International Juried Photography Exhibition
Guest Curator: Emma Powell
NARRATIVES ~
FIGMENTS & FRAGMENTS
Opening Night Reception: Saturday Jan 15th 6-8pm
Exhibition Dates: Jan 15th - 29th, 2022
Guest Curator | Emma Powell
The photograph’s power as a narrative tool is derived from the impression that what is captured within the frame is an accurate representation of what actually occurred at a specific moment in time. As complete or comprehensive as any narrative may appear to be, it will always be subject to a process of including some elements and excluding others. These inclusions and exclusion are a crucial part of what photographic storytelling is all about - What is being presented within the frame to the viewer – and what is being left out or left to the viewer’s imagination.
Praxis Gallery presents photographic works that explore the development of visual narratives through the still image. Stories may take any shape or form; they may be literal or fantasy, documentary or fiction; complex or minimal.
International Juried Photography Exhibition
Guest Curator: Emma Powell
NARRATIVES ~
FIGMENTS & FRAGMENTS
Opening Night Reception: Saturday Jan 15th 6-8pm
Exhibition Dates: Jan 15th - 29th, 2022
Guest Curator | Emma Powell
The photograph’s power as a narrative tool is derived from the impression that what is captured within the frame is an accurate representation of what actually occurred at a specific moment in time. As complete or comprehensive as any narrative may appear to be, it will always be subject to a process of including some elements and excluding others. These inclusions and exclusion are a crucial part of what photographic storytelling is all about - What is being presented within the frame to the viewer – and what is being left out or left to the viewer’s imagination.
Praxis Gallery presents photographic works that explore the development of visual narratives through the still image. Stories may take any shape or form; they may be literal or fantasy, documentary or fiction; complex or minimal.
International Juried Photography Exhibition
Guest Curator: Emma Powell
NARRATIVES ~
FIGMENTS & FRAGMENTS
Opening Night Reception: Saturday Jan 15th 6-8pm
Exhibition Dates: Jan 15th - 29th, 2022
Guest Curator | Emma Powell
The photograph’s power as a narrative tool is derived from the impression that what is captured within the frame is an accurate representation of what actually occurred at a specific moment in time. As complete or comprehensive as any narrative may appear to be, it will always be subject to a process of including some elements and excluding others. These inclusions and exclusion are a crucial part of what photographic storytelling is all about - What is being presented within the frame to the viewer – and what is being left out or left to the viewer’s imagination.
Praxis Gallery presents photographic works that explore the development of visual narratives through the still image. Stories may take any shape or form; they may be literal or fantasy, documentary or fiction; complex or minimal.
PHOTO ARTS CENTER
International Juried Photography Exhibition
EMPTY PLACES :
ABANDONED SPACES
Opening Night Reception: Nov. 16, 6 - 8PM
Exhibition dates: Nov. 16 - Dec 14, 2024
Through the visual representation of abandoned spaces, artifacts of history are at once new but decayed, ancient yet fresh. The past takes on new life in these forsaken, ruined, or empty spaces as we wonder, Who were the people who lived and worked here? What were their lives like? What were their stories? Where did they go?
Praxis Gallery presents photographic art that explores the visual and social significance of what is left behind, in which crumbling factories, derelict churches, private homes, and other empty places serve as the basis for creative investigation.
International Juried Photography Exhibition
HOME
Opening Night Reception: Nov. 16, 6 - 8PM
Exhibition dates: Nov. 16 - Dec 14, 2024
The notion of home transcends conventional meanings and interpretations. Beyond its physical manifestation as a shelter, home unfolds as a dynamic concept that resonates across the human experience. It embodies not only a tangible space but also a repository of emotions, memories, and a sense of belonging.
Yet the concept of home is not without its complexities. The exploration of home involves an introspective journey, unraveling layers of meaning and confronting the nuances of attachment and detachment, personal growth, and familial conflict. Transience or instability can evoke feelings of displacement, making it difficult for individuals to perceive the home as a nurturing space.
Praxis Gallery presents photographic art that explores the idea, space, or memory of home. A broad interpretation of the theme is presented. Curated by Praxis Directors.
