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Submit 2–4 original photographs in one of three categories (Nature, People, or Open) for a regional juried photography competition; 100 works will be selected for exhibition.
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Get matched →The Hays Arts Council presents the 43rd Annual Five State Photography Competition & Exhibition, a regional fine art photography competition open to photographers living in Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Colorado. Artists submit original photographic works in three categories: Nature, People, and Open. A juror will select 100 photographs for exhibition, which will be presented at the Hays Arts Center Gallery, 1205 Main Street, Hays, Kansas 67601.
Open to photographers living in Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, or Colorado. Work must have been created within the last three years and must not have been previously included in a Five State Photography Exhibition.
Submit 2–4 original photographs through CaFÉ. Any photographic process and subject are eligible. Each photograph must be assigned to one of three categories: Nature, People, or Open.
The juror will award $1,500 in cash across the three categories. Awards are not categorized by photographic process.
Accepted photographers must deliver an 8 × 10-inch print without mat or frame by Friday, November 20, 2026. Photographs will be mounted in 11 × 14-inch black wood frames with white mats provided by the Hays Arts Council. All exhibited photographs are priced at $100 (including frame and mat). Artists receive $60 per sale; the Hays Arts Council retains $40 as commission and framing cost. Artists may mark work NFS (Not For Sale) if desired. Accepted photographs will be returned at the conclusion of the exhibition; artists may arrange pickup or include postage-paid return mailers.
Every listing links to the organizer's official page. Always confirm deadlines, fees, and entry rules there before you apply.
Elise Kirk is a photographic artist and educator at the University of Kansas, with experience in documentary photography and media production for major outlets including National Geographic, Discovery, and VICE. She studied at Columbia College Chicago and Rhode Island School of Design, and has participated in numerous residencies including ISCP in New York and Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts in Nebraska.
Hays Arts Council, 785-625-7522, [email protected]