Decagon Gallery 2026–27: «The Room Next Door» and «What the Streets Hold» Photo Awards
US photography exhibition platform Decagon Gallery is running two juried international calls with markedly different themes and separate submission calendars. The Room Next Door closes 15 December 2026; What the Streets Hold closes 15 January 2027. Both cutoffs are at 11:59 p.m. US Eastern Time. Each call accepts photographers worldwide and advertises US$1,000 in total cash awards, US$25 for the first one to four photographs and US$5 for each additional image. These are independently judged opportunities, not one combined contest.
The Room Next Door: seeing just beyond the frame
Juror Dr Susan Bright, an internationally active photographic curator and art historian, is looking for images where doorways, windows, reflections, thresholds and neighbouring lives imply something the frame withholds. Documentary, constructed, conceptual and experimental approaches may qualify. Entrants should avoid explaining away every ambiguity: the challenge is visual storytelling at the border of what can be seen. This call closes 15 December 2026, and notification is expected 1 January 2027, followed by online exhibition from 10 January to 10 March.
What the Streets Hold: unnoticed human experience
This later call, judged by Decagon curator and artistic director Teona Machavariani, invites street photographs in stations, markets, neighbourhoods, transit and any place people temporarily share. Rather than concentrating only on spectacular moments, it seeks quiet, ordinary interactions or traces of human presence that suggest an untold story. It closes 15 January 2027, with notification on 1 February and an online show planned from 10 February to 10 April 2027. Photographers should ensure lawful, ethical portrayal of recognisable people.
Awards, upload and organiser history
In each call, the US$1,000 total is divided into a US$500 first prize, US$250 second, US$150 third and two US$50 honourable mentions. It is not US$1,000 per accepted artist. A separate non-cash Human Presence recognition offers a future free entry. Both calls specify original JPEG files 2,100 pixels along the long side, no watermark or border, and creator-controlled copyright with exhibition and promotional permissions granted to the gallery. Decagon publishes galleries and catalogues of past shows; entry fees do not ensure that every applicant will be displayed. Verify rules on the correct dedicated page before paying for each call.
Official application and organisers
Research checked 23 October 2026. Please verify deadlines, fees, licensing and entry conditions directly with the organiser before submitting.