Our Ozarks

Shiloh Museum Digital Photography Contest

We’re celebrating America 250 in a big way, including a photo contest that celebrates the Ozarks! Titled Our Ozarks, we’re looking for photos that show life in the Ozarks from January 1, 2020, to present. How do you celebrate the Ozarks? What about it do you love? We’re excited to see what you come up with! Prizes will be awarded for the top three entries, and four photos from each county will be exhibited for our big America 250 celebration in July!

The contest begins January 1, 2026, and runs through 11:59 p.m. March 1, 2026. Winners will be announced March 15, 2026. By entering, participants agree to these contest rules:

Contest Rules

Eligibility

The contest is open to individuals age 16 or older who live, or have lived, in Benton, Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton, or Washington counties. Entrants under 18 must provide signed consent from a parent or guardian. The consent form for entrants under 18 years of age can be downloaded here.

Photo Entry Requirements

Submit up to three original photographs taken in one of the six counties since January 1, 2020, depicting daily life and scenes in the Ozarks.

• Cropped photos are permitted.
• Digitally enhanced or altered images are not accepted. Entries suspected of being altered may be disqualified at the judges’ discretion.
• Photos featuring recognizable individuals require a model release (parental/guardian consent for minors) to be submitted upon request. Keep the signed release for your records. Entries without a valid release will be disqualified.
• Images showing others’ copyrighted artwork (like sculpture, painting, etc.) may require a release from the rights holder, provided on request. These works must appear as part of the local environment, not as close-up images of the artwork alone.
• Photos that have previously won major contests, as determined by the Shiloh Museum, are not eligible.
• Entries must not infringe on the rights of others (including copyright).
• Images containing explicit, nude, violent, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate content, as determined by the Shiloh Museum, are ineligible.
• The Shiloh Museum may crop submitted photos as needed.

Submission Guidelines

• You may submit up to three (3) photos; no more than one (1) photo per entrant can be named winner or finalist.
• Photos must be JPEG files, at least 300 dpi. High-quality scans of prints are allowed.
• Entries must be submitted online. No mailed entries accepted, and only one entrant per email address.
• Finalists may need to provide the original, unedited digital file or the original print/negative/slide, which will be returned.
• Incomplete or incorrectly submitted entries may be disqualified.
• Photographers retain rights to their images but, by entering, grant the Shiloh Museum a royalty-free, worldwide license to use, reproduce, display, and create derivative works from submitted photos for promotional, educational, or commercial purposes. Credit will be given where feasible. No further compensation or approval is required for these uses.

Deadline

All entries must be submitted by March 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM Central Daylight Time.

Judging

Entries will be reviewed for creativity, originality, and quality by Shiloh Museum staff and invited judges.

Winners will be announced March 15, 2026, via Museum social media, news release, and e-newsletter. Winners will be notified privately before any public announcement. If additional documentation is required, failure to respond within five business days may result in disqualification.

Please do not contact the museum for updates on entries or judging.