Calling all Photographers! CALL FOR ENTRY for
Reformation: Transforming the Reformatory A Photography Exhibit of Preston Castle

Juried and curated by Becky Jaffe and coordinated by Marge Levy

You are warmly invited to submit your photos of Preston Castle to the first ever photography exhibit inside the castle. Together, we will transform the historic reformatory into an art museum. How can your artistic lens open our eyes to this complex space? Show us your unique vision! We want to see your narrative-rich images, your re-storying, your visual and social empathy, your love of the derelict and the abandoned, your eye for history’s poetry, your artistic homages to the wards and staff who lived and worked there when it was in operation from 1894 to 1960, and your admiration for the bats who have ironically inherited the castle. Wild photographic creativity encouraged.

Important Dates:

Exhibit dates: April 5th – August 30th, 2025
Entry Deadline: February 15th, 2025
Notification of Selected Works: March 3rd, 2025
Artists either ship work to Preston Castle (please email us for the delivery address) or deliver ready-to-hang work in person to one of three sites on: March 24th, 2025 from 10 AM to 1 PM.

1)  Preston Castle in Ione
2)  A drop-off site in Oakland (address details provided upon notification of

selection)
3)  A drop-off site in Danville (address details provided upon notification o f

selection)

Opening Reception: April 5th, 2025 from 2 to 4 PM,
Closing Reception: August 30th, 2025 from 2 to 4 PM
Please note that exhibiting artists and one guest each will be admitted free, while all additional attendees pay $15 for the opening and closing receptions.

Pick up unsold prints: at the end of the closing reception or on August 31st from 10 AM to 1 PM at the Preston Castle, or by arrangement. Please indicate in your emailed submission if you would like to donate any unsold prints to the Preston Castle Foundation for permanent exhibition and/or auction.

Submitting your work:

All work must be the original work of the artist and created at Preston Castle; Photo-based digital and analog collages are allowed, as are double exposures, as is AI if it is identified as such. All photographic techniques are welcome, especially those that were prominent during the time Preston Castle was in operation, from 1894 to 1960;

Email up to 6 digital files to PrestonCastlePhotoExhibit2025@gmail.com in the following format: 72 dpi; image width less than 1200 pixels on the longer side; LastName_FirstName_Title.jpg;
In the body of your email, please include your name, titles of images submitted, photographic process/medium, dimensions and price;

Accepted artists will be asked to submit an artists’ statement and bio;
All work must be delivered ready-to-hang, with wire on the back of the frame. Vintage frames that reflect the time period when the Preston Castle was in operation are encouraged; unframed work is also an option if the aesthetic works well in the space (e.g., if the image is printed on rusted metal); contact curator to discuss;
Please be aware that the Castle is not climate controlled, and your prints will be unprotected from our flying residents, the bats. They are present at night throughout the tour season and are not housebroken.
Artists receive 50% of sales; the Preston Castle Foundation receives 50%. All artists will receive a tax donation receipt for the 50% received by PCF for the sale of their print(s).
Entry Fee: 3 images for $35 and additional images for $5 each, up to 6 images total
Please submit your entry fee here (https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/prestoncastle/items/588401/calendar/?flow=no&full-items=yes) and then email your images to Becky Jaffe at PrestonCastlePhotoExhibit2025@gmail.com
Artists retain all rights to their images.

Thank you for participating in the first ever photography exhibit inside the castle! We look forward to seeing your unique vision.