The Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR) announces the 2025 edition of their annual photography and visual storytelling competition: Gather: The Power of Place-based Connection. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Penn IUR invites photographers and visual storytellers from around the globe to explore how urban environments foster meaningful human interactions. This international photography contest seeks submissions that vividly capture the spirit of gathering in cities—whether spontaneous or planned, joyful or solemn, intimate or grandiose. Contestants are encouraged to depict scenes that highlight the power of urban spaces to connect people, spark ideas, build communities, and drive social transformation.
Participants are invited to share images or short videos that encapsulate urban life across diverse settings and activities. The contest embraces wide-ranging themes, such as gatherings in parks, marketplaces, public squares, sports arenas, protest demonstrations, and shared dining experiences. Each submission should reflect the essential roles these urban contexts play in building social connections and fostering human engagement. Penn IUR emphasizes originality, creativity, and the ability to convey a compelling visual narrative through photography and video submissions.
With a cash prize of $500 awarded to the grand winner, the contest also recognizes exceptional works with honorable mentions. The monetary prize not only provides recognition to photographers but also highlights the contest’s commitment to supporting creative storytelling that illuminates urban social dynamics. The deadline to enter the Gather: The Power of Place-based Connection photo contest is April 15, 2025. Winners and honorable mentions will be selected by a prestigious jury of art and urban experts affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania.
Submissions can be made either by posting on Instagram or via email directly to Penn IUR, making it simple and accessible for participants worldwide. There are no entry fees for this contest, allowing broader participation and appealing especially to those photographers looking for free photo contests to showcase their work. Given its accessibility, thematic relevance, and ease of participation, the Gather photo contest represents a valuable opportunity for photographers passionate about urban storytelling. Gather: The Power of Place-based Connection can stand out among the best photo challenges online due to its thoughtful exploration of urban community themes and ease of participation.
The Gather: The Power of Place-based Connection Prizes
The Gather: The Power of Place-based Connection photo contest offers recognition and a meaningful cash award, providing valuable exposure within the urban research and photographic community. The awards are highly regarded for their thematic significance, offering participants acknowledgment from leading urban researchers and visual art experts.
- Grand Prize: $500 USD awarded to one standout submission that best captures the theme of urban place-based connection.
- Honorable Mentions: Additional selected works will receive recognition and exposure through Penn IUR’s media channels.
Winning entries will be broadly featured, offering professional visibility and enhancing the winner’s profile within the photographic and urban studies communities.
Gather: The Power of Place-based Connection Dates and Entry Fees
The timeline and key details for participation are clearly outlined below, ensuring photographers can plan accordingly.
- Submission Deadline: April 15, 2025
- Judging Period: Late April to May 2025
- Winner Announcement: Expected by May–June 2025
- Entry Fees: No fees; participation is completely free.
Photographers can submit up to three entries via Instagram or email, enhancing ease of participation.
About the Jury
The jury for the contest includes distinguished figures from the University of Pennsylvania with expertise in visual arts, urban studies, and community engagement. The panel comprises:
- Jamie Diamond, Senior Lecturer, Fine Arts, UPenn Weitzman School of Design
- Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, Faculty Director, Arthur Ross Gallery
- Aaron Levy, Director of Health Humanities Initiatives, Penn Medicine; Senior Lecturer, History of Art and English, UPenn; Executive Director, Public Trust
- Rebecca Popowsky, Wilks Family Director, Ian L. McHarg Center for Urbanism and Ecology
Why Enter Gather: The Power of Place-based Connection?
Participating in the Gather: The Power of Place-based Connection contest provides photographers and visual storytellers an excellent opportunity to showcase their work, particularly for those interested in urban and conceptual photography contests. Entrants will engage with the theme of urban community building, gaining exposure among an influential network of urban researchers, academics, and visual artists associated with the University of Pennsylvania. Moreover, the contest’s absence of entry fees makes it accessible to photographers of all backgrounds and experience levels.
The recognition from Penn IUR and the chance to have one’s work featured prominently across various platforms can meaningfully support a photographer’s career and artistic portfolio. Additionally, photographers have an opportunity to contribute to an essential conversation on how cities facilitate meaningful social connections in an increasingly digital and isolated world.
Rules and Copyright
This section about the rules and image rights of the Gather: The Power of Place-based Connection has been generated automatically. If you are interested in participating in this contest we suggest you review the complete rules provided by the contest.
Contest Rules
- Entrants can submit a maximum of three photos or videos (videos should be 1 minute or less).
- All submissions must be original, created solely by the photographer, and not AI-generated. Basic editing such as cropping or color adjustments is permitted.
- Photographers acknowledge their submissions do not violate copyrights or intellectual property rights.
Copyright and Usage
- Entrants retain all copyrights of their submitted images.
- By entering, photographers grant Penn IUR and its affiliates an unrestricted, perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to use, publish, display, and reproduce submitted works with attribution.
- Prize winnings are considered taxable income, and applicable U.S. taxes will be deducted regardless of nationality.
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