Call for Entry: The Worst Picture Show

Submit your work today to The Worst Picture Show - 50th Anniversary Online Exhibition

Submission Deadline: Thu, Dec 11 by 4:59 PM (PT)

Exhibition Launch: Thu, Jan 8, 2025

Entry Fee: Free


Some photographs delight us precisely because they fail: the horizon tilts, fingers intrude into the frame, and the grand sunset is mostly a parking lot. They might be earnest attempts gone astray, or intentionally “worst” pictures that push awkwardness to an artful extreme, bad exposures, accidental compositions, and misguided interpretations of what a “good picture” should be. What makes them funny is the tension between intention and result, the gap between what the photographer hoped to capture and what the camera actually recorded. In their wrongness, these pictures reveal a kind of unguarded humanity, a charming reminder that perfection is overrated and failure can be unexpectedly joyful.

For this open call, We encourage you to send us up to three photos you considered the worst by Thu, Dec 11 at 4:59 PM (PT). The show will be juried and will be published on Thu, Jan 8, 2026. We look forward to seeing your submissions!

In October 1975, five unemployed but passionate photographers envisioned a $40/month, 125 sq ft storefront as a space to exhibit photography. 50 years and more than 1,000 solo exhibitions and 60 group shows later, Blue Sky Gallery is celebrating its legacy with a new online exhibition series: 12 themed online open calls, one for each month of our 50th anniversary year.

Submit Your Work Today

Submission Guidelines: 

  • Please use the form above to submit up to three images per artist.

  • Image dimensions should not exceed 1500 pixels on the long side.

  • Please name image files as follows: lastname_firstname_title.jpg

  • You may include a short artist statement up to 100 words in your submission addressing your art practice.

  • Applicants do not need to be members of Blue Sky to submit to this exhibition

  • Accepted works will be viewable online only, and will not be for sale

  • You are not allowed to upload images violate Blue Sky's anti-discrimination policy or are otherwise deemed offensive in nature.

  • Submissions that do not follow guidelines will be automatically disqualified

If you have questions about this exhibition opportunity or the submission process, please reach out to us at photographers@blueskygallery.org

50th AnniversaryBlue Sky Oregon Center for the Photographic ArtsOnline Exhibition, Open Call, The Worst Picture Show