DEADLINE FOR ENTRY: October 10, 2025
FotoFocus is excited to announce a Call for Entry for the upcoming 2026 FotoFocus Biennial: The Long View. FotoFocus welcomes lens-based artists living and working in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana to apply for inclusion in an exhibition at Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in Cincinnati, Ohio. Proposals from artists outside the region, whose work focuses specifically on Ohio, Kentucky, and/or Indiana, will also be considered. Traditional and non-traditional photographic mediums, as well as site-specific installations and film/video works, are eligible.
FotoFocus encourages big ideas that embrace this year’s Biennial theme, The Long View, and are in alignment with the organization’s lens-based focus. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older, possess an existing body of work, and have the ability to fulfill the requirements and expectations outlined in the Guidelines and in further conversations with FotoFocus and CAC.
Applications must include the following information:
- Artist statement, including how proposed body of work responds to the FotoFocus Biennial theme, The Long View
- Artist bio(s) and CV(s)
- Checklist of works including: title, dimensions, medium, object/lender location
- Production and material costs, if applicable
- Shipping costs, if applicable
- Tech needs, if applicable
- Images with caption/credit information (min: 10, max: 20)
- Budget
The selection process for the Call for Entry category will be led by Theresa Bembnister, Curator at Contemporary Arts Center. Bembnister will lead a panel of jurors in selecting artists to be presented in a FotoFocus Biennial Featured Exhibition at CAC. Selected artists will work in collaboration with FotoFocus and CAC to realize the exhibition.
Tentative schedule:
- Exhibition on view: October 1, 2026–February 7, 2027
- Installation: September 14–30, 2026
- Deinstallation: February 8–19, 2027
- Selected artist(s) must submit installation/deinstallation instructions for their work or be available to be onsite during installation/deinstallation
VENUE
FotoFocus and CAC have partnered to present the selected artist(s) as a 2026 FotoFocus Biennial Featured Exhibition at CAC in the 4th or 5th floor galleries. For specific details about the exhibition space, including specs and layout, please contact Taylor Howard at taylorh@fotofocus.org.
FUNDING
FotoFocus will support artist honorariums ($1,000–$3,000) based on scope of selected projects(s). Additional costs for production, shipping, technical needs, installation, graphics, documentation, and related programming will also be covered based on approved budgets.
ELIGIBILITY
Application is open to artists who:
- Are at least 18 years of age
- Work in lens-based mediums (traditional and non-traditional photography, site-specific installation, film/video)
- Can present a complete body of work (photographic series, film, documentation and/or mock-ups of installation, etc.)
- Live and work in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana (or live and work outside the region, but make work that focuses specifically on Ohio, Kentucky, and/or Indiana)
- Work in traditional photographic mediums, alternative/experimental lens-based art, site-specific installation, or film/video
- Did not participate in a 2024 FotoFocus Biennial Featured Exhibition, including the Call for Entry Selections
APPLICATION SUBMISSION PROCESS
The 2026 FotoFocus Biennial Call for Entry Applications are hosted on the Submittable platform. Applications are also accessible on the FotoFocus website (FotoFocus.org/Biennial/2026). Each applicant will need to create a free account on Submittable, if they have not already done so. This platform allows the applicant to save, edit, and review the application at any time before submitting the final application.
2026 BIENNIAL THEME DESCRIPTION
“The long view” is a phrase used to invoke a broader perspective. It suggests both distance and duration, i.e., looking far into the distance and looking for a long period of time. As an attitude toward history, the long view suggests a wise and measured perspective, one that takes into consideration both the distant past, as well as the distant future. The long view also describes, in literal terms, two primary functions of photography; photographic lenses enable both long-distance vision and long-duration viewing. The 2026 Biennial theme, The Long View, reflects on photography as a metaphor for our attempt to grasp our place within the durational sweep of history.
The Long View acknowledges the semiquincentennial of the United States, encouraging a posture of reflection in regards to the grand sweep of our country’s history, its past, present, and future. Photography can show us many moments from that history but it can also serve as a metaphor for how we understand our history and decide to shape it over time.
To elaborate, the theme considers aspects of time and perspective in photography and film, and how these mediums shape our understanding of the world. Time and perspective are fundamental aspects of photography. Time operates most essentially in terms of the duration of the photographic exposure. Early photographic technologies in particular were notoriously slow, requiring animated subjects to remain still for long periods of time, while faster films of the early-twentieth century allowed for instantaneous exposures, or snapshots. No matter the duration of the exposure, photographs, of course, once made, may be regarded for any length of time, for a split second, as for an Instagram post, or protractedly, for a photograph of an absent loved one.
Perspective is also an essential aspect of photography. The camera’s position in relation to subject matter remains essential in terms of the composition and, ultimately, the final impact of a photograph. Close up for greater detail, far away for greater context—these are also critical decisions in relation to photographic meaning. Furthermore, distance can be paradoxical: a telephoto view of the night sky, something far away but seen up close, will render stars and other bodies in greater isolation and detail, while an image of microorganisms can open entire biological landscapes not seen before.
About FotoFocus
Founded in 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio, FotoFocus is a nonprofit organization created to celebrate and champion photography as the medium of our time through programming that ignites a dialogue between contemporary lens-based art and the history of photography. FotoFocus presents lens-based Signature Programs including the Biennial, Symposium, and Talks Series, and Film and Video programming. Additionally, FotoFocus has awarded over 550 grants to support partners presenting projects and educational programs that are accessible and engaging to the public. These initiatives are a vital part of what makes FotoFocus an impactful contributor to the community and the larger art world.
For more information visit: About FotoFocus or About the Biennial.
About Contemporary Arts Center
Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) is a catalyst for dialogue and discovery, serving as the region’s premier venue for contemporary art for over 86 years. Located in downtown Cincinnati, CAC presents five to seven exhibitions annually, featuring cutting-edge work by local, national, and international artists. In 2018, its curatorial excellence was recognized with the prestigious Sotheby’s Prize.
CAC produces a robust slate of education programs aiding visitors in exploring and engaging with exhibitions, reaching more than 14,000 individuals of all ages and backgrounds in the 2024 fiscal year—including nearly 5,000 underserved Cincinnati teens who rely on CAC as a safe, creative third-space outside of school and home. CAC’s Creativity Center and the Sara M. & Patricia A. Vance Education Center: The UnMuseum® is a nationally recognized interactive gallery where visitors of all ages can explore contemporary art through hands-on play and learning.
In fiscal year 2024, CAC welcomed approximately 34,000 visitors into its architecturally iconic home—the Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art, designed by Zaha Hadid.
About Theresa Bembnister
Theresa Bembnister is Curator at Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in Cincinnati. Prior to joining CAC in 2023, she served as Curator at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock. During her tenure, she worked toward the opening of the institution’s new building, including the inaugural permanent collection installation, its accessible and equitable labels, and a forthcoming publication about the design of the building and grounds. She also spent five years at the Akron Art Museum (AAM), where she began as Associate Curator before being promoted to Curator of Exhibitions. Her legacy there includes Open World: Video Games & Contemporary Art, an innovative, technology-driven exhibition that attracted new audiences and incorporated extensive community outreach and partnerships. Prior to her time with the AAM, she was the Associate Curator at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art. Bembnister was also an Art and Writing Curatorial Fellow with the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, where she received an Achievement in Writing Award.
Terms of Use
By submitting the application, you have read and agree to the outlined Guidelines for the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial Call for Entry Application. If the application is approved, FotoFocus and Contemporary Arts Center have the right to edit and/or change the submitted content language to align with FotoFocus and Contemporary Arts Center style guides.