THE MANIFEST PRIZE

About the Open Call

The 16th Annual Manifest Prize has doubled its award to $10,000, recognizing greater challenges artists face and aiming to directly support 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, as are new artists. A several-round blind jury process with up to 18 anonymous professional jurors determines finalists and the winner. Works submitted must have been completed within the past five years (2020-2025). The winning work must be available for exhibition from early December through mid-January. It is not required to be available for sale, though some past winners have been purchased. The Manifest Prize is completely separate from the season's nine Grand Jury Awards. The Manifest Board of Directors committee has also approved additional cash awards of $250 for each of the four runners-up, who will also be recognized and documented in the Manifest Exhibition Annual publication. The $10,000 award-winning work will be unveiled at the gallery on December 11th during a ticketed preview event (7-9pm). The goal is to reward, showcase, celebrate, and document the most exceptional artwork being made today in a tasteful non-commercial public context, incentivizing excellent work and supporting artists in meaningful, career-impacting ways. Manifest's mission centers on championing mastery and quality in visual art. The concept involves a competitive peer-review jury process to select ONE work to be exhibited in one of Manifest's five galleries for four weeks, presented as a solo exhibit. This project, launched in 2010, includes a cash award of $10,000 and a four-week solo exhibit of the single winning work along with juror and artist statements. The four next highest scoring works (finalists/runners-up) will each be awarded $250 and included in the season-documenting publication, the Manifest Exhibition Annual. Eligibility: The Manifest Prize is open to everyone. 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. Floor plans are available upon request. 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 to be eligible. Works need not be for sale but may be at the artist's discretion. Submission constitutes a formal agreement to provide the work for exhibit if selected. 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. There is no size limit or minimum size required other than what is capable of being displayed in the gallery space. Size is not a jury criterion. 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 pass through a second, and possibly a third round, with jury makeup shuffled. The work receiving the highest average score will be awarded the prize. Selected juror comments may be posted in the gallery and included in the Manifest Exhibition Annual. Publication: Manifest Press produces a large, high-quality hardcover retrospective publication documenting each entire season of exhibits, artists, and works shown. The winner of the Manifest Prize will receive a free copy of this book. Publication production timeframes can vary. Delivery and Return of Winning Work for Exhibition: All work accepted for the exhibition must arrive ready to install. Works not gallery-ready or lacking good craftsmanship may be omitted. Accepted work differing significantly from entry images or suffering 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 easily reusable containers/packaging with return shipping prepaid. Works will be returned in the same manner or via UPS/USPS. All work must arrive by the specified date. Accepted work remains on display for the duration of the exhibition. Works not claimed within 30 days of the exhibit's end become Manifest property. Artists are responsible for all shipping costs to and from the gallery. Calendar: Notifications sent by email to all entrants by November 3, 2025. Hi-res images needed for season annual and PR by November 10, 2025. Artwork due to Manifest by December 6, 2025. Special Preview Event on December 11, 2025 (Ticketed, 7-9pm). Opening Reception on December 12, 2025 (6-9pm). Final Day of Exhibition on January 9, 2026. Pick-up hand-delivered work between January 10-17, 2026. Schedule shipped artwork for pickup (arranged by artist) by January 14, 2026. Dates are subject to change slightly, with updates communicated via email. Notification emails may be aggressively filtered; results will also be posted on the exhibits page. Insurance: Works are insured by Manifest while on gallery premises against theft, vandalism, and damage by patrons or staff. Insurance does not cover shipping damage, damage due to inherent flaws or poor craftsmanship, or incidental damage from artist-directed presentation methods that put works at risk. Artists may be required to provide proof of value for claims. Artists are encouraged to insure works in transit. How many works should I submit? The average is 4, with no minimum required (other than one) or advantage for submitting more. Multiple options can aid the jury, and interrelated works provide context. Sale of Work: All work, unless indicated as not for sale (NFS), will be available for sale during the exhibit. Manifest Gallery retains a 30% commission on sold artwork. Artists set the sale price on the entry form, which cannot be changed. Submission Images: Manifest accepts only digital images/files for consideration. Hi-res, print-quality images will be requested for accepted works. The Gallery retains submitted images of accepted artwork and reserves the right to use them in publications and publicity; the artist retains full copyright. Images must be uploaded via the Dropbox button provided after entry form submission. Digital Format: Files must be named with artist's last name_first name_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, no smaller than 1000 pixels in any direction (approx. 13”) and 72 dpi, typically ranging from 700kb to 2mb. Images must be properly oriented, without text or borders not part of the artwork. Avoid uploading resumes, bios, etc., unless specifically requested. Essential information about entries should be in the notes section. Good photographic documentation of works is important, especially for non-traditional presentations. Video, Motion, and Interactive Entries: Submit a link to a viewable online copy (full length) AND a single representative JPEG image. Video links on the entry form should directly access content without login/password. Links must remain valid through notification of jury results. Agreement to Participate: Submitting the entry form indicates agreement with conditions, reserving jury spots, payment of entry fee, and making work available for exhibit if selected. Do not submit if you cannot follow through, double-book, or sell your work, as this impacts exhibition efforts. Postal Mail: Entry fees sent by check must be postmarked by the deadline and mailed to Manifest Creative Research Gallery, 16th Annual MANIFEST PRIZE, P.O. Box 6218, Cincinnati, OH 45206.

What is Offered

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

Requirements

Works must have been completed within the past five years (2020-2025). The winning work must be available for exhibition from early December 2025 through mid-January 2026. Entries must represent exceptional original works of visual art, design, or high craftsmanship, gallery-ready, and exhibit professional-level presentation and craftsmanship. Submission constitutes a formal agreement to provide the work for exhibit if selected.

How to Apply

Submit via the ENTRY FORM link provided on the website. Upload digital images/files using the Dropbox button after entry form submission. Pay the non-refundable entry fee ($60 for up to five entries for the final deadline) via U.S. check (postmarked by deadline) or credit card via the PayPal link provided on the page that follows the online entry form.