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2017 InFocus Photographers Announced

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The 2017 InFocus Photo Exhibit is going to be a great show! Inspired by the theme “The Future,” the 2017 InFocus photographers come together in a moving collection of some of the best photography our country has to offer!

ABOUT INFOCUS:

MISSION: To promote and exhibit innovative, thoughtful, and provocative photography created by CANADIAN contemporary image makers.

INFOCUS PHOTO is an annual exhibition curated by Alexis Marie Chute. In it’s first year, 2015, the show took place at Harcourt House Artist Run Centre and featured Edmonton and area photographers. In the second year, InFocus expanded to celebrate the best photography from across Alberta, showcased at dc3 Art Projects. Now, in its third installment, InFocus has fulfilled its mission of welcoming submissions from ALL Canadian photographers. This year, 2017, the curated show will be mounted in The Front Gallery. InFocus takes place every February during Exposure Photography Festival.

 

Click here to visit the InFocus Photo Exhibit and Award website. 

infocus-photo-exhibit-2017-sq-blk-alexis-marie-chute

 

As the curator of InFocus, I am immensely proud to announce our line-up of talented and innovative photographers for 2017:

Hedy Bach

Wes Bell

Lauren Dary

Al Dixon

Gerry Dotto

Emogene

Greg Gerla

Andy Greening

Laura Grier

Aidan Guerra

Chan Hawkins

Joshua Jensen

Candace Makowichuk

Ann Mansolino

Drew May

Deborah Naoum

Marko Radovanovic

Jay Rehill

Steve Ricketts

Murray Sugden

Anne Tapler White

Vanessa Tignanelli

Curtis Trent

Kevin Tuong

Henry VanderSpek

Peter Young

"Pearl" by Curtis Trent

“Pearl” by Curtis Trent

 

There are many exciting announcements to share in the days ahead. Some of these include:

  • A NEW EVENT: The InFocus portfolio review night! We’ve got a great group of professional reviewers lined-up to offer their wealth of knowledge and experience to photographers. Stay tuned for the online registration which will open soon.
  • Very shortly we will launch the 2017 edition of the InFocus Photo People’s Choice Award. Voting will take place online and is an exciting race to the finish line. The winner will be announced at the opening reception during the curator talk.

Please subscribe to this blog by clicking here to stay on top of all the exciting InFocus news, along with other happenings by the InFocus curator.

 

Deadline Tomorrow to Enter PhotoEd Platform

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The deadline to enter your photography to PhotoEd Platform is tomorrow – Friday, November 18! This is a unique opportunity for Canadian photographers. I am passionate about the creative community in this country, and I’m proud to be a jury member for PhotoEd Platform.

call-for-photography-photoed-platform-03

 

Here is a little about PhotoEd Platform:

The PhotoEd Platform project is a new, and innovative extension of a traditional print publication that will build on the editorial mandate of PhotoEd magazine; to promote and inspire new Canadian contemporary photography production and dialogue.

 

Here is a little description about the theme:

Images accepted by the Jury will become part of the premiere collection on the PhotoEd Platform titled ‘Nourish’. Jury members list can be found at: www.photoed.ca. Photographers may submit up to 5 images for consideration.

Submit images that NOURISH.

Share what nourishes the body, mind and spirit. This theme allows photographers to share their creative interpretations on what nourishment means to them as creatives.

Consider the connections viewers will have with this theme, and how sharing your work in this context will literally and directly promote the facilitation of nutritional aid within your communities.

 

How the photographs will be promoted:

Images in the collection will be available for public sale on the platform as:

  1. High-res images available for commercial license. Images are available for commercial/ editorial use. License fees will vary according to usage. Profits from commercial license sales are divided equally between the PhotoEd Platform & the artist.
  2. High quality 11x14inch fine art prints. (estimated price $100.) Profits from print sales are divided equally between the PhotoEd Platform & the artist.
  3. Low-res digital images for PERSONAL use as desktop/ mobile wallpaper. 100% of the profits from these sales will be donated to FOODBANKS CANADA. ($5./ image downloaded)

 

Here is a full list of the jury/reviewers:

call-for-photography-photoed-platform-04

 

Click here for more info and to submit to PhotoEd Platform.

