Black Box Gallery - Black and White: Open Call 2026

• Black Box Gallery

• Deadline: September 10th, 2026

• Category: B&W Photography

• Prize: Exhibition in Portland (USA) + Sales

• Entry Fees: Yes

• REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE

Black Box Gallery is pleased to announce an upcoming juried group photography exhibition dedicated to the timeless power and expressive possibilities of black and white photography. Throughout the history of the medium, black and white imagery has carried a distinctive visual language—one that can feel classic, nostalgic, dramatic, intimate, and dynamic all at once. By removing the distraction of color, photographers are able to place greater emphasis on light, shadow, texture, contrast, form, gesture, atmosphere, and composition.

Black and white photography has a long and influential tradition of producing luminous, carefully crafted, and thoughtfully composed images. At the same time, contemporary photographers continue to reinterpret this tradition, creating work that reflects current perspectives, experiences, and artistic approaches. This exhibition invites artists to enter into a dialogue with the history of black and white photography while bringing their own individual voices, visions, and aesthetics to the medium.

Black Box Gallery is seeking a diverse selection of photographic works that demonstrate the many ways black and white can be used as a creative and conceptual tool. From documentary and street photography to portraiture, landscape, abstraction, conceptual work, and experimental imagery, the exhibition will celebrate a broad range of photographic ideas and approaches.

Juror: Todd Johnson

Todd Johnson is the founder and director of Black Box Gallery. He received his MFA in Photography from the San Francisco Art Institute and has developed an extensive career as a photographer, curator, educator, and arts administrator. Johnson has served as a photography portfolio reviewer for organizations and publications including Photolucida in Portland, Critical Mass, Dodho Magazine in Barcelona, Spain, and Blue Sky Gallery in Portland, Oregon.

As an independent curator, Johnson has organized and supported exhibitions at a wide range of institutions and galleries, including Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon; Gallery Homeland in Portland; Mile Post 5 in Portland; The Waiting Room Gallery in Minneapolis; 4X Gallery in Portland; and The Gorilla Art Gallery in San Francisco. He brings 25 years of experience in arts education and arts administration to his curatorial practice.

Johnson has also exhibited his own photographic work extensively. His exhibitions in the Portland area have included presentations at the University of Oregon’s White Box Gallery, Marylhurst University’s The Art Gym, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Reed College, Linfield College, FalseFront Gallery, and Augen Gallery. His work has also been presented nationally at Bushwick Open Studios in Brooklyn, Carroll Square Gallery in Washington, DC, Hi Lo Gallery in Olympia, Washington, Davis and Cline Gallery in Ashland, Oregon, Midway Gallery in Bloomington, Illinois, and The Diego Rivera Gallery in San Francisco, California.

With his extensive experience as both an exhibiting photographer and an independent curator, Todd Johnson will bring a thoughtful and informed perspective to the selection of works for this exhibition.