2026 CPA International Juried Exhibition

2026 CPA International Juried Exhibition

Submission period: July 1 -  October 2, 2026

The Center for Photographic Art (CPA) is excited to announce the 2026 International Juried Exhibition with over $6,000 in awards! Forty-five juror-selected photographs will be exhibited from December 5, 2026 through January 3, 2027 in our historic gallery in Carmel, California, and vie for eight cash awards totaling more than $6,000.  These photographs will also be featured in an online gallery on the CPA website along with an additional forty-five juror selected images. An exhibition catalog of the entire gallery and online exhibition will be available for purchase. An entry discount is available for new and current CPA members.

2026 IJE Juror

We are honored to have Lisa Volpe, Curator, Photography and Head of the Department at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, as this year's juror. Lisa brings a deep understanding of photography to CPA's 2026 International Juried Exhibition.

2026 CPA International Juried Exhibition

Submission period: Tuesday, July 1 through Thursday, October 2, 2026, 11:59pm Mountain Time (10:59pm Pacific)

The Center for Photographic Art (CPA) is excited to announce the 2026 International Juried Exhibition with over $6,000 in awards! Forty-five juror-selected photographs will be exhibited from December 5, 2026 through January 3, 2027 in our historic gallery in Carmel, California, and vie for eight cash awards totaling more than $6,000.  These photographs will also be featured in an online gallery on the CPA website along with an additional forty-five juror selected images. An exhibition catalog of the entire gallery and online exhibition will be available for purchase. An entry discount is available for new and current CPA members.

2026 IJE Juror

CPA is pleased to announce this year’s International Juried Exhibition juror: Lisa Volpe.

Lisa Volpe is Curator, Photography and Head of the Department at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Previously, she was the Curator of the Wichita Art Museum, held various curatorial roles at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA), and fellowships at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Her 2021 exhibition catalog, Georgia O’Keeffe, Photographer, was one of two finalists for the Association of American Publishers Prose Awards. Gordon Parks: Stokely Carmichael and Black Power, published for the 2022 exhibition, was named a “must read” by Esquire and New York Magazines.

Lisa brings a deep understanding of photography and a broad appreciation of diverse photographic styles, genres and mediums to CPA's 2026 International Juried Exhibition.

The juror will grant the following awards:
First Place:                  $2500
Second Place:                $1000
Third Place:                    $500

Four awards of merit:   $250 each

The Salon Jane Award for Women in Photography: $1000

Plus the public with vote for a People’s Choice Award: $150 plus cool CPA gear!

2026 International Juried Exhibition Timeline:
Submissions open:                      7/01/26   
Final day for submissions:           10/02/26 11:59 PM MDT     
Artists notified via email:            10/21/26                                
Framed artwork due at CPA:       11/25/256                              
Opening reception, awards presentation, catalog release:  12/05/26
IJE exhibition closes:                     1/03/27                         
Artwork Returns:                           January 2027  

Eligibility
The 2026 International Juried Exhibition (IJE) is open to all living photographers, worldwide, over the age of 18, working in all still photographic media (no video). There is no theme; any subject matter is eligible. Photographs accepted for previous CPA gallery exhibitions are not eligible.

Entry Fees:
Submission Period:            7/01/26 – 10/2/26 11:59 PM MDT
$45 (with member discount)     3 images for CPA members 
$65                                               3 images for non-members

All entrants are welcome to submit up to 17 additional images at a cost of $10 each for a total of 20 images.

To retrieve your CPA Members discount:
•   For current CPA members, log into your account via the CPA website. Under the Members menu you will find the IJE Discount code: https://www.photography.org/ije-prospectus

 
•  You are welcome to join CPA. Log into the CPA membership page at https://www.photography.org/membership . Once you enroll, you can access the IJE Discount code and enjoy the benefits of CPA membership including our members only show in the spring!

You will apply the discount code at the end of the online CAFE entry system. It is difficult to see where the box is at check out. You have to click the box to pay the full price and then a discount code field will appear once that box has been checked. Not straightforward, we know!

How to Enter
All entrants must use the CallForEntry (CaFE) online entry system.

1.   Access the CaFE site and create a free personal account. https://www.callforentry.org/
2.   Upload your files into your CaFE portfolio with these specifications:
Image resolution:  1920 pixels (long dimension) @ 72 ppi,

Profile:    AdobeRGB.  Save file as an 8bit Jpeg. Files must not exceed 5MB.

Please remove any visible names, titles, watermarks, etc.