INFOCUS PHOTO UPDATE:

First of all, the team at InFocus is delighted that PhotoEd Magazine will be publishing a feature on InFocus Photo Exhibit & Award in the new year!

  • The curation process is underway.
  • All photographers will hear back from us by the end of November at the latest regarding their submission.
  • Many talented photographers entered! We feel incredibly honoured to be able to exhibit and promote the work of so many photographers in our country!
  • More updates coming soon.

Subscribe to this blog feed to receive InFocus updates in your inbox. Click here. 

 

Perks of Winning the InFocus People’s Choice Award

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There are so many awesome perks of participating in InFocus Photo Exhibition in general, such as nation-wide recognition for your work and participation in a group show in a stunning gallery space. But, the exhibition is just one part of InFocus.

How the InFocus People’s Choice Award works:

Every year, InFocus hosts a People’s Choice Award competition. The curator, yours truly, chooses one image from every photographer selected for the show. These images go online for one month. JANUARY. During that time, the public can go online and vote for their favorite. Part of the fun is getting all your family and friends online to cast their votes your way.

Last year, the race to the award title was exciting! We had over 2,000 votes. During the curator talk at the opening reception, VISTEK, the award sponsor, presented the winner with cash to their store.

The winner of the 2016 InFocus Photo People’s Choice Award was Aidan Guerra:

“Eye of the Storm” © Aidan Guerra, InFocus Photo People’s Choice Award winner 2016

“Eye of the Storm” © Aidan Guerra, InFocus Photo People’s Choice Award winner 2016

 

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD PERKS:

This year, there are some really great perks for winning the InFocus Photo People’s Choice Award.

  • You win a cash prize to VISTEKVistek_ InFocus Photo Exhibit Peoples Choice Award
  • You will have your winning image featured as a part of the spread on InFocus in PhotoEd magazine

photoedlogo

 

  • Plus bragging rights of course. The title of “InFocus Photo People’s Choice Award Winner” looks awfully good on a CV.

 

Well, hopefully these awesome perks are more than reason enough to enter InFocus. Truly, this is a wonderful, home-grown exhibition with heaps of national pride and creative flare. Please don’t delay to enter. Here are the details:

ENTER INFOCUS PHOTO:

Enter by October 16, 2016 for regular rate – $25 for 3 images

Extended deadline October 30, 2016 – $35 for 3 images

Enter online at www.infocusphoto.ca/infocus-submission/

Learn more about InFocus at www.InFocusPhoto.ca

Happy submitting!

-AMC

 

Are you the future of photography?

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InFocus Photography Exhibition and Award is looking for the next big name in photography in Canada. Why are you one to watch? What are you doing differently? What old technique are you making new? Tell us: what do you have to say?

One of the great things about being a curator of a group exhibition like InFocus, is that I have the privilege of seeing some of the most talented, forward-thinking and exciting artists. I am truly proud to be a part of this great show and cannot wait sift through all the amazing entries.

InFocus is a photography exhibition that welcomes any Canadian photographer to enter their work. You could call yourself an amateur, be a student, or a veteran pro. Whoever you are, whatever your subject; we want to see what you’ve got.

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This year, the theme of InFocus Photo is… THE FUTURE.

This is a broad theme, open to interpretation. We welcome photographers to submit their best photography that relates to this theme in some way. It could connect through:
1. The technique used
2. The message conveyed, or
3. The subject of the photographs themselves

Here are some provoking questions when thinking about “The Future.”

  • What is the future of photography?
  • What makes Canadian photography distinct?
  • As a photographer, where are you going?
  • What do you have to say – and in what unique way are you saying it?
  • How does your photography provoke your viewers?
  • Why are you a photographer to watch – now and in the years to come?
  • What innovative techniques are you using or what old processes are you making new again?

The Future” is an abstract theme. We believe it can speak to all photographers, whatever the subject matter, including fine art, portraiture, nature, urban landscapes, editorial, commercial, conceptual, documentary, journalistic, social commentary, architectural, still life, wildlife, travel, multi-medium, three dimensional, and beyond.

SUBMISSION DETAILS:

Enter by October 16, 2016 for regular rate – $25 for 3 images

Extended deadline October 30, 2016 – $35 for 3 images

Enter online at www.infocusphoto.ca/infocus-submission/

Learn more about InFocus at www.InFocusPhoto.ca

Happy submitting!

