17th Annual Fran Achen
Juried Photography Exhibition
Submissions Now Open ! ! !
Submissions Now OPEN ! ! !
Please stay tuned for the exhibition.
The Classic Returns IN its 17th edition
Call for Art:
17th Annual Fran Achen Juried Photography Exhibition
We are honored to announce the 17th iteration of the Fran Achen Juried Photography Exhibition. This landmark event showcases the enduring power of the photographic print alongside the innovation of projected digital media. By pioneering this multi-faceted approach, the Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA) continues to create an inclusive space where global and local visions meet.
The exhibition commemorates the life of Fran Achen and his positive impact on the Whitewater community as both a photographer and a high school teacher. Hosted at the Cultural Arts Center Gallery, this event celebrates Fran's legacy by helping us all see the world through fresh eyes.
Two Divisions (Salons)
Our dual-salon format reflects our medium-agnostic philosophy: we value the artist's vision regardless of how it is delivered to the viewer.
Traditional Salon (Prints)
Theme: Open
Dedicated to the enduring impact of the physical print. Accepted works are displayed in a traditional gallery setting and a global online exhibit.Digital Salon (Electronic)
Themes: Natural World, Creative/Abstract, Human Interest, Built Environment, Open/General
An electronic showcase of screen-based fine art. These entries are displayed on high-definition screens in-gallery and in a global online exhibit.
Awards & Recognition
11 Cash Awards Totaling $1,300 This year, we are proud to offer a revised award structure that reflects our core values:
Photographic Merit Awards: Our core standard. These recognize the "perfect alignment of skill and soul"—where technical mastery of light and composition meets a clear artistic vision.
Artistic Merit Awards: Including the Fran Achen and Sublime Perspective distinctions. These awards honor the heart and vision of a piece, independent of the tools used to create it. Whether captured with a lens or envisioned as a painting, these awards celebrate the story first.
Additional Honors: Salon and Category awards, Honorable Mentions, and the Public Choice Awards.
Key Dates
Submissions Open: January 17, 2026
Entry Deadline: Sunday, April 19, 2026, 11:59 PM
Notification of Acceptance: Monday, May 4, 2026
Exhibition Dates: Thursday, June 4, 2026 – Sunday, June 28, 2026
Awards Reception: Saturday, June 13, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Drop-Off (Prints): June 2 (4–6 PM) & June 3 (12–2 PM)
Pick-Up (Prints): June 28 (4–6 PM) & June 29 (4–6 PM)
Submission Information
This is a juried exhibition with separate submission procedures for each salon. Both salons are hosted on the ArtCall system. Entrants will complete an online registration, pay entry fees, and upload images to be reviewed by our jury panel.
In keeping with our philosophy of human creativity, all entries must be light-captured (film or sensor). We celebrate the artist's unique eye; therefore, generative AI is not permitted. Our goal is to showcase the human experience and the "Sublime Perspective" that only an artist can provide.
Questions?
Please see our Frequently Asked Questions Page
Contacts:
Jeff McDonald, Exhibit Chair – waa.franachen@gmail.com
Kim Adams, WAA Gallery Director – wwartsalliance@gmail.com
We look forward to seeing your incredible work and celebrating the inseparable connection between skill and soul.
Calls for Art ARE NOW opeN ! ! !
Jurors
Ashley M. Dimmig
Ashley M. Dimmig, PhD, is the Crossman Gallery Director at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. In addition to overseeing all operations of the Crossman Gallery and its permanent art collection, she also teaches art history in the Department of Art and Design.
After completing her PhD in the History of Art at the University of Michigan (2019), she worked as the interim curator of Islamic Art at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.
Additionally, Dimmig has served on a number of professional boards, she has published in various scholarly journals and edited volumes, and she has been the recipient of many awards and fellowships, including residencies at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, and the Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations in Istanbul. Dimmig also holds two Master of Art degrees (Indiana University Bloomington and Koç University in Istanbul), as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Kansas City Art Institute.
Gerald H. Emmerich, Jr.
Gerald H. Emmerich, Jr., HonPSA, GMPSA-P, has served as a judge for well over 150 international photo exhibitions and for many local camera clubs, county fairs, and non-profit groups. He joined the Photographic Society of America (PSA) in 1979 where he has received many awards, including the Peabody Award for photographic proficiency in 2003, the Erik Kissa Award for Teaching in 2016, and the Sophia Cheung Volunteer of the Year Award in 2020. He received the prestigious PSA President’s Award in 2012, the PSA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017, and Honorary Fellow (HonFPSA) honors in 2018. Gerry is also well-known for his achievements in international photography exhibitions, with over 15,400 acceptances in PSA-recognized exhibitions, including 70 gold medal or best of show awards. He was awarded the PSA Grand Master-Platinum distinction in 2023.
