(The following press release was provided verbatim by Arcadian Gallery)
The Arcadian Gallery announced that the Call for Entries is now open for the Appalachian Nature Art & Photography Competition & Exhibition, a juried regional competition celebrating nature across Appalachia.
Artists and photographers age 18 and older who reside in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, or West Virginia are eligible to enter. There are over $2,000 in prizes.
Eligible submissions include two-dimensional artwork and photography depicting nature in Appalachia—landscapes, plants, wildlife, and other natural subjects. While eligibility is limited to residents of the four-state region, entries may portray nature from any Appalachian state.
The competition will be juried by Terry Miller (art) and Steven David Johnson (photography). Miller is an accomplished graphite artist whose work, Icebound—a fox in the snow—won Best of Show at the Arcadian Gallery’s American Wildlife Art Competition & Exhibition in 2025. He is a Distinguished Member of the Society of Animal Artists and a Master Artist of the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin. Johnson is known for vivid Appalachian imagery ranging from intimate macro scenes to wildlife behavior, and he is a longtime advocate for conservation. His photography has appeared in Wildlife Photographer of the Year, National Wildlife Magazine, Nature Conservancy Magazine, and many other places. He is a Professor of Visual Communications at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
“A strong juried competition depends on jurors like Terry and Steven who have deep credibility in their fields, both as visual artists and as people with a deep understanding of conservation and natural science,” said Christopher Sloan, Director of the Arcadian Gallery and former Art Director of National Geographic Magazine. “We also know entrants care who is doing the judging. Being evaluated by respected peers is often what motivates artists and photographers to submit their best work.”
Selected works will be exhibited in person at the Arcadian Gallery in downtown Cumberland. The gallery said the competition is intended to attract high-quality regional work, provide meaningful exposure for artists and photographers, and bring visitors to Cumberland as part of ongoing downtown revitalization efforts.
Key Dates
• Call for Entries Opens: January 20, 2026
• Entry Deadline: April 7, 2026
• Opening Reception: Friday, May 15, 2026
• Exhibition Dates: May 15 – June 20, 2026
How to Enter
Artists and photographers can enter the competition through the Arcadian Gallery’s website at arcadiangallery.com by selecting the Appalachian Nature Art & Photography panel on the homepage. This links to complete guidelines and submission instructions.
Questions should be directed to the Arcadian Gallery by calling 240-916-8840 or emailing [email protected].
