Since its founding, HCP has earned an international reputation for exhibitions of current and relevant work that have helped to define the state of photography. HCP's exhibitions have included works by some of the most important photographers of the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as the work of many emerging photographers who are now established professionals.
DEADLINE: JULY 20, 2025
EXHIBITION ON VIEW: Winter 2025/2026
Each year, Houston Center for Photography selects an expert writer, critic, or curator to identify two artists from hundreds of submissions.
- The Carol Crow Fellowship seeks to award photographers who are engaged in advocating for the environment and celebrating our natural landscapes. Selected artists exemplify excellence and innovation in their approach to image making. The Carol Crow Fellowship Award aims to highlight and offer artists the platform and support to continue developing their practice. This award is open to photographers from anywhere on the globe.
- The HCP Fellowship is awarded to a photographer who highlights and provides insight into current themes, technologies, and practices in photography. There is no theme assigned to the HCP Fellowship.
The two selected artists will each be awarded $3,000 and a solo-exhibition at HCP in Winter of 2025/2026. The competition is open to all photographic, film, video, and lens-based installation work.
Past recipients, HCP staff, Board, Advisory Council, Committee members, and their significant others are not eligible. All Entrants must be, or become, HCP members at the time of submission. To become an HCP member, click here.
MEMBERSHIP FEE: Starting at $35
About the Juror
Gregory J. Harris is the High Museum of Art’s Donald and Marilyn Keough Family Curator of Photography. He is a specialist in contemporary photography with a particular interest in documentary practice. Since joining the Museum in 2016, Harris has curated over a dozen exhibitions that consider an array of topics including social justice, the intersections of photography and self-taught art, and distinct history of photography in the South. Most notably, he curated a major survey of Southern photography, A Long Arc: Photography and the American South since 1845 (2023), which exhibition toured nationally and was accompanied by a book published by Aperture. Harris’s other exhibition projects include Kelli Connell: Pictures for Charis (2024), Evelyn Hofer: Eyes on the City (2023), Picturing the South: 25 Years (2021), Way Out There: The Art of Southern Backroads (2019), Look Again: 45 Years of Collecting Photography (2018), Mark Steinmetz: Terminus (2018), and Amy Elkins: Black is the Day, Black is the Night (2017).
Harris was previously the Assistant Curator at the DePaul Art Museum in Chicago, where he curated exhibitions including Sonja Thomsen: Glowing Wavelengths in Between (2015), The Sochi Project: An Atlas of War and Tourism in the Caucasus (2014), and Studio Malick: Portraits from Mali (2012). He also curated and authored catalogues for the exhibitions We Shall: Photographs by Paul D’Amato (2013), Matt Siber: Idol Structures (2015), and Liminal Infrastructure (2015).
Harris also held curatorial positions at the Art Institute of Chicago, where he organized the exhibitions In the Vernacular (2010) and Of National Interest (2008). His essay “Photographs Still and Unfolding” was published in Telling Tales: Contemporary Narrative Photography (McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, 2016). Harris has contributed essays to monographs by Amy Elkins, Matthew Brandt, Jill Frank, and Mark Steinmetz. He earned a BFA in photography from Columbia College Chicago and an MA in art history from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Call For Entry Guidelines
STEP 1. Verify your HCP Membership
- If you are a member but do not know your membership number please contact HCP at 713-529-4755 or info@hcponline.org
- If you are not a member of HCP you can become one online by clicking here
- YOU MUST BE AN HCP MEMBER TO COMPLETE YOUR SUBMISSION!
- HCP Memberships are non-refundable
STEP 2. Prepare your images and all related texts.
- Carefully edit a group of no more than 10 images that describe your current photographic work. Please resize and reformat your images to the follow specifications;
- 2000 pixels on the longest side
- 72 DPI
- JPG or PNG filetype
- sRGB Color Profile
- Title your images in the following format: "First Name_Last Name_Image Title" (ex. Deana_Lawson_Trap Car)
- Details for each work submitted
- Title
- Year
- Size (width in inches X height in inches)
- Medium of finished work (inkjet print, tintype, etc.) - **If you are uploading video files, please upload a screenshot image of your video file and include a link to your video at the bottom of the corresponding "File Upload" section. Please use YouTube or Vimeo when submitting your video links.
- You will also need to have the following information available. Please note that if you are uploading a CV, it will need to be uploaded as a PDF or Word document;
- your Artist Bio
- your Artist Statement
- your CV
STEP 3. Click "Submit" to begin uploading your work!
NOTIFICATION OF RETURN:
Applicants will be notified mid August 2025.
LIABILITY & AGREEMENT:
Works will be insured while on the premises of HCP. However, HCP cannot be responsible for damage or loss during transit. HCP retains the right to display and reproduce work accepted for this exhibition for publicity and promotional purposes.
- Upon your acceptance, the work to be exhibited must be delivered ready-to-hang, HCP will provide further details to select artists and any pedestals or hardware needed for installation of the work will be negotiated in the months prior to the exhibition's opening.
- Artists exhibiting slide or video projection, installation, or sculptural works beyond a two dimensional format must provide the hardware and equipment necessary to exhibit the work as it is intended to be shown. HCP does not provide slide or video projectors.
