« Back to Calls for Entry

The New Now: Making Photographs in the Pandemic Age

Society for Photographic Education Northwest Chapter   /   Deadline: 08/02/20

We would like to invite artists to submit your photographs for a multi part exhibition bridging the physical and the virtual, chronicling our collective experience as photographers in this new world of 2020, from the Corona Virus to the Black Lives Matter movement. We are currently accepting entries for the third iteration of this show, in Fairbanks, Alaska, and are reopening submissions to everyone who has previously submitted work. In light of the radical changes in our society since this show began, any photographer who has previously sent in work may submit two more images with the same conditions applying (your old work will stay in the image pool for subsequent jurying along with the new, if you are a member of SPE submission is free and if you are not submission is an additional $5).

In the last two months, what "The New Now" refers to has dramatically changed. No longer is the Covid-19 Pandemic the only aspect that is working to reshape and redefine our lives. These are tumultuous times that we live in, and we would be remiss not to rise to the call and encourage a dialogue through sharing your ongoing creative work further.

May and June have been redefined because of the ongoing struggles behind the #BlackLivesMatter movement. We're reassessing our histories, considering our privilege, and educating ourselves in new ways. Confederate statues are toppling and calls to Defund the Police have us reconsidering the responsibilities we give our law enforcement. The recent Supreme Court decisions and Executive Orders have LGBTQ+ rights in a constant state of flux. Beyond all of this, the rift between fellow Americans continues to widen, as politics, policies, individual beliefs and world views pit us against friends, family and loved ones.
​
How has our newly turbulent world effected your work? Has it forced new projects to start or are you able to continue with old ones? Are you addressing the pressing issues of the time directly, tangentially or not at all? How does this effect the act of showing work and your relationship to the art market and the concepts you are dealing with? What will galleries and shows look like moving forward and how will we interact with them?

Currently, this traveling show will be represented at five different locations:
- Laramie, Wyoming - hosted by University of Wyoming Visual Arts Program, Bailey Russel and Rani Robison, juried by Clare Benson (Call closed, see the work in the Wyoming Show tab)
- Bozeman, Montana - hosted by Ryan Parker and Jessica Hays of Lenticular Projects, Juried by Alexis Pike (Call Closed, see the work under the Montana Show tab)
- Spearfish, South Dakota – hosted by Skott Chandler and the photography program of Black Hills State University, this is not a call but will be a physical exhibition of the first two juried shows. All artists involved will be contacted once the work is installed.
- Fairbanks, Alaska - hosted by University of Alaska Fairbanks and J. Jason Lazarus, juried by Garth Amundson and Pierre Gourre (SP). Entries due midnight, Sunday, August 2nd. Artists who have already submitted work may submit two additional pieces to enter the jurying pool for this and subsequent shows.
- Corvallis, Oregon – Hosted by Julia Bradshaw at Oregon State University. Physical exhibition, October 12-20. Entries will be due September 23rd. Jurors, Blake Andrews and David Paul Bayles.
- All four juried shows will be compiled into one at the Forsberg Art Gallery at Lower Columbia College in Washington State in the spring of 2021

How the exhibit manifests itself in each location will be an ongoing discussion. Each location will have a deadline submission date and a different juror, but all work submitted for the first show will be considered for the second, and so on. Those joining us for the second deadline will be added to the pool for consideration for the second and third show.

As these will not primarily be physical shows and we will be printing the work, upon acceptance, participants will need to send files large enough to print on 13x19 paper.

At first the exhibitions will exist as informally installed shows in galleries extensively documented and shared through Instagram and websites. We are interested, though, how this concept can be expanded upon and will be talking to the accepted artists throughout the spring and summer to figure out how to proceed, whether as a larger show, a book or something else entirely. A copy of the digital version of these exhibitions, with the permission of the artists, will be collected by the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming, the official archive for the State of Wyoming.

Fees

Free for current SPE Members | $5 for non-members

Eligibility

The Northwest Chapter of the Society of Photographic Education is looking to provide an outlet for and start a conversation about the future of photographic exhibitions in our region through this series of semi-virtual, semi-physical shows. We invite all photographers living and working in the greater NW Region (Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, North Dakota and South Dakota) to submit up to two images they have made since this country began it's lockdown on March 14th.

If you are a current SPE member at the time of submission, entry is free, if not, there will be a nominal $5 charge to defray costs.

The Society for Photographic Education is an international organization of photo educators, professionals, artists, curators, business owners and students that collaborate on advancing the photographic community worldwide. As an organization that gets its strength from our members, we encourage everyone that considers submitting to this call to become a member and take advantage of all the benefits therein. However, SPE realizes that times are tough and that the current pandemic requires that we consider how we nurture our photographic community when member dues are just not practical expenses - which is why we're extending this show to non-members for a nominal fee. Whether you are a member, you are still part of the Northwest Family.

Requirements

Submit two images to the following email address: spenorthwest@gmail.com
Include in the body of the text:
- Your Name.
- Where you live and work.
- Are you a current member of SPE.
- Any school or company affiliation.
- Titles and mediums of the two pieces.
- Files are to be jpgs, 1500 pixels on the longest side and 72 dpi.

If you are not a current SPE member, submit a payment of $5 HERE.

If you are unsure if your current membership to SPE has lapsed, please login to spenational.org to check.

Considerations

Timeline:
Submission deadline: Midnight, August 2
Accepted entries informed: August 7
Large files due: August 11

Contact Information

Bailey Russel

W: http://www.thenewnow.online
E: brussel@uwyo.edu