THE MANIFEST PRIZE

About the Open Call

The Manifest Prize, now in its 16th year, has doubled its award amount to $10,000, underscoring Manifest Gallery's commitment to rewarding and showcasing exceptional contemporary art. This opportunity is open to artists working in any visual art medium or genre, including video, photography, sculpture, installation, painting, drawing, printmaking, and furniture design. There are virtually no restrictions on submissions, and the jury process is blind and unbiased towards style or media. Works submitted must have been completed within the past five years (2020-2025) and must be available for exhibition from early December 2025 through mid-January 2026. The winning work will be featured in a solo exhibition in one of Manifest's galleries. Additionally, four runners-up will each receive a $250 award. All selected artists and their works will be documented in the high-quality hardcover Manifest Exhibition Annual publication. Artists are responsible for all shipping costs to and from the gallery; works must arrive gallery-ready with professional-level presentation. Manifest insures works while on gallery premises.

What is Offered

$10,000 cash award, a four-week solo exhibition, inclusion in the Manifest Exhibition Annual publication, and four runner-up awards of $250 each.

Requirements

Open to original visual art, design, or high craftsmanship of any kind. Works must have been completed within the past five years (2020-2025) and be available for exhibition from December 12, 2025, to January 9, 2026. Submissions must arrive gallery-ready, exhibiting professional presentation and craftsmanship. Digital images must be high-quality JPEGs (min. 1000 pixels in any direction, 72 dpi) with specific file naming conventions. Video/motion/interactive entries require viewable online links (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo) and a representative JPEG image.

How to Apply

Artists must complete an online entry form and upload digital image files (or video links and representative jpegs for time-based media) via the provided Dropbox link. An entry fee of $60 covers up to five entries, with $5 for each additional entry (final deadline). Fees can be paid via U.S. check, money order, or PayPal.