Exhibition: Saturday, July 5, 2025 – Sunday, July 27, 2025
Submissions Open: January 17, 2025
Submissions Close/Entry Deadline: Monday, May 26, 2025
Notification of Acceptance: Monday, June 9, 2025
Drop-Off Dates: Monday, June 30, 2025, 4pm–6pm; Tuesday, June 30, 2025, 4pm–6pm
Pick-Up Date: Monday, July 28, 2025, 4pm–6pm
16th Annual Fran Achen Juried Photography Exhibition
Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA), PO Box 311, 402 W. Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190, whitewaterarts.org/fran-achen-2025
A juried exhibition of original photography, showcasing photographic prints and projected photographs in a traditional yet innovative in-gallery experience, together with online display of all accepted work.
Other than to fit a particular division and theme, the only limitations on subject matter or techniques used for image capture or post processing pertain to originality of authorship, appropriateness for public display, and use of artificial intelligence. These are fully defined in the Terms & Conditions listed below.
Accepted works in the Printed Photograph Division (Theme: Open/General) will be physically displayed in a traditional, in-gallery exhibit and shown in an online exhibition.
Accepted works in the Digital Image Division (Themes: Open/General, Human Interest, Built Environment) will be projected in-gallery and shown in an online exhibition. The Call for Art for the Digital Image Division is at waa-fran-achen-digital-2025.artcall.org
A free, downloadable, commemorative PDF catalog of the entire exhibit may be produced. A printed version may also be made available.
This is a juried acceptance exhibition.
Artists do NOT need to be residents of Wisconsin to participate.
Photographs which have received awards (place winners or honorable mentions) in previous Fran Achen Photography Competitions are not eligible for entry.
Entered photographs must be entirely the original work of the entrant.
The image must originate as a photograph, that is, an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface (photographic film or an electronic image sensor). An artificial intelligence (AI) generated image is not deemed to be a photographic image because it was created from scratch by the AI system and contains no image captured by the photographer. Therefore, this type of image will not be accepted.
Images may not incorporate elements produced by anyone but the entrant. For example, stock agency images, artwork created by others, replacement skies included with image editing software, and computer-generated AI images are not allowed as the image itself or as any part of the final image or composited image. Note: sky replacements are permitted if the replacement sky is the work of the entrant, as described elsewhere in this document.
Note: Use of non-generative AI features contained within a post processing application (e.g. masking, sharpening, de-noise, enlarging, etc.) are permitted. Also, use of AI removal. patching, healing, and cloning tools are permitted IF the tool uses ONLY the entrant’s original photograph as its only source. These tools are NOT permitted if they use the AI tool's external generative dataset. Any AI content produced from a text prompt is strictly prohibited.
Software tools designed to detect AI-generated images may be used to help enforce these restrictions. Show Chair may request to examine original out-of-camera (RAW) files prior to naming award winners. Failure to provide these files when requested will result in disqualification.
Photographs must be appropriate for viewers of all ages. Artwork that is overtly sexual, racist, violent, libelous, slanderous, demoralizing, or discriminatory in nature will not be accepted.
WAA will make all curatorial decisions and reserves the right to refrain from displaying, or to display separately, images it deems inappropriate for its websites or public gallery spaces. WAA reserves the right to remove any work of art from public exhibition at any time for any reason.
Other than the restrictions stated above, there are no further restrictions on camera, physical darkroom, or computer/digital darkroom techniques.
Creative photography which is the work of the entrant is highly encouraged.
Awards for each Division/Theme Area are listed in their respective sections. An entrant may not receive more than one cash award. Several overall awards will be presented which consider all accepted entries in both Divisions and all Theme Areas.
The number of honorable mention awards presented will be decided by the jury panel based on merit and the number of entries submitted. Some awards may not be presented if there are too few entrants in a division/theme area or if the jury panel chooses to not award them based on merit.
Decisions of the jury panel are final.
Photographic prints of all accepted work will be displayed in a traditional gallery exhibit, as well as online. Accepted work in this division must be physically delivered to the gallery to be exhibited.
The entry fee is $40 ($32 for current WAA Members), which includes up to 4 photographs. A reduced rate is available for Youth entrants. An entrant may optionally enter up to 2 additional photographs (up to a total of 6) for an additional fee of $10/each ($8/each for current WAA Members). Photographs must receive an acceptance to be included in the exhibit. Entry fees are non-refundable, regardless of whether work is accepted. WAA Member discount will be applied through a coupon code on the submission site and no adjustments will be made for missed discounts. If for any reason the exhibition cannot take place, all entry fees will be refunded.
The minimum image size is 8” x 10” (80 square inches), not including mat and frame.
The maximum overall size of work: 36” in either direction (width or height), including frame (this is due to the size of the display panels used in the gallery).
Photos may be printed on paper and framed under glass or acrylic. Metal prints and gallery-wrapped canvas prints are also acceptable. Other methods of display are also permitted, and we highly encourage creativity. However, the presentation must be rigid and have a finished appearance worthy of gallery display. Wire hangers on the backs are required.
