The Open Road: Endless Horizons

The International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum (IPHF) is a St. Louis institution that honors the medium's most influential practitioners and runs exhibitions and competitions open to photographers worldwide. "The Open Road: Endless Horizons" is its themed call marking the 100th anniversary of Route 66, America's iconic "Mother Road."

The brief asks photographers to reflect on the enduring spirit of the road as a symbol of history, movement, and possibility — wanderlust, resilience, and discovery — interpreted in their own environments anywhere in the world, not just along Route 66 itself.

Selected works are presented in an online exhibition at iphf.org. Awards are Grand Prize $1,000, First Place $500, Second Place $250, and Third Place $100, with one prize per person. The jury is Susan Hacker Stang, a photographer and educator; Shellee Graham, a photographer and Route 66 ambassador; and Jim Ross, a Route 66 historian.

Eligibility is international for artists 18 and older. Work must be two-dimensional photography from traditional or digital processes, original, and never before exhibited at IPHF or on its website. Three-dimensional work and photographs created primarily with or significantly altered by generative AI are not eligible.

Entry is via CaFÉ (CallForEntry.org). The first three images are free for IPHF Photographer's Circle members and above; non-members pay $35 for the first three, with additional images $10 each up to ten total. The deadline is June 21, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CDT.