While you’re over registering for all the FW events, head over to our gala site and purchase your tickets for the big event. The gala is the culmination of the week of festivities — it’s a chance to hobnob with powerhouses in the photography industry, meet the jurors of the contest and tons of photography enthusiasts, and for the contest finalists, you’ll get to find out where exactly your photograph placed in each category. Prizes will be handed out, which means some people will be going home with shopping sprees, photography supplies, and more.

The gala will be held at that bastion of photography, the National Geographic Society, located at 1600 M Street NW in D.C., on November 22 at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $85 each and can be purchased online via PayPal or by sending a check to the address on the web site.

Put on your cutest cocktail dress or your best jacket and prepare to toast (oh yes, there will be drinks!) the night away to the amazing level of talent in the region. Get more information about parking, etc, at our online invitation.

One of the best parts about the Fotoweek DC festival is that nearly everything is FREE. Free exhibits, free opening receptions, free lectures, free workshops and more. However, we do need to keep track of how many people are coming and going, in order to make FW even more special next year.

To do that, we ask you to register (for free, of course) online here. It takes about 15 seconds (we ask some optional information about demographics) and you’ll immediately receive a confirmation email. Print out that email and take it with you to our headquarters at 3338 M Street once we get closer to the festival, where they will give you a badge to take around with you to events, as well as a full event schedule of everything going on that week. While you’re there, you can check out all the spectacular exhibits and displays we’ll have at headquarters.

You can register online any time between now and the end of the festival.

The Geothe-Institute is turning its focus toward younger German photographers with the opening of their inaugural show for their redefined gallery, coinciding with Fotoweek DC.  FotoGalerie, as the space will now be known, debuts on Tuesday, November 18, with the opening of Disenchanted Playroom by photographer Wolfram Hahn.

Disenchanted Playroom features 26×26 inch color portraits of unkempt, blotchy children staring intently in the viewer’s direction at a television we can not see or hear.  Their expressions feel detached and distant, and rather unsettling, making them hard to look away from.  What are they looking at, and why are they so sad?

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Wolfram Hahn will be in DC for the Fotoweek festival, and will be at the gallery to speak about his work at the opening on Tuesday, November 18, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Goethe-Institut
812 Seventh Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
202.289.1200

We’ve been getting a lot of inquiries about the Fotoweek contest winners.  Notices were sent out via email about a week ago, so if you haven’t been checking your inbox, please do so (notices are only sent to the winners).  We’ve been trying to iron out a few of the typical issues, and hope to have the list of finalists online very soon.  You’ll see it here on the blog when that happens.

Right now, people are only being notified as “finalists.”  These talented folks get a ticket to our big gala that wraps up the week of festivities, and will learn what place they finished during the awards ceremony.

The Heineman Myers Gallery has a 2-for-1 show for Fotoweek.  Faux/Real includes work by photographers Jeanette May and Brady Robinson.  May’s photos, from her Flora/Fauna series, take a look at the lengths people go to decorate their yards using topiaries and fake animals to transform nature into a controlled and plastic reality. 

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Robinson’s Scenes from Jesus Land focuses on the Holyland Experience themepark, located in Orlando, FL.  The daily crucificxion show among ice cream cones and gift shops sure is a social observation worth considering.  This is one exhibit we are looking forward to seeing, since both artists have placed a whimsical spin on two very different subjects.

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In talking with gallery director Zoe Myers about May’s and Robinson’s work, she explains that the photographs portray a colorful, funny perspective.  People aren’t exactly sure if there is an expected response.  How will you respond?

In addition to May and Robinson, the gallery will be showing Vintage black and white photos by David Seymour “Chim.”  Chim is known for his heartbreaking photos of children in post-WWII Europe.  Color photographs will also be available for sale.

November 11 – December 6, 2008

Heineman Myers Gallery
4728 Hampden Lane
Bethesda, MD 20814
301.951.7993

Of the many displays visitors will get to take in at Fotoweek DC Central (3332 M Street NW), the Publishers Exhibition might be the most breathtaking in its sheer breadth of photography today. Natalie Zelt of Hemphill Fine Arts is curating this massive project and has contacted over 100 publishers of photo books to show during the festival. Each one was asked to send a variety of books to show their particular focus — from fine art, photojournalism, to travel books.