-AMC

Show your Photography at The Front Gallery

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The Front Gallery is a beautiful creative space located in the heart of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is the perfect place to host a nation-wide exhibition of the best photography Canada has to offer. This is an exhibition you need to be a part of. InFocus Photography Exhibit and Award strives to present the current cultural climate of photography in the country. This is a major photographic-survey you want to be a part of.

the-front-gallery-logo-infocus-photo-exhibit-alexis-marie-chute

ABOUT THE FRONT GALLERY:

The Front Gallery is pleased to be able to feature Edmonton’s artistic diversity in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Whether catering to serious collectors or the casual passer-by, The Front Gallery is an inviting environment to engage with art that speaks to people about new ideas and ways of seeing.

The art exhibited at The Front Gallery comes from both Canadian and international artist and extends from traditional landscapes to more challenging contemporary pieces, all of which have the ability to surprise, delight and inspire it’s audiences.

Our passion at The Front Gallery is in providing a relaxed and inviting environment where the first connection between a person and a work of art can open the mind to a dialogue that will last a lifetime.

ENTER INFOCUS PHOTO:

Enter by October 16, 2016 for regular rate – $25 for 3 images

Extended deadline October 30, 2016 – $35 for 3 images

Enter online at www.infocusphoto.ca/infocus-submission/

Learn more about InFocus at www.InFocusPhoto.ca

THE FRONT GALLERY IS THE PROUD HOST OF INFOCUS PHOTO 2017:

the-front-gallery-infocus-photo-exhibit-alexis-marie-chute the-front-gallery-4-infocus-photo-exhibit-alexis-marie-chute the-front-gallery-3-infocus-photo-exhibit-alexis-marie-chute the-front-gallery-2-infocus-photo-exhibit-alexis-marie-chute

Emogene: Special Guest Post

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Alexis Marie: I have loved sharing the stories and inspirations of some truly interesting individuals during the InFocus 2016 show. Are you excited? Even through InFocus 2016 is already underway, it is not too early to begin preparing for InFocus 2017! In the fall, we will release the call for submissions and we would love to see your work. For now, I’m pleased to introduce one of our current and talented photographers, Emogene.

Welcome Emogene!

Guest Post

I’m very pleased to participate in the InFocus Photography Exhibition 2016. Special thanks go to Alexis Marie Chute for creating and curating this wonderful event.

 

In 2008, I switched from film to digital and haven’t looked back. Having the technology to shoot as many images as I want has not changed my process. I continue to work in manual mode and take about the same number of photos I would have taken with film. Volume does not necessarily ensure the result you are looking for and personally, I’d rather spend my time focusing on one image rather than waste it by having to review and delete unwanted images.

 

When I’m shooting, I don’t make a plan because I prefer to wander. I feel like I’m in a world of my own . . . no rules, no distractions, no pressure. That way I don’t have any preconceived expectations and often find new material without much difficulty. I’ve also learned that by not looking, I can see so much more.

 

Currently, I’m working on two overlapping self-studies “Concealment” and “Inside Exteriors”. Concealment in the sense of keeping both sides of the fence separated with the choice of being either inside or outside but not both at the same time. “Inside Exteriors” is a series of images I’ve taken of building interiors through transparent exterior walls. Ironically, one of my Concealment photographs was selected for “Interiors”, a group exhibition in New York in April 2016.

Hurdles

Hurdles

 

Containment

Containment

Architecture is of great interest to me. It doesn’t matter if the building is modern, has suffered from decay, is local or international, I’ll find a way to be there. Whether it be geometric patterns, lines, reflections or a combination of these, my intention is to create something entirely new by deliberately combining existing elements in an unexpected way. The images below are from my “Inside Exteriors” series. Both images were taken in the vicinity of the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton.

Inside_Exterior1

Inside_Exterior1

 

Inside_Exterior2

Inside_Exterior2

www.emogene.ca

Brady Simpson: Special Guest Post

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Alexis Marie: I have loved sharing the stories and inspirations of some truly interesting individuals during the InFocus 2016 show. Are you excited? Even through InFocus 2016 is already underway, it is not too early to begin preparing for InFocus 2017! In the fall, we will release the call for submissions and we would love to see your work. For now, I’m pleased to introduce one of our current and talented photographers, Brady Simpson.

