PhotoSpiva 2008 has officially been launched.

George A. Spiva Center for the Arts has issued a call for entries for the 32nd annual national photography competition.

“PhotoSpiva has the distinction of being the oldest continuous photographic competition in the United States,” said Jo Mueller, Spiva director.

The competition is open to any photographer – amateur or professional – in the United States or its territories. $2,000 in cash prizes will be awarded, and any photographic process is eligible.

Instead of shipping or delivering prints to Spiva, participating artists will enter online at www.photospiva.org. According to Mueller, the move to digital entry has been under consideration for some time and is seen as a way to open the competition to more artists across the country.

“Each year a nationally-recognized juror selects work for exhibit, determines award winners, and presents a lecture,” Mueller said. This year Rod Slemmons, director of the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College, Chicago, will review all entries online to determine which entries will be included in the PhotoSpiva 2008 exhibition.

Although the entry and selection process is digital, awards won’t be determined until the exhibition is hung. In April, Slemmons will travel to Joplin to select the award-winning images, deliver the annual Juror’s Lecture, and attend the opening reception and awards presentation.

Deadline for entries is midnight CST Feb. 15. The exhibition opens to the public April 19 and runs through June 1.

Spiva Center for the Arts is located at 3rd and Wall Streets in downtown Joplin. Galleries and Gift Shop are open Tuesday through Saturday, 10-5, and Sunday 1-5. Admission is by voluntary contribution. The Center is closed Mondays and major holidays.