The Center for Creative Photography: May Exclusives

The Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona presents for the month of May a bevy of photography events, including exhibitions, gallery walks, lectures and tours. The two major exhibitions for May include "Lee Friedlander: American Monuments," in which famous American landmarks are interposed with the undeniable evidence of everyday life; and "Human Nature: The Photographs of Barbara Bosworth," exhibiting at the Phoenix Art Museum's Doris and John Norton Gallery, explores the concept of "inhabited nature," in which natural places in America can unexpectedly become human playgrounds.

Gallery walks include "An Architect's Perspective" on June 5, hosted by University of Arizona Professor of Architecture Corky Poster, and "The Curator's Point of View" on June 29, with Britt Salveson, the Center for Creative Photography's Chief Curator. Also, on June 24, Norton Family Assistant Curator of Photography Becky Senf will examine Barbara Bosworth's exhibition in detail. Meanwhile, a new selection of New Mexico-themed images will be premiering at the Ansel Adams Gallery at the Center, so be sure to drop by.

Doris and John Norton are University of Arizona alumni (1950) who have contributed millions to the school. The Center for Creative Photography provides support, produces material, and provides valuable educational opportunities for photographers.

Remember, this is also the last week in which "Debating Modern Photography: The Triumph of Group f/64" can be viewed. Exhibition closes May 4, 2008. Click here for details.

The Center for Creative Photography: March Exclusives

The Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona presents a new line-up of events for the month of March 2008. First up is a Gallery Walk on March 9 with Becky Senf, organizer of "Debating Modern Photography: The Triumph of Group f/64." Senf will provide information on selected works and discuss their importance to the wider theme of this exhibition, which runs until May 4. Another Gallery Walk will take place April 24. On March 14, a lecture by Argentine photographer Marcelo Brodsky will discuss his work to remember “The Disappeared" as a result of military dictatorships in Latin America. Next up is a lecture presented by Joan Fontcuberta: "The Photography Paradox: Truth Against Beauty" takes place March 28.

From the Center for Creative Photography:

"Joan Fontcuberta, internationally acclaimed artist, curator, and theoretical writer, will discuss the tension between truth and beauty that has propelled photography's evolution since its origin. The aesthetic and ontological issues present in this tension can be observed in the present CCP exhibition, and in contemporary practice, including Fontcuberta’s own work."

For more information on upcoming events, click here to visit the Center's website.

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.

Photography Festival: Contact 2008!

Registration is now open for Contact 2008, Toronto's Photography Festival, which will celebrate its 12th year for all of May 2008. The theme will Registration will be open until December 21, 2007, with the early registration period (and registration for non-profit organizations) ending on December 3, 2007. Participants may arrange their own exhibitions in the greater Toronto Area, which must take place during the month of May 2008. Exhibitions may be hosted in both traditional venues and other spaces in community centers, restaurants, personal studios, and stores. A venue is required to exhibit: spaces will not be provided. The festival also accepts volunteers in staying true to its ongoing non-profit status.

Contact 2008 is, in fact, North America's largest annual photography event. Over 500 artists will come from all over the world to exhibit in 200 venues. The festival has become a cultural destination in Toronto, attracting a collective audience that has grown to nearly 1,000,000 people. An even greater level of interest and participation is expected in 2008. By allowing anyone to participate with exhibitions, the Contact Festival has increased their turnout numbers dramatically with a simple variation on the tried-and-true photography festival format. Anyone who signs up will make it into the Festival Magazine, submissions for which are due January 14, 2008.

The theme, "Between Memory and History," will be carried throughout the festival's selection of public installations, lectures, films, and events. Exhibitions may be on any subject, taken in any medium, but a connection to the theme is encouraged. Inclusion in the Festival Magazine and other press materials are part and parcel of registration, which is now available at an early rate of $450.50.

You can view a list of past festival exhibitors here.

Click here to register.

Image: Kitka-River 2004, from the series "Museum of Nature," ©Ilkka Halso