AZPA Call for Entry: Seen/Unseen

Seen/Unseen invites all the methods, imagination, styles, and we use to communicate our ideas through photography. From the tangible world we perceive to the hidden meanings and emotional states we sense. This is a broad call for portfolio-based work open to all AZPA members. Non-members are welcome to join AZPA to become eligible.

To be eligible for this call, learn more at:

Seen/Unseen invites all the methods, imagination, styles, and we use to communicate our ideas through photography. From the tangible world we perceive to the hidden meanings and emotional states we sense. This is a broad call for portfolio-based work open to all AZPA members. This is an opportunity to present your work in an extended format. Selected applicants will exhibit 3-5 works from a portfolio selected by our juror Emilia Mickevicius, the Norton Family Assistant Curator of Photography, a curatorial position shared between Phoenix Art Museum and the Center for Creative Photography. 

The 2026 Seen/Unseen will be on display at Eric Fischl Gallery at Phoenix College October 5th through October 22nd, with an Opening Reception on Monday October 5th. Watch for announcements, make sure you’re on our mailing list! All selected work in the live exhibition will also be represented as an online exhibition.

All current AZPA members* at any level are eligible for this call. We welcome new members at any time, and you do not need to be an Arizona resident. To enter the call, you must become a member prior to your submission. All entries will be reviewed and membership confirmed. Join us today!

ABOUT THE GALLERY

The Eric Fischl Gallery is named after Eric Fischl who is a contemporary painter, sculptor, author, and who attended Phoenix College (PC) in the late 1960s. The gallery is nestled atop Phoenix College’s Fine Arts Building and has panoramic views of central Phoenix. The gallery has exhibitions of local, and nationally known, artists. 

ABOUT THE JUROR

Juror: Emilia Mickevicius

Emilia Mickevicius is an art historian and curator who specializes in 20th century and contemporary U.S. photography. She joined the Phoenix Art Museum and Center for Creative Photography (CCP) in 2023 after having served at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. In her role as curatorial assistant in SFMOMA’s photography department, she organized and contributed to exhibitions such as Sightlines: Photographs from the Collection (2022); Kinship: Photography and Connection (2023), the current SFMOMA exhibit, Sea Change: Photographs from the Collection (2023) among others.

Applicants are required to submit a cohesive body of work of at least 5 images (with a total limit of 8 images). In addition, a PDF document with an artist statement and CV/resume must be submitted. Installation images may be included in the PDF document. (Suggested to build this document prior to submission).

If your photographic work is selected for the exhibition, it must be exhibition-ready. What that means is that your photographic work must be professional in presentation in a gallery. Work that has a unique installation method must have clear instructions included with the delivery of work. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to AZPA board member Bob Galloway who is ready and willing to provide mentorship and guidance.

If you are offering your work for sale, the gallery will retain a 30% commission on all artwork sold during the exhibition. All sales and financial transactions must be processed exclusively through the gallery and by authorized gallery personnel and Phoenix College staff.

KEY DATES:

• Submission Dates: August 1 – August 23, 2026
• Jury Dates: August 24 – September 5, 2026
• Notifications via Café: September 8, 2026
• Shipped Artwork Due by 5pm: September 28, 2026
• In-Person Artwork Due: September 29, 2026
• Exhibition Dates: October 5 – October 22, 2026
• Opening Reception: October 5, 2026
• Artwork Pickup: October 22, 2026, 4:00pm – 7:00 pm
• Late Artwork Pickup: October 23, 2026, 10:00am – 1:00 pm

DELIVERY OF ARTWORK:

SHIPPING:

All shipped exhibition-ready artwork MUST arrive on:

• Date: September 28th, 2026
• Time: 5:00pm

Please securely pack, insure, and ship your artwork to:

Arizona Photography Alliance (Attention Julie Rodriguez)
7650 S. McClintock Dr. Ste 103-151
Tempe, AZ 85284

All shipped artwork must include a prepaid RETURN label along with a PRINTOUT of your Café entry. Arizona Photography Alliance is not responsible for storing or shipping artwork that is received without a return label. AZPA is not responsible for damages or theft that occurs during shipping. Artists are responsible for insuring their own work.

IN PERSON DROP-OFF: 

All in person drop-off exhibition-ready artwork MUST arrive on:

• DATE: September 29, 2026
• TIME: 4:00pm – 7:00pm
  
  Eric Fischl Gallery at Phoenix College
  1202 W Thomas Rd.
  Phoenix, AZ 85013

Directions to Eric Fischl Gallery at Phoenix College:

From Thomas Rd, go north on 11th Ave and turn left into the North parking lot. Park anywhere in the lot except employee parking. The Fine Arts Building is to the south of this parking lot. Walk through the breezeway into the art courtyard. Take the stairs on your left, or the elevator behind the stairs, to the 2nd floor.

Please make sure that your work is securely wrapped and labeled “Seen/Unseen”. Please include a printout of this submission form. You will receive a Café email confirmation after you submit to this call. At the drop-off, we will inspect your artwork/package and verify its condition together with you. If you cannot make the official drop-off at Eric Fischl Gallery, please contact info@azphotoalliance.org to make other arrangements. After the conclusion of the exhibition, you will be expected to pick up your work at Eric Fischl Gallery. AZPA representatives will be on hand to sign out your artwork and verify its return condition with you.

IN PERSON PICK-UP: October 22, 2026. From 4pm to 7pm at the Fischl Gallery

LATE PICK-UP: October 23, 2026. From 10am to 1pm at the Fischl Gallery

You must be a current member of Arizona Photography Alliance. If you would like to participate in the exhibition, become a member today.