Established in 1977, PhotoSpiva is the longest-running competition of its kind.
PhotoSpiva is a national competition hosted annually by Spiva Center for the Arts. Founded in 1977, PhotoSpiva has become the longest-running photographic competition of its kind in the U.S. As stated by the founders, the objective of PhotoSpiva is to “present an exhibition of excellence in photography, celebrating the scope and vigorous activity of today’s contemporary photographers.”
Co-Founder Jim Mueller stated, “We have intentionally avoided any categorization of either photographers or their work in setting forth the criteria for this competitive.” PhotoSpiva welcomes any photographic process as long as it is original artwork and has not been previously exhibited at Spiva Center for the Arts. This philosophy has created an unbiased forum for exhibiting and educating photographers. The PhotoSpiva prospectus, promotional materials and exhibition brochures are distributed to professional photographers, emerging artists, educators, students, and amateur photography enthusiasts throughout the United States.
PhotoSpiva is open to any amateur or professional photographer in the United States or its territories. Submitted images must be the photographer’s own work, and it is the sole responsibility of the photographer to obtain written releases from any recognizable person(s) depicted. Two-dimensional work derived from any photographic process — traditional, digital, or photo-based mixed media — is eligible as long as the work is original and has never been exhibited at George A. Spiva Center for the Arts. Three–dimensional work is not eligible for this competition and exhibition.
Begin entering on October 31, 2024
Deadline is Jan 1, 2025
A $40 fee is required to enter five (5) photos. You must enter 5 photos and no less. If you wish to submit more than five images, each additional entry is $10
The images need to be JPEG formatted and in RGB color mode. You aren’t required to give us a specifically sized image, but a good guideline is to make either the width or the height about 1600 pixels and maintain the aspect ratio.
Place | Value
1ST | $1,000
2ND | $750
3RD | $500
Merit Award (3) | $150
Honorable Mention (3) | $100
All photographic content is protected under Copyright law. Use is prohibited unless permission is obtained. All non-photographic content Copyright © 2012 George A. Spiva Center for the Arts.
Read the full terms and conditions.
David Hilliard creates large-scale multi-paneled color photographs, often based on his life or the lives of people around him. His panoramas direct the viewer’s gaze across the image surface allowing narrative, time and space to unfold. David received his BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and MFA from the Yale University School of Art. He worked for many years as an assistant professor at Yale University where he also directed the undergraduate photo department. He currently teaches in Boston at the Massachusetts College of Art & Design and Lesley Art + Design. He also leads photography workshops throughout the country.
David exhibits his photographs both nationally and internationally and has been the recipient of numerous awards such as the Fulbright Grant and Guggenheim Fellowship. His photographs can be found in many important collections including the Whitney Museum of American art in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C.. His work is widely published and is represented by the Yancey Richardson Gallery in New York, Jackson Fine Art in Atlanta and The Schoolhouse Gallery in Provincetown, MA.
Learn more about David at http://www.davidhilliard.com/.
212 W. 7th St. Joplin, MO 64801 | 417-623-0183
spiva@spivaarts.org
© 2023 Spiva Center for the Arts
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Wednesday: 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Thursday: 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Friday: 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Saturday: 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Sunday: Closed
212 W. 7th Street
Joplin, M0 64801