- Your entry constitutes understanding and agreement with the conditions outlined in this prospectus.
- HCP retains the right to reject any selected work that differs from the work submitted.
DEADLINES/CALENDAR:
Applicant Submission Deadline: July 20, 2025 at 11:59 pm Central Standard Time
Applicant Notifications Sent: Mid August via email
Exhibition Dates: Winter 2025/2026
Opening Reception: Thursday, November 20, 2025 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR SUBMISSION PLEASE CONTACT:
713-529-4755
exhibits@hcponline.org
TO VERIFY MEMBERSHIP PLEASE CONTACT:
713-529-4755
info@hcponline.org
In 2024 HCP dedicated its third gallery space to Houston and its metro area photographers. We welcome your submissions for exhibition consideration. This rolling call for entry opens in September and stays open until the end of August. Artists must be HCP members to apply. Each year we will consider submissions on a rolling basis for one of our eight solo exhibition slots. Work is considered as it comes in and artists will be provided notification at the end of subsequent month if their work has been accepted for exhibition. Houston based artists may apply more than once per year with new work. There are no themes or limitations to the type of work we will consider as long as the work falls within the discipline of photography.
Houston Center for Photography’s mission is to increase society’s understanding and appreciation of photography and its evolving role in contemporary culture. HCP Education offers over 180 courses, workshops, and masterclasses on an annual basis, including a variety of Teen Class during the Summer.
Thanks to the generosity of both our donors and Platinum/Gold Sponsorship Members, HCP is able to offer scholarships in support of the professional development of photographers in Houston and its metro area.
Eligibility
Scholarship applications are open year round to teens (between the ages of 13 and 18) of any skill level living within a radius of 100 miles from Houston’s city center. HCP membership is not required for scholarship application. Our scholarships are designed to support all members of the community and do not require any sort of educational prerequisite or minimum qualification for consideration.
Schedule
Scholarship applications are received on a rolling basis throughout the year. New applications are evaluated as they come in. Applicants will be notified by the the end May if their application has been accepted. Scholarship recipients may apply for another scholarship only in the following year.
Evaluation Process
Application evaluation is a holistic process that takes into account each applicant's financial need, the potential impact receiving a scholarship will make for the applicant, and the merit of their portfolio and statements.
Accepting Scholarships
Recipients accept offered scholarships by returning a signed copy of their scholarship notification and registering for the relevant class. Scholarships that are not accepted as described will be offered to other candidates instead.
Recipients’ Responsibilities
Scholarship recipients are expected to attend classes and complete all assignments. Parents and students are responsible for transportation to/from HCP. Recipients who fail to attend 70% of classes will not be eligible to apply for additional scholarships. HCP submits an IRS form 1099 to recipients of prizes and awards as required by the Internal Revenue Service. Parents should consult with a tax professional for information regarding their tax obligations.
Houston Center for Photography’s mission is to increase society’s understanding and appreciation of photography and its evolving role in contemporary culture. HCP Education offers over 150 courses, workshops, and masterclasses on an annual basis.
Thanks to the generosity of both our donors and Platinum/Gold Sponsorship Members, HCP established a new scholarship program supporting the professional development of photographers in Houston and its metro area. We welcome submissions from HCP members and non-members alike for full scholarships to attend courses and masterclasses offered by HCP. Approved applicants are eligible to receive one scholarship per year.
Eligibility
Scholarship applications will be open year round to adults (over the age of 18) of any skill level living within a radius of 100 miles from Houston’s city center. HCP membership is not required for scholarship application. Our scholarships are designed to support all members of the community and do not require any sort of educational prerequisite or minimum qualification for consideration (students in photography programs are, however, welcome to apply).
Schedule
Scholarship applications are received on a rolling basis throughout the year. New applications are evaluated as they come in and applicants will be notified at the end of the subsequent month if their application has been accepted. Accepted applicants remain candidates to receive a scholarship for a period of one year. Scholarship recipients may apply for another scholarship only one year after their original application.
Evaluation Process
Application evaluation is a holistic process that takes into account each applicant's financial need, the potential impact receiving a scholarship will make for the applicant, and the merit of their portfolio and statements. New scholarships will be offered on a rolling basis as they are made available. Candidates will be offered specific scholarships taking based on their interests, photographic work, and personal background.
Accepting Scholarships
Each approved applicant is eligible to receive only one scholarship per year. Recipients accept offered scholarships by returning a signed copy of their scholarship notification and registering for the relevant class. Scholarships that are not accepted as described will be offered to other candidates instead. Candidates who cannot accept an offered scholarship may be considered for other scholarships while their application remains eligible.
Recipients’ Responsibilities
Scholarship recipients are expected to attend classes and complete all assignments. Students are responsible for making it to in-person classes. Recipients who fail to attend 70% of classes will not be eligible to apply for additional scholarships. HCP submits an IRS form 1099 to recipients of prizes and awards as required by the Internal Revenue Service. Please consult with a tax professional for information regarding your tax obligation.
Evaluation Committee
Applications are evaluated by multiple staff members at HCP. The evaluating team changes every month to provide equitable opportunities to all applicants.