International Juried Photography Exhibition
THE STILL LIFE
Opening Night Reception: Oct 19, 6 - 8PM
Exhibition Dates: Oct. 19 - Nov. 9, 2024
Still life photography, more so than other types of photography, such as landscape or portraiture, gives the photographer extensive leeway and precise control in the arrangement of design elements within a composition. Still life photography is a demanding genre, one in which the photographers are expected to be able to form their work with a refined sense of lighting, coupled with composition and design skills. The still life photographer makes pictures rather than takes them.
Praxis Gallery presents photographic art that investigates the genre of the Still Life. Submissions may explore classical to conceptual aspects of the still life, photographing object arrangements that intrigue, engage or entertain the viewer. Juror: G.S. Broz
International Juried Photography Exhibition
NOCTURNES:
DUSK TILL DAWN
Entry deadline: Oct. 19, 6 - 8PM
Exhibition dates: Oct. 19 – Nov 9, 2024
“Night does not show things, it suggests them. It disturbs and surprises us with its strangeness. It liberates forces within us which are dominated by our reason during the daytime.” ―Brassai
Spanning two centuries, the magic of night photography has captured the collective imagination of the masses. From the infamously long exposures required by early artists to high-speed color film and the advent of digital technology, the light at night has inspired an explosion of interest among contemporary artists. Natural vistas, celestial bodies, urban landscapes, artificial structures, and nocturnal interludes represent but a few of the limitless subjects of nighttime photography.
Praxis Gallery presents photographic art that explore the fundamental qualities that make night photography – from dusk till dawn – a compelling contemporary art form. Curated by Praxis Directors
International Juried Photography Exhibition
THE STREETS
Opening Reception: Sat. Sept. 21, 6–8PM CST
Exhibition Dates: Sept. 21 - Oct. 12, 2024
"Street Photography became recognized as a genre in its own right during the early 1930s. Street Photography is unique in the way it is associated with the photographer's skill in capturing something of the mystery and aura of everyday city living. The Street Photographer is then often likened to the historical figure of the flâneur: namely someone who mingles anonymously amongst the crowd observing and recording the ways the unsuspecting city dweller interacts with his or her environment."
Praxis Gallery presents photographic art that explores the genre of street photography from all angles, including people, urban structure, and documentary subject matter. Juried by: Valérie Jardin.
International Juried Photography Exhibition
NUDE
GEOGRAPHIES
Opening Night: Sept. 21, 4 - 6PM
Exhibition Dates: Sept. 21 - Oct 12, 2024
The nude form has been portrayed in art throughout history, from the classical era to the enlightenment and the modern era. The nude figure in western art–specifically in photography–has expressed ideals of female and male beauty along with other human qualities including life, energy, and an array of complicated human emotions.
Praxis Gallery presents photographic works that explore the nude in any of its varied styles including figure studies, environmental nudes and implied nudes–just to name a few of the many iterations of this genre. Curated by Praxis Directors
International Juried Photography Exhibition
THE SHADOW ASPECT
Opening Reception: Sat. Aug 17, 6-8PM
Exhibition dates: Aug. 17 – Sept. 14, 2024
‘Most people think that shadows follow, precede, surround beings or objects. The truth is that they also surround words, ideas, desires, deeds, impulses, and memories.’ - Elie Wiesel.
Praxis Gallery presents photographic art that explores the formal, conceptual, and metaphoric implications of the shadow. Some photographs focus on the shadow as pure visual form expressed through the creation of line, shape, pattern, and texture, while others may examine the cultural and psychological implications of the shadow - exploring ideas of foreboding, internal conflict, passages into the unconsciousness, or other ephemeral interpretations. Juried by: Elizabeth Flinsch
International Juried Photography Exhibition
MOTION > BLUR
Opening Night Reception: Aug. 17, 6 - 8PM
Exhibition dates: Aug 17 - Sept 14 , 2024
In most cases, photography is used to “freeze time,” with a still image. Motion in photography creates a paradox: the image is a frozen moment in time but what is captured is an object that is a blur of motion – an apparent streaking, bending, distorting and /or movement of light and objects in the foreground or background of the image frame. Blur can demonstrate the velocity of movement. It can convey the emotional dimensions of the subject photographed, presenting dream like qualities by invoking the surreal and transitory nature of time passing. Meteors streak across the sky, ghostly figures move through a room, the artist paints shapes with a light source. These are some examples of how blur represents motion in time-lapse photography.
