THE ROOM NEXT DOOR
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Entry deadlineDec 15, 2026 · 11:59 PM
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Show opensJan 10, 2027
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Show closesMar 10, 2027
Organization:
Decagon Gallery
Location
Online
Entry Fee
Paid Entry
Deadline
December 15, 2026
Exhibition
Jan 10
- Mar 10, 2027
THE ROOM NEXT DOOR
The space just beyond what we see
A Decagon Gallery Spotlight open call | Juror: Dr. Susan Bright
$1,000 in cash awards
Deadline: December 15, 2026
Notification: January 1, 2027
On view: January 10 – March 10, 2027
There is always a room next door: a door left ajar, a window lit across the courtyard, a hallway that turns out of sight, a voice through the wall. We know it is there. We don't know what it holds.
For THE ROOM NEXT DOOR we are looking for photographs that bring the viewer to the edge of a space they cannot fully enter. These are images where something is felt more than shown, where the frame stops just short of an answer, and where what lies beyond is left for the viewer to imagine. The mystery should come from what the photograph withholds, not from what it hides.
We welcome thresholds, doorways, windows, and reflections; interiors seen from outside and exteriors seen from within; neighboring lives glimpsed at a distance; sounds, light, and shadows that arrive from somewhere else; and constructed or staged work that invents what waits on the other side. Documentary, conceptual, and experimental approaches are all welcome. People may appear, but the subject is the space between here and there.
AWARDS: $1,000 IN CASH
First Place: $500
Second Place: $250
Third Place: $150
Two Honorable Mentions: $50 each
Human Presence Award: free entry to a future exhibition of the photographer's choice
Cash awards are limited to one per photographer. Should a photographer's submissions be selected for multiple awards, the photographer will receive the award of greatest value only.
SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHERS RECEIVE
Inclusion in the curated online exhibition, with a permanent exhibition page on Decagon Gallery
A feature on Decagon's Instagram
Publication in a professionally designed exhibition catalog (catalogs are available for purchase; photographers do not receive a free copy)
Digital badges and certificates
ABOUT THE JUROR
Dr. Susan Bright (Aus/UK) is a curator, art historian, writer and lecturer with over two decades of experience curating exhibitions featuring both major international and emerging contemporary artists. She specializes in lens-based art and has curated for institutions including Tate Britain, the National Portrait Gallery (UK), Princeton University Art Museum, and Fremantle Arts Centre. She has authored seven books and writes for The Financial Times, The Guardian and Vogue.
ELIGIBILITY
Open to photographers worldwide, 18 years and older. All photographic processes and styles are welcome. Work must be your own. AI-generated images will not be considered.
HOW TO ENTER
Entry fee: $25 for up to 4 images, $5 for each additional image (up to 10 images). Submit JPGs at least 2100 pixels on the long side, without text, watermarks, or borders, preferably under 4 MB.
ABOUT DECAGON GALLERY
Decagon Gallery is an independent online fine art photography gallery based in Brooklyn, New York, presenting juried exhibitions with named jurors, cash prizes, and exhibition catalogs.
Questions? Contact us at [email protected]
The space just beyond what we see
A Decagon Gallery Spotlight open call | Juror: Dr. Susan Bright
$1,000 in cash awards
Deadline: December 15, 2026
Notification: January 1, 2027
On view: January 10 – March 10, 2027
There is always a room next door: a door left ajar, a window lit across the courtyard, a hallway that turns out of sight, a voice through the wall. We know it is there. We don't know what it holds.
For THE ROOM NEXT DOOR we are looking for photographs that bring the viewer to the edge of a space they cannot fully enter. These are images where something is felt more than shown, where the frame stops just short of an answer, and where what lies beyond is left for the viewer to imagine. The mystery should come from what the photograph withholds, not from what it hides.
We welcome thresholds, doorways, windows, and reflections; interiors seen from outside and exteriors seen from within; neighboring lives glimpsed at a distance; sounds, light, and shadows that arrive from somewhere else; and constructed or staged work that invents what waits on the other side. Documentary, conceptual, and experimental approaches are all welcome. People may appear, but the subject is the space between here and there.
AWARDS: $1,000 IN CASH
First Place: $500
Second Place: $250
Third Place: $150
Two Honorable Mentions: $50 each
Human Presence Award: free entry to a future exhibition of the photographer's choice
Cash awards are limited to one per photographer. Should a photographer's submissions be selected for multiple awards, the photographer will receive the award of greatest value only.
SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHERS RECEIVE
Inclusion in the curated online exhibition, with a permanent exhibition page on Decagon Gallery
A feature on Decagon's Instagram
Publication in a professionally designed exhibition catalog (catalogs are available for purchase; photographers do not receive a free copy)
Digital badges and certificates
ABOUT THE JUROR
Dr. Susan Bright (Aus/UK) is a curator, art historian, writer and lecturer with over two decades of experience curating exhibitions featuring both major international and emerging contemporary artists. She specializes in lens-based art and has curated for institutions including Tate Britain, the National Portrait Gallery (UK), Princeton University Art Museum, and Fremantle Arts Centre. She has authored seven books and writes for The Financial Times, The Guardian and Vogue.
ELIGIBILITY
Open to photographers worldwide, 18 years and older. All photographic processes and styles are welcome. Work must be your own. AI-generated images will not be considered.
HOW TO ENTER
Entry fee: $25 for up to 4 images, $5 for each additional image (up to 10 images). Submit JPGs at least 2100 pixels on the long side, without text, watermarks, or borders, preferably under 4 MB.
ABOUT DECAGON GALLERY
Decagon Gallery is an independent online fine art photography gallery based in Brooklyn, New York, presenting juried exhibitions with named jurors, cash prizes, and exhibition catalogs.
Questions? Contact us at [email protected]