Michael J. Havice
Michael J. Havice, PhD, retired as a tenured faculty member in the Department of Broadcast and Electronic Communication at Marquette University, Michael has a BS degree in Secondary Education, a BA in Radio/Television, an MA in Telecommunication, and a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. Since retiring, he has cultivated his artistic photographic approach to the image, served on Art Boards, the Coalition of Photographic Arts (CoPA), Milwaukee Artists Resource Network (MARN) and Edessa School of Fashion (ESF). His work is exhibited at juried photography/art exhibitions across the United States.
Statement of Philosophy:
The Fran Achen Juried Photography Exhibition
The Legacy of the Lens
The Fran Achen Exhibition was founded on the belief that photography is a vital thread in the fabric of our community. Named in honor of a beloved local teacher and photographer, this exhibition is more than a display of images; it is a continuation of Fran’s mission to help people see the world—and one another—with fresh eyes.
The Inseparable Coin: Skill and Soul
In this exhibition, we uphold Photographic Merit as our core standard. We believe that a masterpiece is the perfect alignment of technical mastery and creative spirit. To us, the "how" and the "why" of a photograph are inseparable. A stunning composition, the perfect use of light, and the technical skill of the craft are the body of the work, but the artist’s vision is its soul. You cannot have true photographic merit without artistic merit; they are two sides of the same coin.
The Medium-Agnostic Vision
While we celebrate the history of the physical print and the innovation of the digital screen through our dual-salon format, we invite our jurors and our audience to take a medium-agnostic view of artistic value.
Artistic Merit represents a shift in perspective—the idea that a great piece of art should be experienced through its heart and vision, independent of the tools used to create it. We ask our viewers to look at the story the artist is telling and value it just as highly as if it had been rendered with a paintbrush and canvas. When we look past the surface of the medium, we find the "Sublime Perspective"—that moment where the viewer stops wondering how a photo was made and simply starts experiencing the artist's world.
The Human Connection
In an era of rapid technological change, the Fran Achen Exhibition remains a sanctuary for human creativity. We are committed to the light-captured moment. Every entry begins with a real person, a real camera, and a real moment in time. By prioritizing human vision over computer-generated imagery, we ensure that every story told in our gallery is an authentic reflection of the human experience.
Our Purpose
Our goal is to create a space where local, regional, and global voices meet. Whether through a traditional print or a digital display, we hope this exhibition inspires you to appreciate the craft of photography while being moved by the vision of the artist.
Resources:
Terms & Conditions: Download PDF
Press Release: Download PDF
About Fran Achen
The Whitewater Arts Alliance honors Fran Achen’s contribution to Whitewater by sponsoring the Annual Fran Achen Juried Photography Exhibition.
Fran Achen was a longtime Whitewater resident, teacher, and local photographer. He is most remembered for his photographic collection which chronicles the history of Whitewater.
Born in Kenosha in 1916, his interest in photography began after high school. He spent almost two years delivering cars for the Nash automobile factory. “It seemed like such fun to explore America, so that started my interest in photography and geography, which became my major in college,” he said.
In 1938, when Fran enrolled at Whitewater State Teachers College, it was the first year enrollment went over one thousand. Fran remembered being the last one to register, making the enrollment that year 1,008 students. While an undergraduate student at the college, he served as a photographer for both the Royal Purple and the former Minneiska yearbook, as well as working as a freelance photographer for the Janesville Gazette, making “a buck a picture” which helped to pay his way through school.
While attending college, Fran met his wife, Lydia. They were married for 55 years and had three children—Chap, Randi, and Jim.
After graduating from college, Achen taught social studies for a year before being called up for military service in World War II. Achen served almost four years as the commanding officer of an entirely African American medical unit whose primary duty was to recover wounded soldiers from the front lines. Achen recalled years later that the Rhineland and Central Europe campaign was very successful and remembered crossing the Rhine River just two days after its capture.
When the war was over, he pursued his interest in photography by working in a studio in Madison, and later by purchasing a photography studio in downtown Whitewater, where he worked for 11 years.
In 1956, after selling the studio, Achen continued to serve the community as a teacher at Whitewater High School where he taught his favorite subject, geography. He later became assistant audio-visual director for the Janesville school system.
Achen retired in 1979. However, he never retired his camera. He continued to photograph the life and events in and around the Whitewater area.
In the 1980s, Achen donated nearly 400 custom printed and mounted photographs to the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library. The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater also has an extensive collection of Fran’s photos.
Although his photo taking slowed down in his later years, Achen said he was never afraid to flip the shutter on what he believed could be a lasting memory or a special photograph.
Whitewater Arts Alliance, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable organization based in Whitewater, Wisconsin. For more information, please visit our membership page.