CALL FOR ENTRIES OPENS: March 20th, 2026  

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: Sunday, April 19th, 2026 at 11:59pm CDT

The Center Annual is Houston Center for Photography’s yearly group exhibition that seeks to highlight and provide insight into current themes, technologies, and practices in photography. The show features a diverse array of works from members of our global photography community and is selected by a leading curator, editor, or artist. This annual exhibition opens our galleries to photographers from anywhere in the world, whether emerging, mid-career, or established, and as such, aims to provide viewers with critical insight into our current moment—both within the field of photography and within society at large. Of those selected, two artists are chosen to receive an HCP Juried Membership Honoraria of $500 each.*

Entrants will be required to be current members of HCP. For those that are already members, there is no additional fee. 

*HCP Board members, Friends & Founders Circle, and staff are eligible to apply; however, they are ineligible to receive the HCP Juried Membership Honoraria award of $500, purchase awards, or any other further recognition with or without an accompanying cash award.

 ENTRY FEE: FREE   MEMBERSHIP FEE: Starting at $35   TOTAL COSTS: $35+

About the Juror: 

Asha Iman Veal is a curator for globally collaborative exhibitions of contemporary art, focused on conceptual photography and moving-image, cross-diasporic themes, and intercultural dialogues through methodologies of art education. Veal is a professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She lives and works between Paris, France and Chicago, Illinois.

She’s visited as an invited lecturer at institutions including GRAIN Projects UK, Humanity In Action – Netherlands, Istituto Italiano Cultura Chicago, Pakhuis de Zwijger Amsterdam Netherlands, San Diego State University, Stockholm University Department of Culture and Aesthetics, and more. Veal regularly serves as a guest critic and jury reviewer for awards and residencies, including the East African Photography Awards, Terra Foundation/American Academy in Rome, Visual Studies Workshop NY, University of Chicago Arts + Public Life, and more. She’s a frequent invited portfolio reviewer and crit panelist for organizations including the FORMAT International Photography Festival UK, Rencontres d'Arles France, FotoFest Houston, University of Chicago DOVA, RISDI, Chicago Artist Coalition, and others. She contributed to the recent texts: Jess T. Dugan & Charlotte Cotton: Love Pictures (2026 Radius Books), Diasporas are the Landscape (2025 Visual Studies Workshop), Here, There: New Perspectives on the Collection (2025 Illinois State Museum).

Veal is a board member of Filter Photo in Chicago.

(BA New York University, Gallatin School of Individualized Study. MFA The New School. MA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. PhD The University of London Institute in Paris, in process)

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 Call For Entry Guidelines 

STEP 1. Verify your HCP Membership

 Find your HCP Membership ID number, which should have been sent to you shortly after signing up as a member. If you are a member but do not know your membership number or cannot find it, please contact us at (713) 529-4755 or info@hcponline.org. 

You must be an HCP member to complete your submission. Not a member? Join us today by clicking here: https://hcponline.org/join You may list your membership order number in lieu of your membership ID.

HCP Memberships are non-refundable.

 STEP 2. Prepare your images and all related texts 

Carefully edit a group of no more than 5 images and/or videos that describe your current photographic work.  For videos, your files must be either QuickTime (.mov) or MPEG-4 (.mp4) filetypes. For images, please use the following specifications:

• JPEG (.jpg) or PNG (.png) filetype for images
• 72 DPI
• 2000 pixels on the LONGEST side
• Adobe RGB (1998) Color Profile

For each image, you will need to fill out the following information:

• Title
• Year
• Medium
• Size (inches)
• Retail Value or Not for Sale

You will also need to have the following information available for upload:

• Artist Statement
• Artist Bio
• CV or Artist Resume (PDF or Word Doc)
• Artist Website (if applicable)

STEP 3. Click "Submit"! 

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 NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE: Applicants will be notified of the jurying results by end of day May 6th, 2026. Please note: HCP retains the right to reject any selected work that differs from the work submitted.

 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. 

- HCP will pay for only one leg of the shipping of Exhibitors' artwork. Do NOT ship work with packaging peanuts.          - ARTWORK PRESENTATION: Upon your acceptance, the work to be exhibited must be delivered ready-to-hang in either a simple white, black, or natural wood frame; matting is optional, and frames that do not meet this criteria should be pre-approved by the Exhibitions and Programs Coordinator in advance. In the case that a pedestal or specific hardware is needed for presentation, you must inform the Exhibitions and Programs Coordinator of what will be necessary for the installation of your work. Artists exhibiting slide or video projection, installation or sculptural works beyond a two-dimensional format are expected to 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. HCP does have a few small-to-medium sized TV monitors and media players for displaying video work.

- Your entry constitutes understanding and agreement with the conditions outlined in this prospectus.   

- HCP Memberships are non refundable

 DEADLINES/CALENDAR:

March 20th, 2026 – Center Annual Call for entries begins.

April 19th, 2026 – Center Annual Call for entries final deadline extended.

May 6th, 2026 – HCP notifies applicants.

May 13th, 2026 – High-res images & additional requested information due.

May 25th, 2026 – Artwork due at HCP.

June 4th, 2026 – 6:00pm-8:00pm; Opening reception

Exhibition On View: June 4th - August 16th, 2026

 FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR SUBMISSION PLEASE CONTACT:      Areli Navarro Magallón, Exhibitions and Programs Coordinator      713-529-4755 or areli.magallon@hcponline.org

 TO VERIFY MEMBERSHIP PLEASE CONTACT:      713-529-4755    info@hcponline.org