August 22, 2024
Press Release
Left: Aimie Dukes, Souvenir #1 © Aimie Dukes 2024 Right: Justin Curtis, Abandon Today © Justin Curtis 2024
Philadelphia's 20/20 Photo Festival Returns in September 2024
Experience the 20/20 Photo Festival this September in Philadelphia, a month-long celebration exploring the evolution of technology in contemporary photography. The festival showcases artists and cultural institutions reflecting the collaborative spirit of the city. Attend captivating exhibitions, engaging artist talks, and a vibrant photo book fair against the backdrop of Philadelphia's historic streets. On September 7th, Cherry Street Pier in Old City sponsored by Unique Photo hosts a day of free festivities. Explore numerous photography exhibitions and events across the Philadelphia region throughout September.
20/20 PHOTO FESTIVAL
A month-long citywide celebration of photography in all its forms
Festival Day at Cherry Street Pier on Saturday, September 7, 2024
Main Festival Day:
Saturday, September 7th, 12:00 - 7:00pm
Location:
Cherry Street Pier
121 N. Columbus Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Core Exhibitions:
TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image
Member Exhibition
Cherry Street Pier
September 6th - September 28th
Artist Talk: September 7th, 4:00 - 5:00pm
20/20 Call for Entry Show
Cherry Street Pier
September 6 - September 28th
Opening Reception: September 7th, 5:00-7:00pm
Abandon Today
Artists Justin Curtis and Bart Lentini
Unique Photo
September 6 - November 2
Photo Festival Day Talks at Cherry Street Pier:
12 - 1pm: In Conversation: Jano Cohen, John DiSanto, Buster Custus, and Crystal Custus
presented by TILT
1 - 2pm: In Conversation: New Technologies and the Expansion of Photography with artists
John Singletary, Dan Marcolina, and Krista Svalbonas moderated by Stephen Perloff of The
Photo Review
2 - 3pm: In Conversation: Constructing New Conversations and Approaches with Vintage
Processes with artists Donald E. Camp, Patricia Diart, and Amanda Tinker, presented and
moderated by Amie Potsic Art Advisory
3 - 4pm: In Conversation: Lisa Kereszi, Benjamin Donaldson, their daughter, and Peter Barberie
presented by TILT
Book Signings at the Festival Book Fair:
12pm: Book Signing with The Print Center - Mary Virginia Swanson, Publish Your Photography Book
12:30pm: Book Signing with The Print Center: Andrea Modica, Catholic Girl
1 - 2pm: Book Signing with Jano Cohen and John DiSanto, Grace and Grit: Boxing at Shuler's Gym presented by TILT
1:30pm: Book Signing with The Print Center: Wendel A. White, Manifest, Thirteen Colonies
2 – 4pm: Book Signing with The Photo Review: John Singletary, Traces
3:00pm: Book Signing with Amie Potsic Art Advisory: Patricia Diart, No Solid Ground
& Amie Potsic, An Extraordinary Photographic Odyssey in the Holy Lands
3:30pm: Book Signing with Marianne Bernstein, Theatre of the Everyday
4 - 5pm: Book Signing with Lisa Kereszi, IN presented by TILT
4:30pm: Book Signing with The Print Center: Ron Tarver, The Long Ride Home: Black Cowboys in America
Demo Events at Cherry Street Pier:
Wet plate collodion process with Maureen Cooper:
12:00 - 1:00pm
Pop Up Polaroid with Kara Khan:
2:00 - 3:00pm
Augmented Reality with Termite Tv Collective:
4:00 - 5:00pm
Mobile camera obscura with co-creator Liz Sales:
All day
Cyanotype- with artist Sandra C. Davis:
All day
Opening Reception for Exhibitions:
5 - 7pm: Opening Reception for 20/20 Photo Festival Call for Entry and TILT Member exhibitions
Virtual Programs in September:
September 25 at 7pm: Virtual Presentation: Demystifying AI for Creativity and Business with Amie Potsic Art Advisory
September 21: Virtual Artist Talk: Artist Jude Abu Zaineh presented by the Batik Batik Collective
Experiential Photo Walks in September:
September 7 at 10:30am: Old City Photo Walk with Unique Photo
September 12: Olde Kensington Photo Walk with Unique Photo
Pier Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 12 pm – 9 pm
Friday: 12 pm – 11 pm
Saturday: 11 am – 11 pm
Sunday: 11 am – 9 pm
PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA – In September 2024, Philadelphia celebrates photography! This year's 20/20 Photo Festival explores the evolution and influence of technology on contemporary photography by featuring artists and cultural institutions that reflect the creative collaborations happening throughout Philadelphia.
A full day of free programming will take place at Cherry Street Pier in the historic Old City neighborhood on Saturday, September 7th, 2024 from 12:00pm to 7:00pm, along with a variety of photography exhibitions throughout the fall in the Philadelphia region.
Technology has altered photography every year since its inception: The camera obscura sparked the idea of image making and evolved into a pinhole camera while the Daguerreotype made it into a physical object by exposing iodized silver plates. Changes in film and chemistry moved us from making calotypes to darkroom silver prints, color prints, digital prints and now images are being created by AI. After every new stage of evolution, we adapt our practice and process by blending old and new technologies. The festival explores how technology influences a photographer's vision through exhibitions, a photo book fair, free demonstrations, and artists talks.
The programming partners bring the collaborative nature of the festival to light with their artist talks, panels, and book signings during the main day of the festival. TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image presents three artist talks featuring members exhibiting at Cherry Street Pier and one moderated by Curator of Photographs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Peter Barberie. Amie Potsic Art Advisory and The Photo Review present panel discussions featuring photographic legends like Donald E. Camp as well as photographers using cutting edge technology like Krista Svalbonas interspersed with book signings by artists including Patricia Diart and John Singletary. The Print Center presents four book signings with Mary Virginia Swanson, along with artists releasing new publications; Andrea Modica, Wendel A. White, and Ron Tarver.
