UNBOUND! IS IN ITS FIFTEENTH YEAR!
SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN FOR 2026
SUBMISSIONS OPEN THROUGH MARCH 13, 2026
UnBound15! will be on view online and in person at Candela Gallery,
from July 1 - August 8, 2026.
Candela Gallery is excited to announce UnBound15!
This summer group exhibition, held in Richmond, VA, is the only open call exhibition Candela Gallery offers each year. It is dedicated to featuring a wide range of photographic artworks and artists books from 40-50 fine art photographers. UnBound! generates opportunities and exposure beyond the traditional group or juried show by providing collection and funding opportunities for artists.
THERE IS NO FEE TO SUBMIT TO UNBOUND!
We work hard to keep fees off of the submission process. Our hope is that photographers will choose to support our UnBound! exhibition with their active participation, just as we hope to support their work and careers in return.
GIVING
For artists who’ve previously felt the UnBound! love, or for those with the means to redirect a budgeted submission fee, we encourage you to support UnBound! however you can. With funds raised throughout the exhibition, we acquire works from exhibition for the Candela Collection and offer honorariums to 1-2 artists for solo exhibition features at Candela.
The Full Candela Collection
See what we have acquired from years of UnBound! exhibitions, with the hope of one day donating the pieces to a notable permanent collection.
The UnBound! Archive
Take a look at all of the works on view since the first UnBound! exhibition in 2012.
Important Dates: UnBound15!
Monday, February 2nd, 2026: UnBound15! Submissions Open
Friday, March 13th, 2026: UnBound15! Submissions Deadline
Wednesday, April 1st, 2026: Accepted Applicants Notified
Friday, June 19th, 2026: Participating Artist Delivery Deadline
Wednesday, July 1st, 2026: UnBound15! Show Opening
Saturday, August 1st, 2026: UnBound15! Fundraising Party
Saturday, August 8th, 2026: UnBound15! Show Final Day
August-September, 2026: Work Returned to Participating Artists
Before You Submit:
UnBound! is a celebration of the photographic work; while we are certainly loose in this interpretation, please only submit work that is photographic in origin.
All accepted artists will have their finished artworks on view and available for purchase at Candela Gallery.
Candela gallery will retain a 50% sales commission from the sale of artworks, and a 40% commission for artist’s books.
The Breakdown:
We encourage you to submit up to four phptographic works or photo books in your application. There is no theme for the exhibition other than the use of photography. Your submission may include four standalone works or can inform one another as part of a series. This is really up to what you think is the best use of those four slots.
Submissions for UnBound15! open Monday, February 2, 2026
and close Friday, March 13, 2026 at 11:59 EST.
Please make sure any image files are formatted as JPG at 1500px on their longest side, and are no larger than 10MB in size.
Please name all files using the following naming convention: LastName.FirstName_TitleOfWork.jpg. This helps us locate and consider your submitted images easily among thousands of other images.
If the name of your piece is lengthy, please select a few distinct words from the title to identify your file
(it should coincide with the information you provide in your form).Ex: John Doe’s “Midnight in Paris Under the Waning Crescent” could look something like “Doe.John_MidnightInParis.jpg”
Access the submission form via the submission button below.
Complete your form, ensuring information is as accurate and up-to-date as possible.
Submit the form - you should receive a confirmation email.
Accepted applicants should hear back about their work by Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Be sure to review the important dates and next steps for participating artists below.
SUBMIT TO UNBOUND15!
Participating Artists:
If your work has been chosen, you should receive a confirmation of acceptance by Wednesday, April 1st, 2026.
We will ask for high resolution files of your image(s) so that we may use them for marketing and information materials for the exhibition.
Candela reserves the right to not exhibit work that is significantly misrepresented during the submission process.
Work that has been accepted should be presentation ready when it arrives at the gallery (signed, framed, ready to hang).
Candela gallery will retain a 50% sales commission of the retail price from the sale of artworks, and a 40% commission for artist’s books, with the exception of works acquired for the Candela Collection.
All funds raised throughout the course of the exhibition will be used to purchase work for the Candela Collection or provide honorariums.