CALL FOR ENTRY
In Search of History
Application Deadline: Friday, December 19, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Throughline is pleased to announce a national call for entries for IN SEARCH OF HISTORY, a juried exhibition presented as part of FotoFest Houston’s Participating Space program. Curated by Lisa Volpe, Curator of Photography and Head of the Photography Department at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the exhibition will be on view from February 20 to March 21, 2026, at Throughline, 3909 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77002.
In alignment with FotoFest’s theme, “Global Visions - FotoFest at 40”, the exhibition will respond to the evolution of lens-based art. Open to all U.S.-based artists aged 18 and older working in lens-based media, the call seeks work that explores shifts in this technology during the 21st century and the roles that artists using these media play in contemporary society. Throughline seeks submissions that demonstrate a formal and technological range while giving thoughtful consideration to context. The resulting exhibition will initiate a meaningful conversation surrounding the evolving role of photography and the transformation of aesthetics as photographic technologies have shifted over time.
Lisa Volpe, image by Russell Brown
About the Juror: Lisa Volpe is Curator of Photography and Head of the Photography Department at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Previously, she served as the Curator of the Wichita Art Museum and held various curatorial roles at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA), with additional fellowships at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Her 2021 exhibition catalog, “Georgia O’Keeffe, Photographer”, was one of two finalists for the Association of American Publishers Prose Awards. Her book, “Gordon Parks: Stokely Carmichael and Black Power”, published for the 2022 exhibition, was named a “must read” by Esquire and New York Magazines.
Exhibition Schedule
Submission deadline | Friday, December 19, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Artists Notification | Friday, January 16, 2026
Work Due | Friday, February 6, 2026
Opening Reception with Juror | Friday, February 20, 2036, 6-9 PM
Exhibition Run | February 20 - March 21, 2026
ENTRY PROCEDURE: Entries must be submitted online no later than 11:59PM on December 19, 2025. Late applications will not be considered. As an artist run space, we ask for a $30 entry fee to help cover the cost of producing the exhibition and to help support our programing throughout the year. 100% of sale price go to the artist.
ACCEPTANCE: If your work is accepted, shipped work must arrive no later than February 6th. Accepted work must be ready to hang or display in a professional manner. Artists are responsible for shipping costs both ways and must include a return shipping label with their work. Please pack securely. No use of Styrofoam packing pellets (bubble wrap acceptable). No glass on framing of wall-based work, plexiglass only. Work that arrives at gallery damaged will be returned un-displayed. Throughline is not responsible for any work damaged in transit. Unsold work will be packed by Throughline in the shipping containers they arrived in and returned promptly to the artists.
SALES: Work does not have to be for sale. Sale prices are determined by the artist. 100% of sale price goes to the artist (minus transaction fees). All work must be the property of the artist in order to be available for sale.
IMAGE USE: By entering the competition, selected artists grant Throughline rights to use the selected image(s) on printed materials and the gallery website for promotional purposes only.
FAQ’s
Are there limitations on media/ size? We invite photographers, videographers and lens-based artists to explore the themes outlined in the call for entry. Although there is not a specific size limit, the work does need to fit through our door which is 8’h x 4’w”.
Can I submit if I live outside of the Houston area? Yes! Just be aware that you are responsible for getting your work to the gallery by either delivering or shipping. Due to shipping time, only artists who reside in the continental United States are eligible
*Please contact throughlinecollective@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.