Please note: Selected images and caption data will be printed in the exhibition catalog directly from your uploaded files. Your personal profile and image data will be our only source of information. Be certain that your name, titles, dates, sales prices, are complete and that you select the correct process type (digital pigment, platinum, silver gelatin, ambrotype, etc.). Please title each image; "Untitled" is not allowed.

You can upload your files to your CaFE portfolio at will. However, you must complete your ENTIRE entry before you check out and pay your fees.  Once your IJE entry is submitted, it cannot be changed, nor can you add additional images. Therefore, please do not finalize your entry until you have entered the minimum number of images plus any additional images (up to twenty total) and have double-checked that all your information including your name, all titles, dates and processes, as well as your artist statement is accurate. You may enter your CPA members' discount code towards the end of the checkout.

Please plan accordingly. CaFE is an automated system so late entries cannot be accepted.

For assistance, please refer to the FAQ on the CaFE website, or email: ann@photography.org. No telephone calls please. We will do our best to respond quickly to your email. Keep in mind that we will be very busy near the end of the submission deadline.

3.  Notification and Submission of Work for Gallery Exhibition
If selected for the gallery or online exhibition, you will be notified via a CaFE auto generated email by October 21, 2026. THESE NOTICES MAY APPEAR IN YOUR SPAM/JUNK FOLDER.

For accepted gallery artists only: framed photographs must be delivered to the CPA gallery no later than November 25, 2026. Artists selected for the online gallery need not send work.

Preparing your image for exhibition
All artwork for display in the gallery must be ready-to-hang, except for sculptural pieces and 3D works that will be displayed on a pedestal or shelf. Framed pieces can be wood or metal and in any style or profile and must be glazed with acrylic Plexiglas only; absolutely no glass.  Mounted prints are welcome as long as they have some hanging method. Matted but unframed work will not be displayed. Your finished piece must not exceed 30 inches on the long side and weigh less than 10 pounds, with hanging wire securely attached to the back of the frame. Please no saw tooth hangers. Diptych, triptych, multiple images, etc. should not exceed 30 inches combined on the long side. For the safety of your piece and our gallery visitors, no exceptions will be granted for these framing requirements.

Delivery and Return of Artwork

Framed pieces are due no later than November 25, 2026. Hand deliveries and pickups are welcome during regular gallery hours – Wednesday through Sunday, Noon to 4:00 pm. But please call ahead!

If you ship your work, please use sturdy and reusable packaging as it will be used for return shipping. Reusable fiberboard shipping cases are preferred. If you do not use a fiberboard case, please use sturdy cardboard and bubble wrap to protect your work. Please NO STYROFOAM PEANUTS or similar pelleted packaging material! Containers using this material will not be unpacked and the piece will not be exhibited.

Please use only Federal Express or UPS for shipping. USPS is not allowed. Our shipping address is:

Center for Photographic Art
Sunset Center
San Carlos Street at 9th Avenue
Carmel, CA 93923
(831) 625-5181

Please enclose a prepaid FedEx or UPS return shipping label with any applicable insurance. No cash, personal checks or stamps will be accepted. Costs for international customs and import duty is the responsibility of the artist.

Prints that do not meet our requirements, arrive damaged, use pelleted packaging, cannot be hung properly, or are deemed by the juror to be of poor quality will not be exhibited nor eligible for awards.

No exceptions to these rules. Failing to meet the stated criteria will disqualify your entry.

Center for Photographic Art - Meaning Made Visible
Please join CPA! Members receive exclusive benefits and discounts on events, competitions, workshops and lectures. CPA depends on our membership and welcomes donor and corporate underwriting to help sponsor CPA's world class exhibitions, lectures and other vital programming.

For more information and to  join, visit the CPA membership page at https://photography.org/shop/joincpa or click here

Center for Photographic Art is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation.

2026 International Juried Exhibition checklist:

√ Name, contact information, titles, process, dates and sales prices are complete and correct
   before submission. "Untitled" is not allowed.
√  Entry completed and fees paid before October 2, 2026, 11:59 PM MDT
√  Maximum frame side of 30 inches, acrylic glazing only, no glass,
√  Reusable, sturdy packaging. No Styrofoam peanuts or other pelleted packing material
√  Prepaid return address label included
√  Framed work must arrive at CPA no later than November 25, 2026

Eligibility
The 2026 International Juried Exhibition (IJE) is open to all living photographers, worldwide, over the age of 18, working in all still photographic media. No video. No AI. There is no theme; any subject matter is eligible. Photographs accepted for previous CPA IJE gallery exhibitions are not eligible.