER is not liable for any damage as a result of shipping, packaging, or delivery of work.

USAGE & COPYRIGHT:
The photographer and lens-based artists always retains the rights to their submitted images, files, and videos. By completing the application, the photographer grants CENTER permission, upon receiving an Award, Grant, or invitation to Review Santa Fe, to reproduce works from their submitted materials in connection with the administration, judging, and promotion of CENTER, the Awards, Grants, portfolio review events and other programs. Permissible uses of the images submitted shall include their reproduction, distribution, and display in CENTER exhibitions, multimedia presentations, and printed materials related to the promotion of CENTER and the Awards, Grants, Review Santa Fe, and other events. CENTER shall have the right to grant permissions to the press and publicity agents in connection with the promotion of the CENTER Awards, Grants, Review Santa Fe, and any exhibitions and related events. All promotional pieces (print, social platforms, e-newsletters, and online features) include credit to the photographer and lens-based artists.

In 2022, CENTER introduced the CENTER Image Library & Archive that began with the 20-year Review Santa Fe Alumni Listings indices that includes the invited Review Santa Fe participants and recipients of the CENTER Project Grants and Awards. To provide a more comprehensive resource, CENTER is expanding the listings to include an archived survey of photographers who are contributing to the contemporary practice by adding all applicant submissions to the Project Grants, Awards, and Review Santa Fe. Access to these submissions are available upon request, via a back-end login where we invite our sponsors, reviewers, and subscribers to use the CENTER Image Library & Archive as an ongoing resource for photographic talent. Please contact us directly via email if you are a previous applicant and wish to be removed from the archive.

Submission entry to any and all of CENTER’s Awards, Grants, Review Santa Fe portfolio review, Fiscal Sponsorship, or Summer exhibitions signifies acceptance of all the above conditions stated.