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Frontier Poetry Portrait Prize

A project of Frontier Poetry (see other related projects).

Permanently Closed: This project is permanently closed to submissions (December 2024). We provide the following information as an archive.

About

Maybe you’ve seen her. We don’t know her real name—we just know her as “The Mona Lisa.” How often do we really think about the “Girl with a Pearl Earring” outside of the confines of Vermeer’s iconic painting? Choose your favorite portrait, from photographs and paintings to that excellent selfie you took on vacation four and a half years ago—and think: how do all of these images express the emotion and history shared between artist and subject?

Frontier Poetry wants your portrait poems—not just your portraits, but portraits of everyone who matters to you, from your beloved pets to your best friend from high school who you don’t talk to anymore, avoiding eye contact when you pass in the aisles at the grocery store. Of course, we want to see your self-portraits, but we also want to see how you depict your loved ones (and maybe even your enemies). Show us the joy, and show us the pain. The candid shots you took with your Polaroid camera, the yearbook photos, your older brother’s expired driver’s license you used as a fake ID in college that sorta, kinda, looked like you. Memory, urgency, history, narrative, specificity. We want to know The Mona Lisa’s name—we want to know everything about her. Put it all in the poems. Get it on the page.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions, except for historically marginalized groups.
The fee range is USD $20 to $149 (average to above average for contests).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 2024

Publication Medium & Contest Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication
One-time contest

Poetry Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 3 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Other: See guidelines.

Winner's Prize:

Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) Professional payment. Details: USD $3500.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Unknown.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Multiple entries: Multiple entries are allowed.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

Frontier Poetry Portrait Prize Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

This listing is inactive and does not have any submission reports for the past 12 months.

Your Submissions

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The Antioch-Frontier Fellowship Contest DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions
Breakthrough Chapbook Contest DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions
Family & Home Prize CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Frontier Poetry
Frontier Poetry Award for New Poets CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Frontier Poetry Debut Chapbook Prize  Charges fees for all submissions
Frontier Poetry Devotion & Divination Prize  NEW!  Charges fees for all submissions
Frontier Poetry Ekphrastic Poetry Prize CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Frontier Poetry Epistolary Challenge CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Frontier Poetry Industry Prize CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Frontier Poetry Misfit Poems Prize CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Frontier Poetry Nature & Place Prize CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Frontier Poetry Ode on a Grecian Vacation Challenge CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Frontier Poetry Open  Charges fees for all submissions
Frontier Poetry Themed Contests DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions
Frontier Summer Poetry Award BELIEVED DEFUNCT  Charges fees for all submissions
Global Poetry Contest DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions
Hurt & Healing Prize  Charges fees for some submissions
Myths & Fables Prize  Charges fees for all submissions
Types of Burns Series CLOSED

Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

  • Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
  • Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
  • Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
  • Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 22 May 2026

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