The Center for Fine Art Photography is now accepting entries for the second issue of Artists’ ShowCase Portfolio, juried by Rixon Reed of Photo-Eye. This portfolio call for entries is open until December 3rd, 2008.

Twelve-image portfolios by 15 photographers will be chosen to display their work in The Center for Fine Art Photography’s second online and print portfolio show.

Their work will be included in the Center’s second book publication of Artists’ ShowCase Portfolio. Additionally, their portfolios will be featured on the Center’s web site (www.c4fap.org) from February 1 – February 28, 2009 and will remain online for the next two years.

The Center is pleased to provide artists with an economical method to have their work reviewed by an international juror, published and exhibited without printing, framing or shipping costs.

Theme: Open - There is no theme for this exhibition. Each photographer’s group of images will be evaluated as a cohesive body of work, rather than individual images. Visit the site to learn more.

Introducing the newest design showcase from HOW magazine: the HOW Poster Design Awards! There are no categories, and it doesn’t matter if your poster was created for yourself, for work or just for fun…we want to see what you can do! So take this wide-open media and run with it—then make sure you submit your work to us by December 1!

10 winners will be featured on the HOW website, get $150 worth of HOW books and receive a 1 year subscription to HOW magazine. You will also receive a graphic to post on your website announcing your winning status. Work must have been created between July 1, 2007 and Dec.1, 2008. Each entry is $25. All entries must be submitted online no later than December 1, 2008. Entries submitted after Dec. 1 require a late fee of $10 per entry. Entries will not be accepted after December 15, 2008.

Visit the site to learn more.

Join the hottest furniture designers around when you enter the HotSeat 3 chair design competition, presented by OFS and Metropolis. Finalists will be awarded a trip to Santa Monica to present their designs at the OFS Santa Monica Showroom opening on 5 February 2009.

Design criteria? Incorporate wood in materials usage, environmentally conscious, technilogically relevant, sustainable, progressive, accessible and aesthetically pleasing. Deadinle is 26 December 2008. Visit the site to learn more.

WHERE IS HEAVEN ON EARTH? When that question was put to 82 world-renowned photographers of National Geographic, their answers came back as varied and surprising as life itself. Visions of Paradise (Oct. 21, 2008; $35) features 155 spectacular images divided into three themes - land, water and air. Enriched by the photographers’ own recollections, each image is a compelling reflection of what is most divine in the world—and an inspiration for us to protect our beautiful and threatened planet.

Now, National Geographic invites the general public to submit images that best represent their unique vision of heaven on Earth to the Visions of Paradise Photography Contest, October 21-December 21, 2008. Each week 20 Editor’s Picks will be selected from all qualified entries and posted on the site, where viewers can vote on their favorites. At the end of the submission process, Editor’s Picks will also be judged by an expert panel of photographers and art directors, who will select a final list of 20 official winners. The winning photographs will be posted on the site and
each winner will receive a customized copy of Visions of Paradise with their winning photograph as the cover image.

To enter and for complete official rules, go to the National Geographic “My Vision” site.

Every animated short entered into this contest will receive personal comments from international animation experts. They will review films, make comments and select award winners.

This is just one of a new series where, each quarter, AniMazing Spotlight will present two awards for “Excellence in Animation.” The “Best Naimated Short” will be selected from the eight Quarterly Winners at a final awards ceremony at the world-renowned Egytian Theatre in Hollywood, CA on 8 November 2009.

The AniMazing Spotlight contests are open to undiscovered and/or rarely-seen short animation (no more than 12 minutes long)…no age limits, no school requirements, any production year, any animation format, even professionals in the animation industry, who are testing out the independent world, are eligible. In other words, anyone is eligible, as long as the short, or shorts, have never been seen by a wide audience, or received any major award, prior to AniMazing Spotlight.

Fees are charged. Deadline for the awards are as follows: 29 Dec 2008; 30 March 2009; 29 June 2009; 30 August 2009 and final awards 30 August 2009. Visit the site to learn more.

Project Never is a free awards competition created by graphic designers for graphic designers. Thousands of effective designs die each day – often for good reason. At the same time, successful designers and agencies generate many worthy ideas for each project or campaign, only one of which gets chosen for wider audiences. Project Never honors the most creative design concept that never reached production.

Anyone may submit from any country (entry must be in English), as long as the design concepts were developed between January 1, 2007 and December 1, 2008. Submissions must be projects, designs, or concepts that were proposed, but not selected, for an executed campaign. The only entry fee is the “willingness to be slapped in the face again” if you lose (!).

Deadline is 1 December 2008. Visit the site to learn more.