PhotoPlace Gallery - "Portals: New Perspectives" Call for Exhibition

• PhotoPlace Gallery

• Deadline: April 6th, 2026

• Theme: Portals: New Perspectives

• Prize: Exhibition in Vermont (USA) + Sales

• Entry Fees: Yes

• REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE

---

The idea of a portal carries with it a sense of curiosity and possibility. A portal marks the space between here and there, between what is known and what might lie beyond. It encourages us to look more closely, to imagine stepping through, and to consider how a simple opening can change our perception of space and time.

For the exhibition Portals: New Perspectives, we invite photographers to explore the many ways that portals appear in our visual world. Some may be literal and architectural—windows that frame a distant scene, doorways that reveal glimpses of interior life, gates that hint at restricted or hidden spaces, or archways that guide us toward the unknown. Mirrors, glass, and reflections can also act as portals, creating layers that shift our understanding of reality and perspective.

Compositional techniques such as framing, layering, and visual repetition can further emphasize the feeling of moving through space. A photograph may contain multiple thresholds—doorways within doorways, reflections within reflections—inviting the viewer to travel visually through the image. Changes in light and shadow can also create moments of transition, transforming familiar environments into scenes that feel dreamlike or mysterious.

Beyond the physical, we are equally interested in photographs that interpret the idea of a portal in more metaphorical or emotional ways. A portal might represent a turning point, a memory resurfacing, a moment of growth, or the crossing from one chapter of life into another. It might appear in a landscape, a portrait, a quiet domestic scene, or an abstract composition. However you approach the theme—urban or rural, interior or exterior, documentary or conceptual—we encourage work that expands the viewer’s sense of perspective and invites them to see the world differently.

We are honored that Ann Jastrab will serve as juror for Portals: New Perspectives. She will select up to 35 photographs for exhibition in our gallery in Middlebury, Vermont, as well as 40 additional images to be presented in our Online Gallery. All 75 selected works will be featured in the exhibition catalog, permanently displayed on our website, and promoted through social media with links directing viewers to the photographers’ websites or portfolios.