December is A Month of Photography in New Orleans

In December 2007, New Orleans Photo Alliance will present, in collaboration with city museums, galleries, and local photographers, the Second Annual PhotoNOLA: A Month of Photography in New Orleans. For thirty days, the City will be host to fine art photography exhibitions, gallery lectures, portfolio reviews, panel discussions and workshops, and a street fair. The festivities begin November 30, 2007, with a Gala and Print Auction at the Annex of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. The works of Maggie Taylor, Hiroshi Watanabe, Keith Carter, and others will be up for sale. Carter, along with Chris Jordan, will be hosting workshops and public slide presentations on the first and second weekends of the month.

Coordinated gallery openings on the first and second Saturdays will showcase some great contemporary photography, including work by Debbie Fleming Caffery, Robert Polidori, Josephine Sacabo and Louviere+Vanessa. Another anticipated event is PhotoNOMA on December 5 at the New Orleans Museum of Art, where 100 photographers will display their portfolios as part of a community art walk. The Photo Alliance Street Fair will take place December 15.

If anyone without experience of these kinds of events imagines a staid, dull, and confusing affair for non-photographers, rest assured this cannot be further from the truth. When enough photographers are gathered together, with the incentives of portfolio reviews and meetings among industry professionals encouraging a turnout of their best work, the images and artwork on display rivals that of any national or international art festival. Participants bring not only their work, but their curiosity and passion as well.

For a full list of lectures, exhibitions, and events, click here.