UnBound15 Call for Art - Candela Gallery (Due Mar. 13)
UnBound15 Call for Art - Candela Gallery
Deadline: March 13th, 2026
In the summer of 2012, Candela Books + Gallery founder Gordon Stettinius launched UnBound! as an invitational exhibition to build community and support artists. From the beginning, Candela has hosted a fundraising effort to allow the gallery to purchase a limited number of works from each summer’s show. The resulting Collection has since grown to nearly 150 pieces. The mission of the Candela Collection has been to support photographers through the purchase and collection of original photographic work, while also actively pursuing opportunities to donate said work to notable art institutions.
In 2025, the gallery introduced artist honorariums: 1-2 selected artists were chosen for solo exhibition opportunities in the 2026 Candela programming year, and were given honorariums to help fund these exhibitions.
The UnBound! exhibition is now primarily submission-based with a small selection of invited artists represented. UnBound! aims to present a survey of what photography looks like in the moment, exhibiting 40+ strong works representing a range of concepts, personal and professional backgrounds, and applications of the photographic medium.
There is no theme to the UnBound! exhibition. We treat each year like a survey, encouraging a range of perspectives, concepts, and applications of the photographic medium. UnBound! has seen the likes of digital prints, darkroom work, alternative processes, mixed media, and sculptural interpretations of photography.
Looking for inspiration? To take a look at what has gone into the collection, click here. To see last year’s UnBound! works, click here.
The majority of the works included in the UnBound! exhibition are selected from the open call submission. In addition, each year we invite a small number of artists to participate. We look for notable artists who are farther along in their photographic careers or bring something distinct to the selection. This results in a range of works from artists in different moments of their careers, and gives an extra boost to an emerging artist's CV.
We encourage anyone from hobbyists, teachers, and seasoned professionals to submit. As long as the work is photographic in origin, it is welcome!
There is no fee!