The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is pleased to announce the establishment of the VMFA Aaron Siskind Award for excellence in contemporary photography.
This award celebrates Aaron Siskind’s artistic legacy, supports the practice of photography as a vital means of creative expression, and honors the role that the Aaron Siskind Foundation played in supporting photographers through the Individual Photographer’s Fellowship.
This award is intended to support early- to mid-career artists as well as established photographers who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to their practice but may not yet have received significant critical recognition.
Two artists will each receive an unrestricted prize of $25,000.
This material support is meant to enable photographers to complete a meaningful body of work—whether the continuation or finalization of a photographic series; the development of an exhibition, monograph, or book project; or another major creative endeavor.
2025 Timeline
- Applications Open: July 1, 2025
- Applications Close: September 1, 2025
- Applicants Notified: The first week of November 2025
- Link to application coming soon!
Eligibility
The VMFA Aaron Siskind Award for Photography is open to United States citizens and permanent residents who are at least 18 years of age and for whom photography is a primary vocation.
We invite entries from artists working with still, photo-based media.
Adjudication
Applications will be evaluated by a panel of distinguished professionals in the field of photography and the visual arts.
The prize winners will be selected based on the strength of their artistic vision, the quality and significance of their proposed projects, and their contribution to the broader field of contemporary photography.
Notification
All applicants will be notified of their award status during the first week of November 2025.
All award recipients must complete a Commonwealth of Virginia W-9 form to be entered into the state’s payment system. Award funds will be dispersed by check in January 2026.
The award recipients will be asked to grant VMFA a non-exclusive license to reproduce at least three (3) works for press and publicity purposes. Recipients must also submit a summary report of how the award supported their creative work within 18 months of receiving it.
How to Apply
The application portal will open on July 1, 2025, and will automatically close on September 1, 2025, at 11:59 pm EST. Applications not received by the deadline will not be considered.
There is no application fee.
The online application will be hosted by Picter. To create a free Picter account, click here. If you already have an existing account, you can login here.
For technical assistance, visit the Picter Help Center or email the Picter Support Team at support@picter.com.
For general questions, please email siskindfellowship@vmfa.museum.
Guidelines
Please see the VMFA Aaron Siskind Award for Photography open call posted on the Picter Contests webpage for a complete list of guidelines and FAQs.
Applicants must provide:
- Basic profile information including name, contact info, etc.
- A CV covering the applicant’s professional background including training, exhibitions, awards, and publications
-
An artist statement (up to 1500 words) describing the project, series, or body of work the award will support
- A portfolio of 10 to 15 images
Images must be at least 3,000 pixels on the longest side and saved as JPG files. Other file types such as TIFF, PNG, and PSD are not permissible.
A book maquette (PDF file only) may be submitted as one of the images.
All images must have been created in the past seven (7) years (2018–present).