Prints for the gallery display may be signed, or not, as the artist sees fit.
Entries submitted without wire hangers, or which are otherwise unsuitable for hanging, will not be displayed.
Artwork physically displayed in the gallery space must remain there for the duration of the show. No replacements or substitutions will be permitted. Artwork may not be picked up prior to the closing of the exhibition.
Artwork must be labeled with the artist’s name, the artwork title, the year created, whether the artwork is for sale, and the selling price. Refer to Delivery of Artwork and Pick-Up of Artwork (below) for further information.
Work may or may not be for sale to be eligible for the gallery exhibition. WAA will make every effort to encourage the sale of work available for purchase. In the event of a sale, the WAA Commission Policy for sales applies for work displayed in its gallery. The WAA retains 30% of sale from WAA members and 40% of sale from non-members. WAA collects and submits sales taxes.
Detailed delivery instructions will be provided to artists with accepted work. The work is to be delivered to the gallery during the dates/times listed above or by arrangement. The work will be displayed in WAA’s Cultural Arts Center (CAC) Gallery in downtown Whitewater.
Accepted artists are welcome to ship work via UPS, FedEx, or USPS, provided that prior arrangements have been made with the Exhibit Chair and that the work arrives prior to the artwork drop off dates/times listed above. DO NOT ship artwork to the gallery address because staff will not be on-site to receive it – shipping address and instructions will be provided by the Exhibit Chair. Shipments should be labeled “Attn: WAA Paint Wisconsin Exhibition” and shipped to the address that will be provided by the Exhibit Chair.
Shipments of artwork are at the artist’s expense and must include a prepaid return shipping label. WAA will not be held responsible for shipping-related damage or loss.
A Gallery Agreement may need to be signed upon delivery of artwork or mailed with artwork if being shipped.
Unsold works in the gallery exhibit are to be picked up at the same location to which they were delivered during the dates/times listed above or by arrangement.
Artists unable to pick up their own work should provide written permission for the person picking up the work on their behalf. Artwork will not be released without a copy of the delivery receipt with the artist’s signature, or a note of authorization signed by the artist. Email correspondence from the artist to Exhibit Chair may serve as notification.
Artwork not picked up on the specified dates or at a pre-arranged alternate date will be considered abandoned and will be disposed of at WAA’s discretion.
Digital photographs must be uploaded to complete a submission. These digital photographs will be used by the jurors to make their decisions. For the Printed Photograph Division, final award decisions will only be made once the prints have been delivered to the gallery.
Uploaded image files must be in JPEG format, with at least 1920 pixels on the longer side and a maximum file size of 5 MB. Uploaded images may not include signatures or watermarks. Submissions with incorrectly formatted images may be rejected.
Submissions will be made through ArtCall. Follow the link from the WAA website to ArtCall to begin the submission process. New users will be required to create an ArtCall profile with user login and password. Existing ArtCall users need only login and follow the process for a new submission.
The preferred method of payment is through a credit card on the ArtCall site (using Stripe). Checks will be accepted if you enter the Coupon/Promo Code "PayOffline" which will allow you to make your entry without entering payment. After you make the submission, mail your check to: Whitewater Arts Alliance, PO Box 311, Whitewater, WI 53190. You may also make payment in-person at the WAA Cultural Arts Center Gallery at 402 W. Main Street, Whitewater, WI during gallery open hours. If payment is not received within 7 days of entry, the submissions will not be included in the jurying process.
Acceptances will be issued by email by the date listed above.
Staff will do its best to notify those with incorrectly submitted entries, but it is the responsibility of the artist to submit correctly and on time. ArtCall allows entrants to make changes to their submissions, but no changes may be made after the submission deadline.
Artist maintains full copyright to their work. Artist grants the Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA) permission to use the submitted photographs for WAA documentary, promotional, and educational purposes, to display the photographs on a WAA website, to include them in a free, downloadable PDF exhibition catalog (if produced), and to include them in a printed exhibition catalog (if produced). WAA reserves the right to photograph and create videos of artwork in the exhibition and utilize it for documentary, marketing, and educational purposes.
I understand that, while all reasonable and possible care will be taken, Whitewater Arts Alliance does not assume responsibility for physical damage to or loss of my work. I further understand that the WAA recommends that each artist arrange for insurance coverage on artist’s own work at artist’s own expense. I understand that work left 30 days past the pickup deadline becomes property of WAA.
By submitting an entry to the Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA), I certify that the completed work is entirely my own and that no part of my entry infringes on the copyright of another person. Further, I have read and agree to all the terms, conditions, and rules of the 16th Annual Fran Achen Juried Photography Exhibition which are listed above.
Whitewater Arts Alliance, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable organization based in Whitewater, Wisconsin. For more information, please visit whitewaterarts.org
“Celebrating the Arts and Creating Community!”
Watch a quick tutorial about using ArtCall here.
