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The 16th Open Art Competition by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery 2026 returns with a simple premise that gives photographers considerable freedom: no theme and no prescribed subject matter. This international online call accepts photography and digital work alongside other 2D and 3D media, with entries closing on November 27, 2026. The Best in Show artist receives $100, while selected work becomes part of the gallery’s December online exhibition. If you track top photography competitions to plan your season, this one keeps the broad open-theme format of previous editions.
Photographers can submit representational or abstract work across any subject. Early registration runs through October 1, with discounted fees of $16 for 1–2 entries or $24 for 3–5; standard fees are $18 and $26 respectively, with separate student pricing available. Results and the online exhibition are scheduled for December 1, 2026.
The award structure combines an Overall Top 12 with media-specific placements, Honorable Mentions, Special Merit and Special Recognition distinctions. The top 12 artists also receive additional publicity through online news distribution and the gallery’s promotional channels. For photographers comparing open theme photography contests, the central feature here remains the absence of subject restrictions while photography competes within a broader multi-media exhibition.
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Prizes
The prize structure highlights artists both across the exhibition as a whole and within individual media categories, including Photography & Digital. The #1 Overall artist is named Best in Show and receives $100, paid through PayPal.
The Overall Top 12 artists are selected from the different media categories. These artists receive promotion through hundreds of news outlets, including distribution associated with Google News and Bing News, together with gallery email, event and social media promotion, links to their websites, digital award certificates, ribbons, event postcards and press releases.
Within each media category, the gallery awards 1st through 5th place plus five Honorable Mentions. Special Merit and Special Recognition awards provide further opportunities for selected work to be acknowledged. Winning work is presented in the December 2026 online exhibition, with the exhibition subsequently archived. For photographers looking for cash prizes alongside exhibition opportunities, the Open Art Competition by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery combines both forms of recognition.
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Categories or Themes
This is a no-theme call, so there are no separate subject categories. Photography & Digital is one of the eligible media categories, and photographers may submit work on any subject, including representational or abstract images.
Dates and Entry Fees
The Open Art Competition by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery 2026 edition runs from late August through December, with discounted registration available during the first part of the submission period.
| Key Date | Event |
|---|---|
| August 29, 2026 | Competition opens |
| October 1, 2026 | Early registration and discounted fees end |
| November 27, 2026 | Final deadline for submissions |
| December 1, 2026 | Results emailed and published; online exhibition opens |
Entry fees are structured by the number of works submitted:
- Early registration through October 1, 2026:
- $16 for 1–2 entries
- $24 for 3–5 entries
- Standard entry fees:
- $18 for 1–2 entries
- $26 for 3–5 entries
- Student rate for artists registered with Submittable using an EDU email extension:
- $14 for 1–2 entries
- $22 for 3–5 entries
Entry fees include New Mexico Gross Receipts Tax where applicable and are non-refundable.
How to Enter
Entries are submitted through the gallery’s Submittable platform. Files must be JPGs, no larger than 5MB, with a minimum of 1,000 pixels on the longest side, 72 dpi resolution and the highest-quality JPG setting. Images should not include frames or watermarks. There is no overall limit on the number of works an artist may enter, so additional submissions can be made when needed.
About the Jury
The competition is judged by Chris and Valerie Hoffman, who bring different perspectives to the selection process. Chris Hoffman is an award-winning artist with more than 20 years of professional painting experience, while Valerie Hoffman works in art marketing, with a focus on helping emerging artists promote their work. Other art professionals may also assist with the judging.
For this open-theme edition, the most relevant published judging criteria are creativity and originality, quality of composition and overall design, and the overall impression made by the work. Presentation also matters: the gallery notes that poor image quality, watermarks, visible framing or incomplete submission materials can affect whether an entry is selected.
Why Enter 16th Open Art Competition by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery?
For photographers, the distinguishing feature is the combination of a genuinely unrestricted subject brief with a defined Photography & Digital media category. Work is considered within a wider art competition, but media-specific placements mean photography is not dependent solely on the Overall Top 12 for recognition. The December exhibition, archived presentation and publicity attached to the leading awards also give selected photographers material that can remain accessible beyond the announcement date.
Unlike a narrowly themed call, photographers do not need to produce or locate work that fits a specific subject. If you are mapping out more photography challenges and awards for the season, the 16th Open Art Competition by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery can be considered alongside other open theme photography contests, while its published judging criteria provide more information than a simple award list about how submissions are considered.
Rules and Copyright
We reviewed the official rules of the 16th Open Art Competition by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery to summarize the key participation requirements, copyright terms and image usage conditions. Before entering, we recommend checking the complete rules published by the organizer.
Rules
The competition is international and open to artists aged 18 and older working in eligible 2D and 3D media. Photography and digital art are accepted, while video is excluded. There is no limit to the total number of images an artist may submit, although the relevant fee applies to each submission. Work previously shown on the Light Space & Time website may not be resubmitted, and entry fees are non-refundable.
Submitted JPG files must meet the gallery’s size and presentation requirements. The rules also state that incomplete or poorly prepared submission materials can affect selection, and the gallery may resize, crop or color-correct selected images when needed for presentation.
Copyright and Image Usage
Artists retain copyright and ownership of submitted images. Under the competition rules, artwork selected for an exhibition may be used for display, marketing and promotional purposes connected with that exhibition and future Light Space & Time exhibitions, including press releases, presentations, graphics, slideshows, event materials and the gallery website. The rules also state that selected work may remain in the gallery archive for five years.
The gallery’s general Terms of Service contain broader wording, authorizing uploaded work to be displayed on the site and competition entries to remain available for posterity as part of its historical record. The terms continue to state that artists retain their rights to supplied images, and the competition rules state that Light Space & Time does not resell or exchange those images.
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For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
