Curating InFocus photography exhibition was an awesome experience in and of itself, and so to be shortlisted for it in the John Poole Award for Promotion of the Arts is icing on the cake. The award is one of many given out at the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts Awards hosted by the Professional Arts Coalition of Edmonton.

John Poole Award for Promotion of the Arts:

Recognizing an individual, arts organization, media organization or business that has promoted the arts in a distinctly creative or exceptional manner.

It is my pleasure to support the arts community in Edmonton. It is my community, my peer image-makers, artists, musicians, dancers, sculptors and other fellow creative individuals and organizations. I believe we will all flourish when we support and build each other up.

The inaugural InFocus exhibition, held during Exposure Photography Festival 2015, was a huge success! More than 200 people visited the show during its two-day run. Thirty photographers from Edmonton and area were promoted and their work championed for its artistic and technical skill. Most of the photographers were able to attend the opening and they shared their love of photography with all those who came to experience the show. The energy that surrounded the entire exhibition was tremendously positive, supportive and collaborative. Truly, we have much to be proud of.

I must acknowledge the tireless vision and execution assistance of my partner in InFocus: Aaron Chute. Without him, InFocus would not have been as technologically savvy or the artwork hung as precisely. Aaron, THANK YOU!

To those that nominated me for the John Poole Award for Promotion of the Arts, specifically Exposure Photography Festival manager Wes Lafortune and others, I wish to express my deep and heartfelt gratitude.

Attend the 28th Annual Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts, click here for tickets.

Exciting news with InFocus: Next year the exhibition will be held all month long in February at DC3 Art Projects. I’ll post more about InFocus 2016 and its call for submissions soon.