The Snider Prize is a purchase award given to emerging artists in their final year of graduate study. The winner receives $3,000, and two honorable mentions each receive $500 towards the purchase of work to be added to the MoCP's permanent collection. Sponsored by Lawrence K. and Maxine Snider, the Snider Prize forms a part of the museum's ongoing commitment to support new talent in the field of contemporary photography.

The MoCP is the world’s premier college art museum dedicated to photography. As an international hub, we generate ideas and provoke dialogue among students, artists and diverse communities through groundbreaking exhibitions and programming. Our mission is to cultivate a deeper understanding of the artistic, cultural and political roles of photography in our world today. Founded in 1976 by Columbia College Chicago as the successor to the Chicago Center for Contemporary Photography, the Museum of Contemporary Photography began collecting in the early 1980s and has since grown its collection to include more than 15,000 objects by over 1,500 artists. The MoCP is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

Can I submit if I graduated last year?
No, we only accept submissions from artists in their final year of graduate study.