A Smith Gallery : Photographic Mysticism / An Instant Film Job at ArtDeadline.Co

ArtDeadline.Com The Art World's Source for Income & Exhibition Opportunities Internet A Smith Gallery : Photographic Mysticism / An Instant Film International Deadline: December 29, 2025 – Photographic Mysticism seeks artists who approach instant photography not as nostalgia, but as an invocation of mystery through chemistry, a meditation enacted in light and time, creating a contemporary practice of mysticism that resists the mechanization of vision. Whether through the faded hues of expired Polaroids, the splotchy emulsion of never‑cleaned rollers, or the creations and collages of multiple images on the Polaroid Lab, we want to see how the sacred persists in material through your imagery. This call is open exclusively to instant film: Polaroid, Fuji Instax, or discontinued formats such as Impossible Project and New55. Subject matter is unrestricted; what matters is the spirit of inquiry, the tension between control and surrender, the evidence of touch and transcendence. Exhibition dates: February 1 to March 31, 2026. Eligibility The competition is open to all photographers both professional and amateur working in all photographic mediums and styles. International entries are welcomed. Work that has been previously exhibited in an A Smith Gallery competition is not eligible. We prefer not to accept images created with Artificial Intelligence at the present time due to the lack of clarity concerning copyright issues and the ongoing litigation associated with them. Juror Michael Behlen will be the juror for photographic mysticism. Michael is an instant film addict and the founder and publisher of Analog Forever Magazine. He has self‑published two Polaroid photobooks – Searching for Stillness, Vol. 1 and I Was a Pioneer, literally a boxed set of his instant film work. His latest book, Searching for Stillness Vol II was published in 2020 by Static Age. Behlen’s Polaroid photography can be found in various publications including Diffusion Magazine, Fraction Magazine, Seities Magazine, and Polaroid Now (Chronicle Books, 2021). He loves the magic sensuality of instant film: its saturated, surreal colors; the unpredictability of the medium; its addictive qualities as you watch it develop…see more Online Exhibition and Catalogue Jurors will be selecting up to 47 images in total. All artist included in the final selection of images will receive the following: The gallery will be featuring each of the final selection of images on both Facebook and Instagram over the span of the exhibition. Gallery Directors will be hosting a GalleryTalk and will discuss all selected images. The GalleryTalk will be posted in the blog section of the website. The gallery online store will include all selected images listed for sale. An exhibition catalogue including all selected images will be published and available for purchase. The online exhibition as well as the GalleryTalk will be permanently archived after the end of the exhibition period. The 27 Hardbound Exhibition Book 27 images from the total selected images will be selected for “The 27”, a hardbound fine art book of the exhibition. “The 27” will be available for purchase. Both the Juror and Director Award recipients will receive the hardbound exhibition book. Awards Juror’s Award – an online solo exhibition, “The 27” exhibition book and GalleryTalk on the gallery blog Director’s Award – “The 27” exhibition book and a GalleryTalk on the gallery blog Visitors Award (most Instagram likes) – $100 The solo exhibition awarded as the Juror and Director Awards will be scheduled at a mutually agreed time for the duration of a month. Entry Fee $40 for the first 5 images, $5 per each additional image. There is no limit to the number of images you may submit. Photographers submitting 13 or more images are entitled to receive a complimentary review by the gallery directors. Sales The gallery has an online store and will include all images from the exhibition. The gallery will retain 30% of the sales price. Dates Results emailed: January 12, 2026 Exhibition dates: February 1 to March 31, 2026 Reception: February 28, 2026 3pm CST YouTube video posted in ASG Conversations About Established in May 2010, A Smith Gallery is located in Johnson City, Texas in the Nugent Avenue Arts District. The gallery exhibits the work of both amateur and professional photographers through juried and invitational exhibitions. Amanda Smith and Kevin Tully are the Gallery Directors. Izzie and WeeGee are the gallery cats. Founded by a former Executive Director of an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Access Arts (c) mission serves to promote accessibility to the arts through support of programs providing free education. 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