International Juried Photography Exhibition
THE FOUND OBJECT
Opening Reception: Sat. July 20, 6-8PM
Exhibition dates: July 20 – Aug. 10, 2024
A "found object" is a material artifact discovered by chance and assigned esthetic value in an artist’s hand. Found art may include a wide array of objects and items either discarded, forgotten, dropped, or misplaced – such as shoes, a fork, shopping carts, signs, doll heads, abandoned cars, clocks, mementos, or any object that can be reimagined through the lens of a camera.
Praxis Gallery presents photographic art that investigates this idiom: exploring the subject of the “found object” as pure visual form, detached from its history or utility, or conversely, the representation of the object as a catalyst for exploring broader issues such as subjectivity and socialization, memory and loss, or love and death. All genres, capture types, an post-production processes are welcome for submission. Juried by Jonathan Pavlica.
© Joan Tortorici Ruppert
International Juried Photography Exhibition
WATER ~ SKY
Opening Reception: June 20, 2024. 6 - 8PM
Exhibition dates: July 20 - Aug. 10, 2024
Water, sky, and the liminal space between them are, by definition, poetic and symbolic. There exist infinite iterations of the qualities of water and sky: water may be fluid, frozen, rippling, reflective, tranquil, turbulent, crystal-clear, submerged, or flowing. The sky may be celestial, atmospheric, airy, cloud-covered, ethereal, canopied, or infinite. The colors of water and sky span the spectrum from warm to cool; reflective silver, dark indigo, cerulean, cyan, azure, to crimson and blazing gold. Black & white photography features the fundamental nature of water and sky by emphasizing their form, texture, and contrast while stripping away the elements of color.
From ice to ether, oceans to puddles, starry nights to clouds reflected in glass—Praxis Gallery presents photographic artwork that explores the ideas of water and sky in their myriad forms.
© Joan Tortorici Ruppert
International Juried Photography Exhibition
THE PORTRAIT
Opening Reception | Sat. June 15, 6 - 8PM
Exhibition Dates: June 15 - July 13, 2024
"Making portraits is more than a physical form, it’s a silent communication in understanding and respect between the photographer and the subject. There’s an internal emotion and fire of the soul that you try to capture." – Sandra
In her book, Portraits and Persons, writer Cynthia Freeland describes three essential elements that constitute a portrait: “(1) a recognizable physical body (2) an inner life, i.e., some sort of psychological or mental states and (3) self-presentation, or the "posing.”
Praxis Gallery presents photographs that celebrate the aesthetic and conceptual considerations involved in the creation of the portrait: revealing personal narratives or new anthologies through the artistic representation of the subject. Juried by Layne Kennedy
International Juried Photography Exhibition
ANIMAL LIFE
Notification: May 24, 2024. 4PM CST
Exhibition dates: June 15 - July 13, 2024
"Animal Life' is a call for photographic work that celebrates the complex and multifaceted nature of animals, emphasizing kindness and compassion in representing our furry, feathery, and scaly friends. Showcasing companion animals, farm animals, wild animals, sea life, insects, and birds, this project encompasses various genres such as Animal Portraits, Ethical Wildlife Photography, Artistic Interpretations, Underwater Photography, Macro Photography, Conservation Photography, and Bird Photography – just to name a few examples.
Praxis Gallery presents photographic art that captures kind and empathetic portraits of a wide range of animals, from domestic pets and farm animals to a diverse array of wildlife species found across different ecosystems.
International Juried Photography Exhibition
The Shape of Things
Opening Reception | Sat. May 18, 6–8PM
Exhibition Dates | May 18 – June 8, 2024
The rhythm of surfaces, lines, and values is for me the essence of photography; composition should be a constant of preoccupation... an organic coordination of visual elements. – Henri Cartier-Bresson
The term composition means ‘putting together’ or the act of combining parts or elements to form a whole - often adhering to compositional principles that make a work of photographic art more appealing or intriguing to viewers. These principles include the development of rhythm, movement, contrast, balance, unity, proximity, and continuity to create expressive and compelling compositions – while emphasizing different visual concepts.
International Juried Photography Exhibition
THE BEAUTY IN MADNESS
Opening Night Reception: Sat, May 18. 6-8pm
Exhibition Dates: May 18 - June 8, 2024
Curators | Praxis Directors
Madness (mental illness) is something that frightens and fascinates us all. It is a word with which we are universally familiar yet haunts the human imagination. Through centuries, in poetry, prose, drama, and the visual arts, “madness" has been on display for all to see.
