Galleries Currently CLOSED for Install. New Exhibits open Thursday, September 5 and Saturday, September 7.

PhotoSpiva: National Photographic Competition & Exhibition

Hosted annually by Spiva Center for the Arts, the competition is open to all amateur and professional US photographers.

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.

Eligibility

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.

Key Dates

  • Entry Period | October 31, 2024 – January 1, 2025 @ Midnight
  • Opening Reception | Friday, March 14, 2025 @ 5:30 – 7:30 PM
  • Exhibition | March 15 – May 3, 2025
  • Juror’s Lecture & Portfolio Reviews | March 15, 2025

How do I enter?

Begin entering on October 31, 2024

Enter Online here.

Deadline is Jan 1, 2025

Entry Fee

$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

What do I need to enter?

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.

Awards

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.

PhotoSpiva is presented by Freeman Health System with additional support from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

David Hilliard

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/.

  • Steven J. Cromwell, 1977
  • John Sexton, 1978
  • Jean S. Tucker, 1979
  • Jim Alinder, 1980
  • Bob Kolbrener, 1981
  • Olivia Parker, 1982
  • Keith F. Davis, 1983
  • Carrol T. Hartwell, 1984
  • Mary Virginia Swanson, 1985
  • Lewis Koch, 1986
  • Gloria Baker Feinstein, 1987
  • Jack Welpott, 1988
  • Charles T. Butler, 1989
  • Jon Burris, 1990
  • Sally Gall, 1991
  • Evon Streetman, 1992
  • Keith F. Davis, 1993
  • Dennis Carlyle Darling, 1994
  • Tom Southall, 1995
  • Bill Thomas, 1997
  • Connie Imboden, 1998
  • George Tice, 1999
  • Keith F. Davis, 2000
  • Elizabeth Opalenik, 2001
  • Walter J. Bailey, 2002
  • Sal Lopes, 2003
  • Therese Mulligan, Ph.D., 2004
  • Robert and Shana Parke Harrison, 2005
  • Keith Carter, 2006
  • John Paul Caponigro, 2007
  • Rod Slemmons, 2008
  • Jim Stone, 2009
  • Deborah Klochko, 2010
  • Anthony Bannon, Ph.D., 2011
  • Andrew L. Moore, 2012
  • Natasha Egan, 2013
  • Dornith Doherty, 2014
  • Shannon Thomas Perich, 2015
  • Sean Kernan, 2016
  • Örjan Henriksson, 2017
  • Henry Horenstein, 2018
  • Patty Carroll, 2019
  • April Watson, 2020
  • Adam Finkelston, 2021
  • Eric and Erin Dodson , 2022
  • Jennifer Thoreson, 2023
  • Richard Tuschman, 2024

Upcoming Events & Exhibits

JRAC cover image

JRAC Presents: Upon Closer Inspection

November 2 – December 20, 2024
Jo Mueller Reserve Gallery

Sean Fitzgibbon: What Follows Is True

November 2 – December 21, 2024
Sharon & Lance Beshore Gallery
artwork by Melody Knowles

Melody Knowles: Backbone (Women of the World)

October 4 – 26, 2024
Jo Mueller Reserve Gallery

Contact Us

Location & Hours

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