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WideOpen: Excellence in Photography

Light + Time

The Dairy Barn Arts Center   /   Deadline: 07/25/26

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ideOpen: Excellence in Photography reflects both the enduring legacy and the evolving possibilities of lens-based photographic practice today. This year's theme, Light + Time, foregrounds the essential elements that define the medium—light as material and time as both subject and structure. From fleeting exposures to extended durations, from subtle shifts in illumination to deliberate manipulations of process, the works in this exhibition examine how photographers harness these forces to construct meaning.

Location

The Dairy Barn Arts Center, 8000 Dairy Lane
Athens, OH 45701

Fees

Each artist may submit up to 3 photographs. The submission fee is $45 per artist. Members of The Dairy Barn Arts Center receive a discounted submission fee of $35.

Eligibility

ELIGIBILITY
Wide Open: Excellence in Photography is open to all photographers, regardless of geographic location, background, or level of experience. Submissions are welcome from established, emerging, and self-taught artists working in any photographic genre or approach, including but not limited to documentary, photojournalism, experimental, and fine art photography. There are no thematic or stylistic restrictions; all subject matter and photographic processes are eligible for consideration.
AUTHORSHIP
Works eligible for consideration must be the result of independent effort unless all collaborators are acknowledged at the time of submission. Artwork cannot be created for or as the result of an instructional setting in which another artist or teacher has provided guidance. The artwork must be an original design, not a copy or a variation of the original design of another artist working in any medium.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
WideOpen Excellence in Photography prohibits the submission created by generative AI. If you have questions about whether a particular use of AI is allowable, please contact exhibitions@dairybarn.org.

Requirements

MEDIA
Open to all genres of photography, including, but not limited to: fine art, commercial, conceptual, and photojournalism.

DATE RESTRICTIONS
All entries must be completed on or after June 15, 2017. The recent modification of an older or previously dated work does not make the work eligible unless the photographer can provide significant documentation of differences between the original and revised versions of the piece.

Awards

Terry and Lyntha Scott Eiler Award $1,000
Award for the best human-condition image or series that captures dynamic moments of culture, interaction or relationships.
Ohio University Alumni Award
Solo exhibition (VISCOM FOCUS gallery) and opportunity to travel to Athens, Ohio to lecture at Ohio University
WideOpen: Best in Show Sony Camera kit
Awarded to a work that demonstrates exceptional mastery of light and time, combining technical skill, conceptual clarity, and visual impact. The piece should embody the exhibition's theme in an innovative and memorable way, pushing the boundaries of contemporary photographic practice.
Emerging Vision Award (35 & Under) Sony Camera kit
Recognizes outstanding work by photographers aged 35 or younger, judged on originality, experimental approach, and compelling interpretation of light and time. Emphasis on emerging voices with distinct photographic perspectives.
Masterful Perspective Award (65 & Over) Sony Camera kit
Celebrates photographers aged 65 or older whose work shows sustained engagement with the medium. Judged on depth of vision, technical proficiency, and nuanced exploration of time, memory, or accumulated observation. Honors lifetime experience expressed in a single compelling work.
Technical Excellence Award $150
Given to a work demonstrating superior command of photographic technique and craftsmanship. Jurors consider exposure, focus, tonal control, presentation quality, and intentional use of process in service of concept. Can include conventional or experimental approaches, with technical mastery required.
Innovation in Light & Time Award $150
Recognizes exceptional creativity and conceptual risk-taking in response to the theme. Works may experiment with exposure, motion, or unconventional uses of light, as well as narrative or formal structures that reinterpret time. Emphasis on originality and expansion of photographic language.
Regional High School Student Award of Excellence $100
Juror Awards: $150 each

Considerations

Selections will be made exclusively from digitally submitted images. It is the artist's responsibility to ensure that submitted files accurately represent the work in terms of color, contrast, cropping, and overall quality. Accepted works must correspond precisely to the juried images.

Evaluation Criteria

In addition to thematic alignment, jurors will assess:
Technical Skill & Craft Consideration – Command of exposure, focus, color or tonal control, printing or presentation quality, and overall technical resolution appropriate to the artist's intent.

Creativity & Originality – Distinctive vision, innovative use of process or materials, and evidence of experimentation or risk-taking.

Concept / Story – Conceptual clarity, narrative strength, or intellectual depth. Works should demonstrate thoughtful development beyond surface aesthetics.

Design & Composition – Formal strength, including composition, spatial organization, use of light and shadow, rhythm, balance, and visual coherence.

Contact Information

Erin McKenna
8000 Dairy Ln
Athens, OH 45701

P: 7405924981
W: https://dairybarn.org/call-for-entries-2/
E: exhibitions@dairybarn.org