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Description

The Bronx Issue: Open Call Guidelines
Application Opens: December 3, 2024
Application Deadline: January 3, 2025 @ 11:59pm 

DESCRIPTION: 

En Foco invites Bronx-based photographers and writers to submit their work for inclusion in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of Nueva Luz: The Bronx Issue. This special edition will spotlight the vibrant and diverse photographic community that thrives in the Bronx. To be considered, submissions must include works suitable for print reproduction. The deadline for submissions is Friday, January 3, 2025, at 11:59 pm. 

First published in 1985, Nueva Luz is a biannual publication that showcases contemporary photographers alongside essays by cultural writers. Over the years, it has become a valuable cultural, social, and political resource—an evolving collection of voices from diverse backgrounds that inspires artists, curators, academics, activists, and social historians alike.

The Bronx Issue will mark the 40th anniversary of Nueva Luz by honoring the dynamic photographic landscape of the Bronx—a borough that has embraced and nurtured En Foco and its creative community. 

This opportunity will: 

  • Feature the works of 5 selected photographers and 2 new essays by writers who either live or have a studio practice based in the Bronx in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of Nueva Luz: The Bronx Issue. 

  • Award participating artists with a $200 honorarium for their participation in the Publication. 

  • Include all selected participants in the En Foco Archives and Nueva Luz Study Center. 

WHO CAN APPLY

  • Photographers of Latino, African, Asian American heritage, and Native Peoples of the Americas and Pacific Islanders.
  • Applying Artists MUST be a Bronx resident or have a studio practice based in the Bronx for the past year at the time of submission and must show proof of residency.
  • Must be at least 18 years of age.
  • Collaborating photographers are eligible to apply, BUT only one photographer can submit the application.
  • Photography for consideration must represent work completed after 2021.

WHO CAN NOT APPLY

  • Graduate or undergraduate students matriculated in fine art and/or photography degree programs at the time of application submission.
  • En Foco’s Board members and staff are ineligible to apply.
  • Artists who do not currently reside or have a studio practice based in the Bronx. 

PANEL PROCESS
Artists will be selected based exclusively on the excellence and quality of the work submitted. All work will be reviewed by panelists selected from a pool of photography and photography-related professions, such as photographers, curators, critics, and collectors. For every opportunity En Foco engages new panelists to ensure a fresh perspective in the review process. En Foco’s Board of Directors will review the panel recommendations to ensure the integrity of the process and formally approve the selected artists. 

NOTIFICATION
Selected Artists will be notified via email. En Foco seeks to select 5 photographers to have their work featured in the next issue of Nueva Luz, The Bronx Issue. Selected artists will also receive an honorarium of $200 for their participation in the publication. Featured artists will also receive complimentary issues of the publication at the time of release. 

 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  1. Create an account with Submittable.com.
  2. A written description (no more than 300 words). Describe specific aspects of your work practices, such as subject matter, context, content, location, and personal relevance of the work you submitted.
  3. A one-page resume & 150-word biography.
  4. A 200-word artist statement.
  5. 5-7 images (5 images are required, an additional 2 are optional). Follow the sizing guidelines. *We highly recommend that the works submitted are from a series, but it is not a requirement to submit.*
  6. Headshot (300 dpi jpeg only).

WHO CAN APPLY

  • Writers of Latino, African, Asian American heritage, and Native Peoples of the Americas and Pacific Islanders.
  • Applying writers MUST be a Bronx resident or have a studio practice based in the Bronx for the past year at the time of submission and must show proof of residency.
  • Must be at least 18 years of age.
  • Collaborating writers are eligible to apply, BUT only one writer can submit the application.

WHO CAN NOT APPLY

  • Graduate or undergraduate students matriculated in degree programs at the time of application submission.
  • En Foco’s Board members and staff are ineligible to apply.
  • Applicants who do not currently reside or have a studio practice based in the Bronx. 

PANEL PROCESS
Writers will be selected based exclusively on the excellence and quality of the work submitted. All written materials will be reviewed by panelists selected from a pool of photography and photography-related professions, such as curators, critics, and collectors. For every opportunity En Foco engages new panelists to ensure a fresh perspective in the review process. En Foco’s Board of Directors will review the panel recommendations to ensure the integrity of the process and formally approve the selected artists. 

NOTIFICATION
Selected applicants will be notified via email. En Foco seeks to select 2 Essayists to have their work featured in the next issue of Nueva Luz, The Bronx Issue. Selected essayists will be asked to write a new essay for the publication that is centered around both photography and the Bronx (1,250 words maximum). Selected artists will also receive an honorarium of $200 for their participation in the publication. Featured essayists will also receive complimentary issues of the publication at the time of release. 

 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  1. Create an account with Submittable.com
  2. A 100-word artist statement.
  3. A one-page resume & 150-word biography.
  4. A written outline of your proposed essay (no more than 300 words). This is not a section from or your entire essay. Selected artists will be asked to create written work relevant to the Bronx Issue after having been accepted.
  5. 2 previously written work samples, no more than 4 pages each.
  6. Headshot (300 dpi jpeg only).

OPEN CALL

En Foco invites Bronx-based photographers and writers to submit their work for inclusion in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of Nueva Luz: The Bronx Issue. This special edition will spotlight the vibrant and diverse photographic community that thrives in the Bronx. To be considered, submissions must include works suitable for print reproduction. The deadline for submissions is Friday, January 3, 2025, at 11:59 pm.

If you have questions about the OPEN CALL  pease contact: [email protected]

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