12th Annual Allegany National Photography Competition

This 12th Annual Allegany National Photography Competition & Exhibition (ANPCE), sponsored by the Allegany Arts Council, will meld the region’s rich concentration of photographic artists with an influx of national photographers in a juried competition offering $6,500 in cash prizes.

This 12th Annual Allegany National Photography Competition & Exhibition (ANPCE), sponsored by the Allegany Arts Council, will meld the region’s rich concentration of photographic artists with an influx of national photographers in a juried competition offering $6,500 in cash prizes.
 

Show Dates

The exhibition will run from April 17 - 26th, 2026, in the Allegany Museum, located in Cumberland, MD.
The Public Opening and Awards Ceremony is scheduled Saturday, April 18, 2026, from 6-8 PM, and is free to attend.
 

Background

The ANPCE has grown to become one the largest and most respected juried shows in the country. Since its inception in 2015, photographers from all 50 states have entered work, seeking national recognition and the opportunity to win cash awards. 
Juror

Some of the country’s foremost fine-art authorities have juried the show. The 2026 juror is Michael O. Snyder, a photographer, filmmaker, and Assistant Professor of Visual Communication at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. Through his production company, Interdependent Pictures, Snyder creates films and photo essays that explore the intersection of climate change, culture, and social justice—work that has taken him from the Arctic to the Amazon and been featured by outlets like National Geographic, The Guardian, and The Washington Post. His visual storytelling has garnered numerous accolades, including the Portrait of Humanity Award and the Decade of Change Award, and his films have been screened at over 60 festivals worldwide.
Snyder is a Pulitzer Grantee, a Climate Journalism Fellow at the Bertha Foundation, and a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists. A frequent lecturer on the power of narrative to drive impact, he has spoken at the United Nations Climate Conference, Yale, Columbia, and the Alfred Wegener Institute. He holds an MSc in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Edinburgh, where he was named one of the university’s most influential alumni contributing to climate science and justice. Originally from Appalachia, Snyder has lived and worked across the globe, driven by a passion for environmental storytelling and adventure.

Previous ANPCE jurors have included Crista Dix, Director of the Griffin Museum of Photography; Todd Tubutis, director of the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona; Karen Irvine of the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago; Dan Leers of the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, PA; Shannon Thomas Perich of the Smithsonian’s Photographic History Collection; David Oresick of the Mattress Factory; Stephen Perloff, founder and editor of The Photo Review; and nationally recognized photographers Brownie Harris and Kenneth Garrett.

Applicants may enter no more than six (6) entries, with no maximum per category. 
Following the spirit and philosophy of our longstanding Allegany National Photography Competition and Exhibition, we ask that submitted images originate as lens-based photographs created solely by the entrant. They may not incorporate images produced by anyone or anything else (for example, clip art, replacement skies, stock photos or AI-generated images).

In addition, artwork must meet the following criteria:

1. All entries MUST be for sale.
2. Non-3D artwork may not exceed 36 inches in width and 40" in height (PLEASE NOTE: This includes the frame).
3. No entries will be accepted which have been previously exhibited in the Allegany Arts Council galleries.
4. Although there is no restriction on when entries were created, artists are encouraged to enter their latest work.

Entry Categories and Descriptions

Category 1: Color
Two-dimensional photographic works of art printed in color on any medium/substrate (paper, canvas, metal, etc.) and using any process (wet darkroom, computer, etc.), maximum 36” in width and a maximum of 40" in height (This includes the frame), professionally presented and wired for hanging.

Category 2: Monochrome/Black and White
Two-dimensional photographic works of art printed in black and white or monochrome on any medium/substrate (paper, canvas, metal, etc.) and using any process (wet darkroom, computer, etc.), maximum 36” in width and a maximum of 40" in height, professionally presented and wired for hanging.

Category 3: Photography as a 3-D Art Form  
Any photographic work presented in a unique, creative, non-traditional way, incorporating three dimensions. This work must have height, width, and depth as an integral part of the physical piece with photography and the three-dimensional form cohesively combined. Abstract and representational works in 3-D medium are welcomed. Traditional 2-D framed photographic work is not permitted in this category and may be submitted in one of the other two categories, Color or Monochrome/Black and White.

Entries in this category may combine any media, but must be fundamentally photography-based.

If three-dimensional, the artwork installation must be ready for display; free-standing, placed on a pedestal, or wired for hanging. Overall size may not exceed 72 inches in height and 36 inches in length and width. Weight may not exceed 40 lbs. If needed, standard electrical AC power (60Hz, 120V) is available. Entries MUST meet the above definitions to qualify for jurying.