Local community darkroom; The Halide Project will be organizing a variety of free interactive photographic activities during the day to expose visitors to old technology from the photographic world. Learn about one of the earliest technological advances in photography; the wet plate collodion process with Maureen Cooper, join Pop Up Polaroid's Kara Khan for an in-depth look at one of the technologies that helped make photography accessible to the masses, learn how to design an Augmented Reality artwork with the Termite TV Collective, experience Wandering Obscura, a free-standing mobile camera obscura that reimagines the ancient optical device that provided part of the scientific foundation of photography, with co-creator Liz Sales, and try your hand at the first photographic process used to illustrate a book; the cyanotype with artist Sandra C. Davis. The festival will also be celebrating World Cyanotype Day by offering free materials and instructions on how to make these beautiful blue sun prints in a new way.
Gravy Studio will be organizing a photography book fair that will gather a wide variety of photographic art under one roof—from photographers, publishers, booksellers, galleries, and dealers/collectors. This year's vendors include; ALGO Creative Co., Alexander Artway Archive, Amie Potsic Art Advisory, Andrew Piccone, Athenaeum of Philadelphia, Blue Tiger, Blue Flower Press, Candace diCarlo, Christine Elfman, Drexel University Photography Program, Eric Green Foto, Evan Guanzon, Formento + Formento, Frances M Maguire Museum, Gravy Studio, InLiquid, James B Abbott, Jim Lehmann, Kevin Cook, Laura June Kirsch, Literal, Lodima Press, Marianne Bernstein, Nick Pedro + Betsey Carroll, PhotoBookArts, PhotoLounge, PLUTO, Point A to Point B: analog explorations, Robert Cooper, Saleem Ahmed, Sammy Rivera, TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image, The Halide Project, The Hand Magazine, The Photo Review, The Print Center, Tin Roof Press, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Photography Program, and Unique Photo.
Throughout September, Cherry Street Pier will showcase the festival's core exhibitions including TILT members' photography alongside the 20/20 Photo Festival Annual Call for Entry exhibit, both exploring how artists adapt their practice and process by blending old and new technologies. Unique Photo will also present a core exhibition Abandon Today by Justin Curtis and Bart Lentini which explores the artists' shared interest in URBEX which brought their paths together in 2016. The artists' first trip to photograph Rockland State Hospital in New York was the beginning of a fun and exciting adventure. Eight years, thousands of miles, and hundreds of stories later, they present this collection of images representing the forgotten and remembering the present.
The festival will involve the whole month of September when a variety of satellite exhibitions will take place across the city of Philadelphia. Exhibitions will be presented by institutions including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Woodmere Art Museum, Unique Photo, Paradigm Gallery, The Institute of Contemporary Art, the Halide Project, InLiquid Gallery, The Space Gallery, and more.
Additional September programs include virtual talks and experiences so participants from around the world and Philadelphia's own backyard can get involved. On September 25th at 7pm, Amie Potsic Art Advisory hosts a virtual presentation on Demystifying AI for creativity and business where Amie Potsic discusses navigating the new artistic landscape with confidence. Other virtual events in September include a discussion with curator Travis Flack and selected artists from the annual Call for Entry show. Along with an artist talk with Jude Abu Zaineh presented by the Batik Batik Collective, a nomadic pop-up cinema and gallery which brings SWANA cinema and local emerging women and LGBTQ+ artists to Philadelphia. Festival goers can experience more through Unique Photo's in person Old City Photo Walk at 10:30am on September 7th as well as the Second Thursday photo walk in Olde Kensington to see opening receptions at the Crane Arts Building and other galleries in the neighborhood on September 12th.
Liz Sales, Wandering Obscura © Liz Sales 2024
The 20/20 Photo Festival in Philadelphia was conceptualized by a small but dedicated group of Philadelphia-area photographers and photo organizations, including members from Gravy Studio, The Halide Project, and Wanderlife Gallery. The festival provides opportunities for the exchange of ideas and artistic expression, in a local, national, and international context—reflecting the diversity of contemporary photography and its roots in the historical. The festival aims to make photography accessible to all through free and public programming all designed to both inspire and educate. This includes artist talks, workshops and demonstrations, panel discussions, hands-on public events, exhibitions, and more. For more information on the 20/20 Photo Festival events and programming, visit: https://www.2020photofestival.org/
The 20/20 Photo Festival is fiscally sponsored by InLiquid, a 501(c)(3)
InLiquid mobilizes and makes accessible the visual arts culture of the greater Philadelphia region in order to unite communities, establish wider audiences for artists and designers, facilitate the relationship between artists and collectors, and nurture the public's appreciation of all forms of visual art. For more information, visit: https://www.inliquid.org/
The 20/20 Photo Festival 2024 sponsors include: Unique Photo, LexJet, Butterfield Editions Fine Art Printing, Philly Home Girls Real Estate, Philadelphia Activities Fund, Shades of Paper, Gaby Heit Creative Direction and Management, Graphic Designer Grace Molteni, and Photo West Gallery. Programming Partners include TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image, The Print Center, InLiquid, Amie Potsic Art Advisory, The Halide Project, Batikh Batikh, and Gravy Studio.
20/20 Photo Festival Promotional Video
Marianne Bernstein, Publication Theatre of the Everyday, 2024 © Marianne Bernstein 2024
Call and I Follow, Let Me Die, 1867 (negative), Julia Margaret Cameron, Carbon print, Image and sheet: 13 11/16 × 10 1/2 inches (34.8 × 26.7 cm), From the Collection of Dorothy Norman, 1971, 1971-5-6. Image courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.