Welcome Brady!

Guest Post

Confinement

In August of 2015 I attended the Arteles Creative Centre in Hämeenkyrö, Finland. Navigating through Europe is very easy and relatively cheap, so I decided to visit Estonia while I was in Europe, amongst a smattering of other places. The round trip train ticket to Stockholm and back was 24 euros, and the ferry across the Gulf of Finland was 50. Within a few hours you’re in an entirely different country and culture…bliss.

Group Meeting

Group Meeting

 

Infirmary

Infirmary

Estonia is still recovering from the hangover that was the Soviet era and still maintains many pieces of soviet architecture. Tallinn has a walled centre called Old Town that stems back to the 13th century with its walls largely still in tact. This is why it is a world heritage site but it provides an amazing experience. You have a beautiful walled city, cobblestone winding streets, and stunning architecture surrounded by these peppered remnants of the Soviet Union. One of these remnants is the Patarei Prison or it’s English translation, the Battery, and for 2 euros, you can wander the remains of a complex that began construction in 1828 under Tzar Nicholas I. It is a glimpse into hell.

Accomodation

Accomodation

The basement of this prison is where I took the photo featured in the InFocus exhibition. Of the same name as the series, Confinement encapsulates the entire experience of wandering this prison. The KGB favoured basement rooms such as this for their high moisture content, it’s a choking heavy air, a type of psychological torture. The low ceilings are heavily populated with arches to maintain the massive girth of itself and windows do little more than indicate if it’s day or night.

Confinement

Confinement

Patarei Prison is right on the shoreline of Estonia’s capital city Tallinn but you’d never know it by walking the halls. The higher floors offer higher ceilings and a little more light, but there is one thing that is common throughout these buildings, they are incredibly silent, no birds, no waves crashing, just silence. After leaving the prison I had a very heavy feeling, an almost need to enjoy my freedom after being within those walls. I grabbed some deli meat from a nearby store, along with some bread and cheese, and made my lunch in a scenic park back in Tallinn’s Old Town to cleanse my pallet with beautiful scenery. Incarceration is an incredibly complicated topic and I know leniency isn’t the public’s favourite dish when it comes to prisoners. But taking a look at Patarei Prison made me ask how we expect people to get better when we put them in places like this? Is it because we don’t want to help, we just want the problem hidden? Whatever the case may be, I hope places like the Battery will remain relics of the past.

Inmate 253

Inmate 253

Website: https://bradysimpson.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradysimpsonart/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradysimpsonart
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+BradysimpsonArt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BradySimpsonArt
Tumblr: https://bradysimpsonart.tumblr.com/

Hedy Bach: Special Guest Post

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Alexis Marie: I have loved sharing the stories and inspirations of some truly interesting individuals during the InFocus 2016 show. Are you excited? Even through InFocus 2016 is already underway, it is not too early to begin preparing for InFocus 2017! In the fall, we will release the call for submissions and we would love to see your work. For now, I’m pleased to introduce one of our current and talented photographers, Hedy Bach.

Welcome Hedy!

Guest Post

As an imagemaker I study how things look and sound. I work daily with my camera and words to compose beautiful “thought things” as one way to form ideas to inspire reflection and rumination, perhaps start a conversation.

My photographs are almost all allegories about my understandings of human desire for settlement…of spaces and places in which people and things fit together. I try to negotiate my subjectivities of looking and composing my “thought things” with Scruton’s ideas of why beauty matters…to see the remedy of beauty as an instrument of peace.

On 12/6/15 I received a happy email from Alexis Marie Chute for this InFocus 2016 exhibition. I am humbled that my image entitled ‘Mason’ was chosen to be part of this years exhibit.

“Mason” 2015

“Mason” 2015

Steve Butler’s apartment number movie

Sometimes BUT not always I see sounds first…when I saw this Mason jar at the Fort Edmonton…the words from Connor Zwetsch’s song “Candy Bars” came into my mind’s eye…

whisky and coke in our mason jars
to the year’s sweeter than candy bars
we crumble like the leaves

 In the room I imagined a “thought thing” for my blog post, which started conversations…here is one.

