The Five State Photography Exhibition is a juried, competitive exhibition open to any photographer living in Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Colorado.
This is an annual project, and last year, in 2025, 648 photos were submitted, with 150 selected for exhibition.
The juror will award a total of $1,500 in cash across the three categories: Nature, People, and Open.
The Five State Photo exhibition is always the anchor of the Winter Art Walk, and will be at the Hays Public Library Schmidt Gallery for the 2026 exhibition run.
SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN
Deadline: October 23rd.
42nd Annual Five State Photography Exhibition
Juror's Statement & Awards
Nature
$200 Cash Award – James Smith, Meadowlark Wings, Hays, KS
$125 Cash Award – Kellie Carter, Watching You, Watching Me, Newcastle, OK
$100 Cash Award – Audrey Powles, Veil of Grass, Gaze of Fire, Bingham, NE
$75 Cash Award – Heather Brantman, Creek Bed, Westwood, KS
People
$200 Cash Award – Jenna Scofield, Elegance, Norton, KS
$125 Cash Award – Jerry Burnett Olschki, Your Move, Kansas City, MO
$100 Cash Award – Marciana Vequist, Immersion, Lawrence, KS
$75 Cash Award – Ivan Veldhuizen, Thinking, Overland Park, KS
OPEN
$200 Cash Award – Linda Hamlin, Flamboyance, Winfield, KS
$125 Cash Award – Daniela Salinas, Peace and Fame Within the Frame, Hays, KS
$100 Cash Award – Kathleen Kuchar, Crystal Bridges, Hays, KS
$75 Cash Award – Johanna Walker, Lay Me Down to Sleep, Franklin KS
Juror's Merit Awards (honorable Mention)
Sharon Burris, Laundry Day, Italy, Ardmore, OK
James Claassen, It's November. Survived another day, Meade, KS
Bill Dooley, Intrigue, Shawnee KS
Krista Ivey, Glimpse, Victoria KS
Krista Ivey, Expectation, Victoria KS
Jerry Burnett Olschki, Reflection, from Kansas City, MO
Ingrid Palmore, Red White and Blue, Pleasant Hill, MO
Jolynn Reed, Days in Rodanthe, Oklahoma City, OK
Kelly Smith, City Hall Station, NYC, Wichita, KS
James Smith, Meadowlark at Sunset, from Hays, KS
Randy Watkins, Banned Owlet, Cushing, OK
Randy Watkins, The Catch, Cushing, OK
Our Five State Partners
