Open to all photographers currently living in or who previously lived in the following states: Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota. Photographers with varying levels of experience are welcome to apply, including professionals, amateurs, and students. All artwork submitted is expected to be gallery-quality regardless of your experience level.

A “student” is anyone aged 19 or older, currently enrolled in an accredited post-secondary academic institution in Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, or South Dakota, including private and public colleges, universities, and community colleges.

Note: Employees and Board Members of Gallery 1516, and their relatives, are NOT eligible to apply for this exhibition.

$35 for students

$45 for all other photographers to submit 1 artwork

Entry fees are non refundable under any circumstances, whether your work is accepted into the exhibition or not. If accepted, only one artwork from each photographer will be on display in the exhibition regardless of the number of pieces submitted.

A total of $21,000 in cash prizes are available, plus recognition of awards on the gallery website, social media, and other outlets.

Best in Show – $10,000 (prize amount includes Gallery 1516’s accession of the artwork for our permanent photography collection)

Category Prizes – $1,000 each for best work in each of nine categories

Student Prize – $1,000 for best student work

Viewers’ Choice – $1,000 for best work voted by the public

Photography is accepted from the following nine categories:

- Animals

- City/Street

- Conceptual/Abstract

- Landscape

- Nature

- People

- Photojournalism

- Still Life

- AI (photos made using AI, in whole or in part)

Categories are subjective. When applying, select the category that you feel best describes each piece submitted. Select “Conceptual/Abstract” if your work does not fit within the other categories. Photographs made using AI, in whole or in part, must be disclosed in your application and entered in the “AI” category. A $1,000 cash prize will be awarded to the best work in each category as determined by the judges. Gallery 1516 reserves the right to re-categorize photos if deemed appropriate in its sole discretion.

This is a photography exhibition. Works in any other medium, including mixed media works using photographic elements, will NOT be accepted. Acceptable entries include film, digital, and smartphone photography, including altered and manipulated images (ex. processes such as double exposure, digital composites, color manipulation). Any images made using AI, in whole or in part, must be disclosed on the submission form. Images MUST be printed on paper and framed in accordance with the requirements set forth in these guidelines. Digital projections, NFTs, or photos printed on canvas/metal/wood/etc. will not be accepted.

Work must be original in concept and execution. By submitting your work, you are representing and warranting that your work does not violate any copyrights. Photographers should NOT submit work such as advertisements, wedding photography, or family and graduation portraits.

Digital images submitted are assumed to be accurate representations of the entrant’s original artworks. Artwork that differs markedly from the submitted image will be disqualified, in Gallery 1516’s sole discretion.

No diptychs, triptychs, or multiple panel works will be accepted. Work with multiple images framed as ONE unit is acceptable. Artwork that does not comply with these requirements will not be accepted. The entry fee is nonrefundable, including if you submit work that does not meet requirements.

Artwork must be available for display from September 3 – December 31, 2024. Artwork cannot be removed from the exhibition early, except under extreme circumstances as determined in Gallery 1516’s sole discretion.

Maximum size (excluding frame) is 48 inches on the longest side. Maximum of one photograph per artist may be accepted into the show. If you submit multiple qualifying artworks, Gallery 1516 will in its sole discretion select which one is to be displayed.

Printing and framing costs are the responsibility of the photographer. Work must be printed on paper and securely framed in a gallery-quality frame. A gallery-quality frame should be sturdy, attached securely, and be devoid of scratches, chips, and blemishes. The frame can be made from any material (wood, metal, etc). Work must be ready for hanging with a wire and/or D-hooks ONLY. No sawtooth hangers, “floating” post mounts, magnets, or other unusual hardware. Artwork that arrives poorly framed or unsuitably mounted will be disqualified and returned to the photographer at the photographer’s expense. Plexiglass is recommended when shipping artwork, but glass is also accepted. Non-glare coatings are recommended, but not required.

Gallery 1516 has a strong following of collectors and a reputation for coordinating the sale of artwork. All artwork submitted to the 2024 Regional Biennial is REQUIRED to be for sale. Artwork that is “not for sale” or “price on request” will not be accepted. Artwork must have a liited sale price. Pricing is at the discretion of the photographer and should reflect your standard pricing. No price changes will be accepted once you have submitted your entry – please double check your entries for accuracy before submitting.

Gallery 1516 is a non-profit organization and does not take commission fees from the sale of artwork or process payments. You will receive 100% of the sale price. Gallery 1516 will put you in touch with the buyer so you can directly handle potential sales. Be prepared to contact potential buyers with your preferred method of payment (ex. check, invoice, PayPal, Venmo, etc.); Gallery 1516 has no responsibility for ensuring payment. Reporting sales to your gallery representative, if applicable, is the responsibility of the photographer.

Artwork, if accepted for the exhibition, must be shipped or hand delivered to Gallery 1516 so that it arrives between September 3 – 15, 2024.

Address:

Gallery 1516

1516 Leavenworth Street

Omaha NE, 68102

Shipping costs to and from Gallery 1516 are the responsibility of the photographer and should include a pre-paid return shipping label. We highly recommend shipping your artwork using a MasterPak, Airfloat, Uline art box or equivalent. These boxes will ensure the safety of your work and make the handling process significantly easier for the gallery.

All entries must be submitted online at www.gallery1516.org. The link to access the application will be made available on the website starting June 1, 2024.

