PhotoSpiva 2008 has officially been launched. George A. Spiva Center for the Arts has issued a call for entries for the 32nd annual national photography competition.

“PhotoSpiva has the distinction of being the oldest continuous photographic competition in the United States,” noted Spiva director Jo Mueller.

The competition is open to any photographer—amateur or professional—in the United States or its territories. $2,000 in cash prizes will be awarded, and any photographic process is eligible.

Instead of shipping or delivering their prints to Spiva, participating artists will enter online at www.photospiva.org. According to Mueller, the move to digital entry has been under consideration for some time and is seen as a way to open the competition to more artists across the country.

“Each year a nationally-recognized juror selects work for exhibit, determines award winners, and presents a lecture,” Mueller said. This year Rod Slemmons, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College, Chicago, will review all entries online to determine which entries will be included in the PhotoSpiva 2008 exhibition at Spiva.

Although the entry and selection process is digital, awards won’t be determined until the exhibition is hung. In April, Slemmons will travel to Joplin to select the award-winning images, deliver the annual Juror’s Lecture, and attend the opening reception and awards presentation.

Deadline for entries is midnight CST February 15. The exhibition opens to the public April 19 and runs through June 1, 2008.

Spiva Center for the Arts is located at 3rd and Wall in downtown Joplin. Galleries and Gift Shop are open Tuesday through Saturday, 10–5, and Sunday 1–5. Admission is by voluntary contribution. The Center is closed Mondays and major holidays.

The Center is funded through memberships, contributions, and grants. PhotoSpiva 2008 is presented with financial assistance from the Missouri Arts Council, a State agency, and an advertising grant from the Joplin Convention & Visitors Bureau, www.visitjoplinmo.com

To learn more, please call 417-623-0183 or visit www.photospiva.org

George A. Spiva Center for the Arts
222 W. 3rd Street
Joplin, Mo 64801
Tel: 417-623-0183
Fax: 417-623-3805
www.spivaarts.org


See you at Spiva–where imagination lives!