The 16th Annual Manifest Prize

About the Open Call

The Manifest Prize was last increased in our 12th season (2015), doubled at that time to $5,000. A decade later, we recognize that artists face greater challenges and that needs have changed. Thanks to the steady support of our Annual Fund and the generosity of our community and key donors who value Manifest's support of artists, the Prize is being doubled this year to $10,000. This is one of the most direct and impactful ways Manifest supports artists alongside honorariums for every exhibitor and nine $1,000 Grand Jury Awards each season. The Prize is open to works of ANY media, ANY genre/style, ANY size. The jury and judging process has no stylistic or media-based preference or bias. There are almost no restrictions on submissions to The Manifest Prize. Artists who have submitted to or been included in previous Manifest projects are welcome to submit to any future project, including the Manifest Prize. A several round blind jury process is used to determine the finalists and winner, with as many as 18 purposely anonymous professional jurors scoring the works. Works submitted must have been completed within the past five years (2020-2025 for the 16th Manifest Prize). The winning work must also be available for the exhibition period of early December through mid-January in order to be eligible for the prize, but is not required to be available for sale. Works may be listed as not for sale; if offered for sale, the artist receives 70%. Exhibition Dates: December 12, 2025 - January 9, 2026. The Manifest Board of Directors committee has once again approved additional cash awards for the works selected as the runners-up. In addition to being recognized formally and documented in the Manifest Exhibition Annual publication for the season, the artists of these four works will receive $250 in recognition of their accomplishment. The $10,000 award-winning work will be unveiled at the gallery on December 11th during the ticketed preview event (7-9pm). Open to works of any media, any genre/style, any size... One work will be selected for the award, featured in the gallery, and published. Four finalist works will also be recognized and published. In our 22nd season we are excited to announce that our non-profit board of directors approved an increase in the annual Manifest Prize (ONE) award amount to $10,000. This underscores our organization's strong desire to reward, showcase, celebrate, and document the most exceptional artwork being made today, and to do this in a tasteful non-commercial public context. Further, it is to incentivize the creation of excellent work and to support individual artists in meaningful, career-impacting ways. Manifest's mission is centered on championing the importance of mastery and quality in visual art. This project is one aspect of the realization of that mission which now continues in our 22nd season. The Manifest Prize was launched in 2010 as an annual offering. The cash award for this competition is now $10,000 and a four-week solo exhibit of the single winning work of art displayed along with juror and artist statements. Four finalist works will be included in the season-documenting publication, the Manifest Exhibition Annual. Eligibility: THE MANIFEST PRIZE is open to everyone. The only limitation is that entries must represent exceptional original works of visual art, design, or high craftsmanship of any kind and be available and capable of being exhibited in one of Manifest's five galleries. Works submitted for this award must have been completed within the past five years (since 2020). Works submitted MUST be available for the exhibition period of early December through mid-January in order to be eligible for the prize. Works need not be for sale, but may be at the artist's discretion. Media: Open to any and all traditional and non-traditional visual arts genre and media, (including video, photography, sculpture, installation, painting, drawing, printmaking, furniture design, etc.). There is no size limit or minimum size required, other than what is capable of being displayed in our gallery space. Jury and Curator: Manifest's normal selection process involves a complex two-part system. This exhibit and award will be juried by an anonymous 7-15+ person volunteer panel of professional and academic advisors and gallery alumni from across the U.S. and beyond with a broad range of expertise. Works approved by the first jury will be passed through a second, and possibly a third jury round, with jury makeup being shuffled from round to round. The work receiving the highest average score will be awarded the prize. The four next highest scoring works will be the finalists (runners up). These works will each be awarded $250. Individual artists submitting multiple works may be eligible for multiple runner-up awards. Publication: Starting with season 10 (fall of 2013) we shifted to the design of one much larger high quality hard-cover retrospective publication documenting each entire season of exhibits, artists, and works shown. As with all solo exhibitors, the winner of the Manifest Prize will receive their copy of the large-format hardcover book for free once it is produced. Delivery and Return of Winning Work for Exhibition: All work accepted for the exhibition must arrive ready to install. Works not gallery-ready, or not exhibiting good craftsmanship, may be omitted from the exhibit and declined the prize. Accepted work that differs significantly from the entry images or suffers from poor presentation, will be disqualified. Professional-level presentation and craftsmanship is a must. Work may be hand delivered or shipped. Shipped works must be sent in an easily reusable container/packaging with return shipping prepaid. All work must arrive at Manifest by December 6, 2025. Works not claimed within 30 days of the end of the exhibit will become the property of Manifest. The artists are responsible for all shipping costs to and from the gallery. Insurance: Works will be insured by Manifest while on gallery premises. Insurance covers theft, vandalism, damage caused by gallery patrons or staff (in accordance with insurance policy). Insurance does not cover damage caused during shipping, damage caused by failure of the work itself or its mounting systems, or incidental damage to works whose artist-directed presentation methods put them at risk. Entry Fee: Entry after September 1 and by October 19: $60 for up to five entries submitted, $5 per each additional entry. Fees are non-refundable. Number of entries is unlimited, but recommended maximum is 12. Sale of Work: All work, unless indicated as not for sale (NFS), will be available for sale during exhibit. Manifest Gallery will retain a commission of 30% of the sale price on artwork sold during the exhibition. Artists set the sale price on the entry form, and this cannot be changed after submission. Submission Images: Manifest accepts only digital images/files for consideration. The Gallery will retain the submitted images of accepted artwork and reserves the right to use the images in publications and gallery publicity. Beyond such use, the artist retains full copyright of exhibited work. Images must be uploaded using the Dropbox button provided after entry form submission. Digital Format: Hi-Res, print-quality images will be requested for accepted works upon conclusion of the jury process. Entry images must meet the following specifications: FILE NAMING: All entry files must be named with artist's last name (underscore)first name, followed by the entry number (e.g., Jones_Mike_1.jpg). Detail images must include 'detail' in the filename (e.g., Jones_Mike_1detail1.jpg). Image files should be HIGH QUALITY JPEG format, no smaller than 1000 pixels in any direction (about 13”) and be 72 dpi. Images must be oriented properly and should not include text or borders not part of the actual work. Video, Motion, and Interactive Entries: Manifest requests all video or interactive submissions be a link to a viewable online copy of each work AND a single representative jpeg image. Video links should be provided on the entry form in the VIEWING LINK section and should link directly to online or downloadable content that does NOT require a login, password or membership to view. Links must remain valid and active through notification of jury results.

What is Offered

$10,000 cash award for the winning work, a four-week solo exhibition, and publication in the Manifest Exhibition Annual. Four runner-up works will receive $250 each.

Requirements

Applicants must submit original works of visual art, design, or high craftsmanship completed within the past five years (2020-2025). Works must be available for exhibition from December 12, 2025 – January 9, 2026, and capable of being exhibited in Manifest's galleries. All accepted work must arrive ready to install, demonstrating professional-level presentation and craftsmanship. Artists are responsible for all shipping costs to and from the gallery. Digital images/files must meet specific naming and sizing conventions (min 1000 pixels, 72 dpi, JPEG format).

How to Apply

Access the required ENTRY FORM via the provided link: https://www.manifestgallery.org/one/entry/index.html. After submitting the entry form, upload image files using the provided Dropbox button. Entry fees can be paid via U.S. check or money order made payable to MANIFEST, or by credit card via PayPal. If sending a check, mail to Manifest Creative Research Gallery, 16th Annual MANIFEST PRIZE, P.O. Box 6218, Cincinnati, OH 45206.