Aplications are due by 11:59pm Central time (CST) on July 19. Due to the high number of last-minute entries each year, it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to submit your application well before the deadline to avoid possible issues (website/internet problems, submission errors, incorrect file formats, etc.) Please review and double check your application BEFORE you submit to ensure that ALL INFORMATION IS ACCURATE.

Late entries, or applications sent to the gallery via mail or email will not be accepted.

Your biography/artist statement must be submitted in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format. Your artwork images must be submitted in .jpg or .png format.

Image files of 300 dpi are preferred, at approx. 1200x1800 pixels or 4x6 inches. File sizes of 5MB or less per image are preferred. The absolute maximum file size is 64MB per image, but be aware that larger images may be difficult for the website to process.

File names should NOT contain unusual characters such as colons ( : ), semicolons ( ; ), number signs ( # ), asterisks ( * ), etc. If your file names contain these characters, your files will not be correctly uploaded and your application cannot be processed.

Example: “Portrait #2” is NOT an acceptable file name.

Solution: Remove the unusual characters and rename the file to “Portrait 2”

You retain copyright to your image(s). However, by submitting an entry, you give permission for Gallery 1516 to include your name, likeness, and image as well as the image of your submitted work in photographs, videos, printed materials, web pages, social media posts, and local media stories for informational, promotional, and archival purposes, without compensation and without the right to review such items prior to their use. Notably, artists whose work is accepted into the exhibition will be featured in and receive a copy of the 2024 Regional Biennial exhibition book.

Photographers agree to abide by all rules in these guidelines. Submission of entries and entry fee, which is non-refundable, constitute agreement with all conditions set forth in these guidelines. Any and all decisions made by Gallery 1516 hereunder are in its sole discretion and are final.

All entries will be made at the risk of the applicant. By making a submission, you acknowledge that you understand the nature of the exhibition and the risks associated therewith. Although Gallery 1516 will strive to exercise reasonable care and caution in the handling of all artwork, Gallery 1516 will not be held responsible for loss or damage. Photographers are responsible for ensuring their work at all times - during transit and while on Gallery 1516 premises. To the fullest extent permitted by law, by making a submission, you are forever waiving, releasing, discharging, covenanting not to sue, and agreeing to indemnify and hold harmless Gallery 1516 and its affiliates, directors, officers, agents, employees, and researchers from any and all claims, demands, losses, injuries, and damages of any kind or nature and however caused that result from or arise out of the exhibition, directly or indirectly, except if solely caused by Gallery 1516’s willful misconduct or gross negligence.

For the avoidance of doubt, photographer retains copyright to their image(s), however, by submitting to this show, photographer agrees to Gallery 1516’s use of the digital images as set forth in these guidelines.

Yes, artists who previously applied or were accepted for one of Gallery 1516’s past Regional Photo Biennials or Nebraska Biennial exhibitions are eligible to apply for the 2024 Regional Biennial. You are highly encouraged to submit different artwork than what you submitted to previous exhibitions.

Upload a current biography or resume outlining your artistic experience, or a current artist statement describing your artistic process/vision. Information could be in paragraph form or a bulleted list. This information will only be viewed by gallery staff. Your level of experience or past acknowledgments will not affect your chances of being accepted for the exhibition.

The “Gallery Representative” section is for artists whose work is represented by a gallery. If you have an arrangement with a gallery, this section is where you write down the name of the gallery or individual who represents your work. If you do not have gallery representation, you can write your own name or None.

The “Hometown” section is where you should enter whatever place you consider to be your hometown – it may differ from your current address and might be where you were born or spent most of your childhood. The section is primarily used to verify the regional connection for those artists who do not currently live in an eligible state, but who were born in or lived here previously and are therefore still eligible to apply. This information will not be seen by the judge.

The most likely cause is your images or biography files are in the incorrect format or have unusual characters in the file names. Double check and correct any errors with your uploads and try submitting again. Biography/resume should be a .pdf or .docx file. Images should be .jpg or .png files. Your file names should also be simple and MUST NOT include unusual characters including :, ;, #, $, *, etc. Recommended file name format is “LastName Title,” ex. “Smith The Winter Storm”.

Contact us at info@gallery1516.org and be sure to include a screenshot of the error message so we can better assist you. We will do our best to troubleshoot the issue, help you submit your application, or correct any information.

No, late entries will not be accepted under any circumstances. We encourage you to submit your application well before the deadline to avoid any last-minute issues with the submission process. Ultimately, Gallery 1516 must successfully receive your submission prior to the deadline.

Yes, applying online is required. If you do not have access to a computer or are otherwise unable to submit your information through the online application, contact info@gallery1516.org and we will work with you to provide an alternate solution. Physical applications or portfolios sent by mail will NOT be accepted under any circumstances.

No, you cannot alter your submissions after they have been made. Changes to artworks, artwork images, or prices will not be accepted. If you submitted the correct artwork but noticed a typo or other error in your information, see below.

Corrections to your application (except for changing your artwork selection or prices) must be made BEFORE the application deadline on July 19. Contact info@gallery1516.org with the correct changes as soon as possible. Any notification of errors AFTER the application deadline will NOT be accepted. Artworks that have been submitted with inaccurate information or images will be disqualified. Application fees are non refundable under any circumstances.