ENTRY FEE 

Entry fees are used to offset necessary expenses involved in making the show possible. A non-refundable fee of $45 entitles each artist to submit up to three entries.  Please make checks payable to the Academy Center of the Arts.

Pay Fee Here

Please Fill Out the Entry Form Here – National Juried Photo Exhibition Entry Form

 

INQUIRIES

Additional information and copies of this prospectus may be obtained by contacting A’Nyeja Adams, Curator and Communications Specialist.
(434) 528-3256 x122 | aadams@academycenter.org
Note: All work must remain on display for the entire exhibition.

2026 National Juried Art Exhibition Timeline:

  • Digital Submission, Email, or Flash Drive deadline* June 30
  • Notification sent to artists July 14
  • Receipt of shipped work August 24 – 28
  • Receipt of hand-delivered work August 28, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
  • Opening Reception September 4, 5:00 – 8:00 pm
  • Juror’s Gallery Talk September 4, 6:00 -6:30 pm
  • Final Day of Exhibition September 25
  • Return of hand delivered work September 28, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
  • Shipped work packed and mailed September 28 – October 2

*POSTMARK DEADLINE, FLASH DRIVE, ENTRY FORM, ENTRY FEE IS JUNE 30, 2026.

Juror: Kiera Hight

Kiera Hight is a photographer and filmmaker based in Asheville, NC. She makes images that linger in the space between memory and perception, working against fixed narratives. Her practice draws on historical research to challenge dominant interpretations and open space for alternate readings, moving fluidly between staged and observational modes, where meaning is held, unsettled, and re-formed.

Specializing in editorial, documentary, and creative work, Hight focuses on environmental activism, NGO projects, and social issues shaped by Western narratives. With a Bachelor’s degree in Cinematic Arts and Cultural Anthropology, she combines research, storytelling, and visual practice on assignments both in the U.S. and internationally, striving to connect viewers to the lived realities of her subjects.

She is a proud member of Women Photograph, an international network elevating the voices of women and nonbinary visual journalists.

ELIGIBILITY

Open to U.S. residents, 18 years or older. Photographs must be original photographs or photographically derived work, and not done under supervision. All work submitted must be suitably prepared for installation. The curator reserves the right to deny entry if any work is deemed not suitable for display or too difficult to install. Entries must have been completed after January 1, 2021, and not previously exhibited in a Lynchburg juried photography show

 

ENTRY FEE

Entry fees are used to offset necessary expenses involved in making the show possible. A non-refundable fee of $45 entitles each artist to submit up to three entries. Make a check payable to the Academy Center of the Arts.

 

ENTRY PROCEDURES

The competition will be juried from emailed digital images, or images on a flash drive,. One image per work is permitted.  Digital images emailed or on flash drives must be in jpeg format, 300 DPI, minimum size of 4″x6″.   All flash drives along with entry form, entry fee, must be postmarked by June 30, 2026. Please email your images to: aadams@academycenter.org. Please indicate if you do not want your flash drive  returned or else include return postage.  Entry Form available at AcademyCenter.org under “Juried Exhibitions” in the Gallery dropdown tab. Notification will be emailed. 

 

JUDGING

All entries will be juried by digital images. If, upon delivery, an accepted work is found to have been misrepresented by the digital image, it may be disqualified. Award winners will be selected by the juror after the exhibition is installed.

 

CASH AWARDS

Cash awards sponsored the Academy Center of the Arts..  Awards will be given at the discretion of the juror.  “Best in Show” Cash Award is $1000. 

 

CATALOG

A full color, soft bound catalog of the exhibition will be produced and offered for sale during the exhibition.

 

PURCHASES

All of the works are available for purchase unless designated “Not for Sale” at the time of entry. The Academy Center of the Arts will facilitate sales and charge a 35% commission. Works not for sale must have a value for insurance purposes. In this case, determine a potential sale price and enter 60% of that dollar value.

 

DELIVERY OF ACCEPTED WORK

Entries may be shipped or hand-delivered to the Academy Center of the Arts, 600 Main St., Lynchburg, VA. 24504. Shipped entries must be sent in reusable containers (no packing peanuts) with funds for return shipping fees enclosed. Hand delivered work will be received on August 28 from 10 am to 5 pm. Shipped entries must be received between August 24 – 28, 2026. Accepted work will be insured for the duration of the exhibit if the artist has declared an insurance value.

 

LIABILITY

Accepted works are insured by the Academy Center of the Arts, August 24 to October 2, 2026

NOTE: All work must remain on display for the entire exhibition.

 

AGREEMENT, PHOTO, AND REPRODUCTION RIGHTS

Entry in the exhibition constitutes agreement to the conditions set forth in this prospectus. The artist grants the Academy Center of the Arts permission to photograph or digitally re-print any work accepted for the exhibition for archival purposes, publicity or publication, or for film or television programs which are published, produced, or sponsored by or with permission of the Academy Center of the Arts