So far Natalie has received over 220 books to put on display at our headquarters for everyone to sit and browse at their leisure. She told us:

Because I have confirmed participation from a range of publishers, from Kesselskramer (Amsterdam) to Aperture (New York), the way that each publisher has responded has varied greatly. Though the requirement was a few publications per publisher, most have been exceptionally enthusiastic about participating, sending an average of six books per publisher, with Steidl (London) and all its subsidiaries, submitting over thirty new, stunning publications.

I plan to display every book that is submitted with very little exception, because I hope for this exhibition to illuminate the contemporary relationship between photography and publishing companies. As the project has progressed, the exhibition has taken on a new dimension. Aside from providing insight into contemporary photographic publishing, design and subject matter, allowing publishers the opportunity to choose their own submissions, has reveled the unique status that photography holds in the publishing world.

The books will be for display only (but purchasing information will be available), and the entire set will be donated to an as-yet-unnamed DC public high school library at the end of the festival.

If you’re with a publishing house and wish to participate, you have until October 31 to contact Natalie at natalie [at] hemphillfinearts [dot] com about donating a book to the exhibit.

When you make your list of gallery visits for upcoming Fotoweek, be sure to put the Fraser Gallery near the top. This exhibit features artwork from six of the region’s most notable photographers, all of whom have recently published books. And mark your calendars for an afternoon of book signings with a chance to meet these amazing artists:

• World renowned photographer, Joyce Tenneson, will exhibit work from and sign copies of Joyce Tenneson: A Life in Photography: 1968 - 2008.’
• Frank Van Riper and Judith Goodman will discuss their recently published book ‘Serenissima; Venice in Winter.’
• Acclaimed architectural photographer, Maxwell MacKenzie, will exhibit work from and sign copies of ‘Abandonings,’ ‘American Ruins: Ghosts on the Landscape,’ and ‘Markings.’
• Danny Conant will discuss her book, ‘Vanishing Tibet,’ and Karen Keating will present images from ‘Cuba: Watching and Waiting.’

We had an opportunity to speak with owner Catriona Fraser about the upcoming Fotoweek DC event and hear her thoughts on its impact on her gallery, and the region, as a whole:

This is a strong exhibit and I’m very pleased that all of the photographers will be here to discuss their books. It will be an international affair with books on Venice, Cuba, Tibet and of course, the Great American Landscape.

FotoWeekDC is already a success. My one suggestion would be that the event is held over a longer period of time as there are so many events taking place in one week.

All events are free and open to the public. The Fraser Gallery is located a short walk from the Bethesda Metro Station at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E, Bethesda, MD 20814. To reserve a copy of any of these books, please call the gallery at 301-718-9651.

November 14-January 3, 2009
Opening Reception: Friday, November 14, 6-9pm
Book Signing: Sunday, November 23, 2-5pm

Fraser Gallery
7700 Wisconsin Ave, Suite E
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-718-9651

The jurors have been hard at work this week looking through the thousands and thousands of photos that everyone submitted to our contest. We’ve picked our first round and are plowing our way through the slew of amazing shots to proclaim winners in every category. As one of the judges, I can say it’s so exciting to see the level of talent that Fotoweek attracted. Even in the amateur category, competition is extremely stiff.

We’re hoping to get the word out very soon to the winners, so keep your eyes peeled if you submitted your work. In the meantime, head over to our contest page to drool over our $37,600 in prizes, like Epson printers, shopping sprees at Chrome Imaging and Penn Camera, and straight-up cash. We’ll be handing out awards at the big gala at the end of Fotoweek, to celebrate the D.C. regions’ photography community together. Each of the winning photographs will be on display the entire week at our headquarters in Georgetown (more on the exciting things going on in that building next week).

Remember the Youth Contest is still accepting entries from kids K through 12th grade. Send in your photos of People, Animals, Landscapes or Sports until October 24, when Fotoweek and The Washington Post will select winners in three grade categories for more prizes. The winners will be displayed with the adult contest winners at our Georgetown venue. We can’t wait to see them all!

