---
title: SOMETHING LIKE JOY
description: >-
  International juried photography competition on unexpected joy, juried by
  Aline Smithson. $500 first prize plus a curated online exhibition at
  Brooklyn's Decagon Gallery.
url: 'https://www.artsume.com/programs/11cc783e-15fc-42da-8ff5-51744745b408'
type: program
status: closed
createdAt: '2026-09-03'
updatedAt: '2026-09-16'
programType: Prize/award
organization: Decagon Gallery
organizationUrl: 'https://www.artsume.com/o/decagon-gallery'
deadline: '2026-09-15'
entryFee: 25 USD
location: Brooklyn
isOnline: true
compensationRange: >-
  First Place: $500 plus a solo exhibition on the gallery's website; Second
  Place: $250; Third Place: $150; Two Honorable Mentions: $50 each; Human
  Presence Nomination: free entry to a future Decagon open call
disciplines:
  - photography
---

# SOMETHING LIKE JOY

**Hosted by:** Decagon Gallery

**Type:** Prize/award | **Location:** Brooklyn | **Deadline:** September 15, 2026 | **Entry fee:** $25

## About This Program

> "Joy — the happiness that catches you off guard: delight, warmth, wonder or beauty in the world as it actually is"

THE HAPPINESS THAT CATCHES YOU OFF GUARD. Not the easy kind. Not the posed smile or the perfect moment. We're talking about the joy that surprises you — that shows up in an ordinary afternoon, in a stranger's face, in light falling just right on something nobody else noticed. Something Like Joy invites photographers to submit work that finds delight, warmth, wonder, or beauty in the world as it actually is.

Big celebrations and quiet moments are equally welcome. So is the complicated happiness that comes after hardship — the laugh through tears, the small victory, the unexpected gift. All photographic processes and experience levels are welcome. Juror: Aline Smithson. Selected photographers are included in a curated online exhibition with a permanent exhibition page, an Instagram feature and inclusion in the printed catalog.

## Eligibility & Requirements

- **Geographic Eligibility:** International
- **Disciplines:** photography
- **Age Requirements:** 18+ years old
- **Note:** Open to photographers worldwide, 18 years and older. All photographic processes, styles and experience levels welcome. Location eligibility: International. Eligible applicant types: Artist. Submission limit: 1.

### Additional Requirements

Submit 4 to 10 images that capture the essence of the "SOMETHING LIKE JOY" theme (text states maximum 8 images per submission). Format: JPEG or JPG, minimum 2100 pixels on the longest side, without any text, watermarks, borders, or frames. Entry fee $25 for up to 4 images, $5 for each additional image. Submission limit: 1.

## Compensation & Benefits

First Place: $500 plus a solo exhibition on the gallery's website; Second Place: $250; Third Place: $150; Two Honorable Mentions: $50 each; Human Presence Nomination: free entry to a future Decagon open call

**Includes:** Prize

First Place: $500 plus a solo exhibition on the Decagon Gallery website. Second Place: $250. Third Place: $150. Two Honorable Mentions: $50 each. Human Presence Nomination: free entry to one future Decagon open call of the photographer's choice.

## Timeline

- **Opens:** July 1, 2026
- **Deadline:** September 15, 2026
- **Program Start:** August 7, 2029
- **Program End:** October 7, 2029

## Contact

**Email:** info@decagongallery.com

**Phone:** 657-330-1094

## How to Apply

Apply at: https://artist.callforentry.org/agreetoterms.php?ID=17794