Are you in the Midwest?
I'm looking for photographers who live here.
Apologies in advance for the hyperlocality of today’s post. My analytics dashboard shows that FlakPhoto Digest is read across 50 U.S. states and 162 countries. That’s remarkable when you think about it. But it’s also why I’m concerned about spending too much time talking about the particular part of the country where I live. Why do you care about Midwest photography? I want to keep things interesting for everyone, so I plan to keep these Midwest posts to a minimum.
I’m writing today because I’m deep in the creative zone planning various photography programs where I live in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. I wrote about this here previously, so I won’t repeat the details. The gist of it: I’m partnering with two Madison-area arts organizations to program a variety of photo-based exhibitions and artists’ talks in the American Midwest this fall. You can read more here:
We plan to host a weekend photography festival in Madison on September 27-28, 2024. If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll join us. And if you live in these parts and make photographs, I want to hear from you.
I’m organizing a small group show that will feature ten Midwest photographers. I know a lot of imagemakers who live around here, but I’m eager to discover new and exciting artists with fresh perspectives I haven’t seen.
If you live in the Midwest and make pictures, please email me with a link to your website. I’ll finalize my selections soon and don’t want to leave any stone unturned.
In addition to the group show, I’m curating an afternoon of photography talks at the Arts + Literature Laboratory on Saturday, September 28, 2024. I have a few ideas about who I want to bring to Madison for this lecture series, but I don’t know what I don’t know. If you live in one of the Midwest American states and would be interested in working with me to present a talk about your photography, please drop me a line. I’m especially interested in showcasing artists who have published photography books. If that’s you, let me know.
Finally, I’m excited to announce an exhibition I’m curating this summer. The photography I’ve shown here today is by a Milwaukee-based artist named Jon Horvath. Do you know his work? Jon is an excellent imagemaker, and I’m delighted to collaborate with him. We’ll show photography from This is Bliss, a narrative meditation on a small roadside town in rural Idaho. Jon published a book of these pictures in 2022. The show opens at ArtLitLab in July — Stay tuned.
Thanks for sticking with me, especially if the hyperlocal nature of this post wasn’t relevant to you. Later this week, I’ll be back with an original essay about the pleasure of photography and the printed page. More soon. Take care!
Hi! This is Suzette Bross and we have met over the years. I am not sure we have connected since I started CPS Lives (soon to be renamed Artists in Public Schools) which is a residency program in the Chicago Public Schools. I would love to show you the work of many of our talented photographers and talk further ! Please check out our work on CPSLives.com. Thanks!
Andy, I’m delighted that you are organizing a photo Midwest sequel. I’ll see if I can come. My son is starting college (HOW THE HECK did that happen?!) in Minnesota so that could be a great trip.
Although I’m still a Michigan native I don’t have anything midwestern recent to show (other than family photos of my dad’s slow decline). But a weekend in Madison sounds great