“Hi Hedy, I like the question mark that seems to follow that [Mason] image of yours for me. I felt like someone was just there. And yet it seemed deserted and it made me wonder what they were doing, and what did they do there, and was the water clean in an old jar or was it dirty water and why? Also I thought of Mason as in Stonemason, Mason bee, and of course mason jar. One definition I saw online was “to build from or strengthen with stone” and for me that was an interesting image next to the centerpiece of something made of glass. Anyway I enjoyed thinking about your photograph and all the different thoughts I had in doing so.”

“I’ve got icicles hanging” 2015

“I’ve got icicles hanging” 2015

distance between Earth and the star Polaris in light years

it’s too quiet in here
and i’m beginning to freeze
i’ve got icicles hanging
from my knees
under fifteen feet of pure white snow (Nick Cave, 2001)

“Hold your breath” 2015

“Hold your breath” 2015

number of solar days in the mean tropical year

“Look carefully at the little girls you are teaching, Hedy, many will go missing or be murdered.”

These Elder’s staggering words have lingered for 10 years and continue to haunt me.

When I think of our missing and murdered Aboriginal women if not now, when? My image is part of The REdress Photography project lead by Mufty Mathewson.

“U” 2015

“U” 2015

http://hedybach.tumblr.com/post/129449278387/u-hedybach

In celebration of St. Albert Photography Club’s 25th anniversary in 2017, my image ‘U” was selected for their submission to the ‘Art Gallery of St Albert’ art show.

“In my camera bag” 2015

“In my camera bag” 2015

http://www.streethunters.net/blog/2015/10/26/inside-hedy-bachs-camera-bag/

 

Hedy Bach is an award winning visual researcher, writer, and imagemaker. Hedy’s first book A Visual Narrative Concerning Curriculum, Girls, Photography Etc. was published in 1998 and explores the evaded curriculum in the lived experiences of high school girls through photography and story. Currently, she is working on a narrative nonfiction entitled Emeline which is a graphic novel being created by cutting up and reorganizing illustrations from cultural artifacts, photography, and literature.

http://sloppybuddhist.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hedybach

http://hedybach.tumblr.com/

https://500px.com/hbach

InFocus 2016 Opening Reception!

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The InFocus 2016 opening reception took place on February 4. It was a wonderful event with over 250 people in attendance! There was great food, drink, and conversation! Alexis Marie spoke fondly of all the work presented in the show during the curator’s talk and it spurred on a great deal of conversation afterwards. It was a wonderful event!  Take a look at some of the images below.

InFocus 001 InFocus 002 InFocus 003 InFocus 004 InFocus 005InFocus 007 InFocus 008

 

Also, we want to send out a HUGE congratulations to Aidan Guerra for winning the 2016 People’s Choice Award! His image, Eye of the Storm, is a spectacular piece. Vistek was proud to hand over the prize of a $250 gift certificate during the event. Great job Aidan!

Eye of the Storm

Eye of the Storm, by Aidan Guerra

InFocus 006

 

Finally, the show continues to run for the month of February. The gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday. Make sure to stop by and see the show! It is located at dc3 Art Projects (10567 111 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5H).

Thank you to everyone who came to the opening and the photographers who made this show possible!

InFocus Photo Exhibit Opening Reception this Thursday

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It was an exciting weekend! Not only did we hang the InFocus Photo Exhibit at dc3 Art Projects, but our InFocus People’s Choice Award voting came to a close. The voting was a close race all month. In the end, there were over 2,000 votes cast online. I am so excited to announce the winner. That will take place during my Curator Talk at the opening reception.

InFocus Photo Exhibit 2016 Alexis Marie Chute Curator 01

 

Alexis Marie & Aaron Chute, the core InFocus Team.

Alexis Marie & Aaron Chute, the core InFocus Team.

InFocus Photo Exhibit 2016 Alexis Marie Chute Curator 02

A big thank-you to Vistek, our InFocus People’s Choice Award sponsor.

Vistek_ InFocus Photo Exhibit Peoples Choice Award

InFocus Photo opening reception:

Thursday, February 4, 6-9PM
Curator Talk 7PM
dc3 Art Projects
10567 – 111 Street
Edmonton, AB

2016-INVITE-back-012 done 150dpi dc3

 

Last week I spoke about InFocus on Global morning news. Here is the interview.

I hope to see you Thursday night!

InFocus Photo Exhibit 2016 Alexis Marie Chute Invite