A little off the beaten path is the Honfleur Gallery, whose Fotoweek exhibit will feature artwork by John K. Lawson. Lawson’s New Orleans studio, including sketches and photographs from the past 25 years, was destroyed in the floods of Hurricane Katrina. Picking up the pieces after the flood waters subsided, Lawson was able to recover most of his collection and created Flood Line, a 20+ foot sculpture, using found Mardi Gras beads, personal photographs, and retraced drawings on large panels. He soon found, though, that after six weeks spent under water, these materials began to decay. A layer of encaustic wax was applied to the panels, effectively stopping time and preserving the remnants of his past. This sculpture is installed at the point where water crested in his studio. Mardi Gras beads hang in front of each panel, providing a curtain of intimacy, and resembling the water line found in homes affected by the storm.

Image of Portal 1 by John K. Lawson

In addition to Flood Line (and the photos embedded in it), Lawson will be presenting C-Prints of deteriorating walls that have been digitally modified to create a symmetrical, abstract piece. Lawson refers to each 3 ft. X 3 ft. image as Portals.

Amy Cavanaugh, Gallery Director, talked to us about Honfleur’s role in Fotoweek:

The Honfleur Gallery is extremely enthusiastic about the upcoming events as related to Fotoweek. Honfleur is a little like the lone wolf of art galleries in D.C. primarily due to it’s location in Southeast, East of the Anacostia River. That said, we truly believe in Anacostia and DC Fotoweek is the perfect opportunity for Honfleur to promote its artists, as well as the Historic Sector of Anacostia simultaneously. The gallery exists under the umbrella of the ARCH Development Corporation whose primary goal is small scale revitalization of Anacostia through the Arts. The Honfleur Gallery acts as the heart of all of ARCH’s cultural activities and programming. Getting on board with Fotoweek was a no brainer. Since we’ve begun working with the coordinators of Fotoweek we’ve felt very supported. We expect a good turn out in Anacostia for Fotoweek and feel folks might finally take the chance to cross the river and see what’s really going on over here!

My instincts tell me that this will not be the last Fotoweek in Washington D.C. In fact, I feel that Fotoweek is just the boost DC needs to for its local artists & galleries who are often over-shadowed by the larger, more popular art spaces such as the Smithsonian. They’re are a ton of talented, creatives in our Nation’s Capital and a lot of great galleries for arts enthusiasts to visit. Fotoweek might help shed some light on this.

Honfleur always reserves the second floor back wall space for a special guest artist. During Fotoweek, Honfleur will be highlighting the ARCH After School Instructor, Andrea Hope. Ms. Hope will be putting together a small exhibit of her recent photography.

The John K. Lawson exhibition is funded by the Deputy Mayor’s Office of Planning & Economic Development Neighborhood Grants Program and facilitated by ARCH.

Exhibit runs November 15 to January 2009
Opening Reception: November 15, 7 p.m.

The Honfluer Gallery
1227 Good Hope Road, SE
Washington, D.C. 20020
202-580-5972

The Nevin Kelly Gallery on U Street NW is presenting Temporary Construction: New Photographs by Stirling Elmendorf and Mark Parascandola for their FotoWeek exhibition.

(Image by Stirling Elmendorf)

These two artists contribute photographs highlighting architectural changes over time in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere by juxtaposing images of contemporary monumental architecture with those of time-worn abandoned structures.

We asked owner Nevin Kelly what he was looking forward to in November:

[We're] very excited to participate in FotoWeek. City-wide celebrations such as this are an important show of support for the visual arts and help solidify Washington’s position as an “art city.” We are pleased to present new works by Mark Parascandola and Stirling Elmendorf, two very talented local photographers who subtly alter their urban landscape photographs to capture not only the visual look of a place, but its mood as well. They have cooperated for FotoWeek to prepare a 2-artist exhibition that shares a single common vision.

(Image by Mark Parascandola)

Temporary Construction: New Photographs by Stirling Elmendorf and Mark Parascandola
November 12-23, 2008
Opening Reception: Thursday, November 13, 6-9pm
Nevin Kelly Gallery
1517 U Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20009
202-232-3464