With devastating effect, mental illness can disturb our commonsense assumptions; create unbearable disruptions in the routine of daily living; and turn our experience and our expectations upside down. And yet, it is this upside-down world view that opens a universe of unique and inventive perspectives oblivious to those free from disruptions of the mind.
Praxis Gallery presents photographic art that explores ideas linked to mental health, be it conflict or humor, fiction or fact, or any other literal or ephemeral lens-based investigation. We welcome photographic art that questions conventional assumptions about mental health or celebrates the unique perspective only visible to those who can see the "beauty in madness”.
International Juried Photography Exhibition
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Opening Night Reception: April 20, 6-8PM, 2024
Exhibition dates: April 20 – May 11, 2024
From Robert Frank to Justine Kurland, Jack Kerouac to Thelma & Louise, the road has called out to artists. We're looking for images of interstates, blue highways, back roads, gravel roads, small towns, grand vistas, national parks, tourist traps, motels, waysides, truck stops, adventure, solitude, friendship, and kids in the back seat. Take us on a trip where the journey really is more important than the destination. If you've ever fired up a mixtape or a playlist and hit the open road, show us what you brought back.
Praxis Gallery presents photographic art that emphasizes the significance of the journey itself over the final destination. Exhibiting Artists share their unique perspectives and experiences of the open road.
Juried by: Dallas Crow
© Joan Tortorici Ruppert
International Juried Photography Exhibition
DIPTYCH~OPEN THEME
Opening reception: Sat. Apr 20, 6–8PM
Exhibition Dates: Apr 20 - May 11 2024
A photographic diptych is a work of art that consists of two photographs that are arranged side by side. Diptychs can convey a story by connecting seemingly unrelated images. The use of two photographs side by side can allow the photographer to experiment with different compositions and to create a sense of balance or symmetry. The two images in a diptych can represent duality or opposites. They allow the photographer to explore different themes, narratives, compositions, and contrasts.
Praxis presents photographic art that explores these concepts; creating new meanings and aesthetic engagement by juxtaposing two images side by side. Juried by: Sandrine Hermand-Grisel
International Juried Photography Exhibition
BLACK & WHITE
Opening reception: Sat. Mar 16, 6–8PM
Exhibition dates: Mar 16 - April 13, 2024
Juror: Elizabeth Flinsch
More than half a century after the advent of color film, black and white & monochromatic photography continues to capture our collective imagination. Utilizing tone, contrast, texture and shape, monochromatic photography strips its subject to only the most essential visual elements; revealing a sense of soul, substance and meaning – separate from the shifting sentiments, symbolism and cultural associations of color imagery.
Praxis Gallery presents the submission of photographic works that demonstrate the fundamental qualities that make black & white and monochromatic photography an enduring, contemporary art form.
International Juried Photography Exhibition
THE LIFE OF COLOR
Opening Night Reception: March 16, 6-8PM, 2024
Exhibition dates: Mar, 16 – April 13, 2024
Color is a dynamic dimension, defined by its three unique components: Hue, Value, and Saturation. These elements serve as the fundamental building blocks in the poetic and symbolic realm of color within creative photography. It's more than a spectacle; it's a psychological journey. Colors evoke moods, thoughts, and concepts with their mere presence, tapping into psychology, biology, and culture.
While black and white photography has its own artistic merits and has been historically significant, color photography is widely embraced for its ability to convey a broad range of information and emotional nuances.
Praxis Gallery presents photographic art that explores the implications of color as a central device in the creation of compelling photographic art. Curated by Praxis Directors
International Juried Photography Exhibition
OPEN THEME
EXHIBITION RECEPTION: Saturday, Feb 17 6PM-8PM
Exhibition Dates: Feb. 17–Mar. 9, 2024
“Photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting… It has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”
–Elliott Erwitt
Praxis Gallery presents photographic art of any genre and any subject matter which represents the artist’s endeavor to reveal a personal declaration of visual significance, be it a celebration of pure aesthetic formalism, humor or conflict, fiction or fact, or any other literal or ephemeral manifestation. All genres, capture types, black & white and color, traditional and non-traditional photographic and digital post-production processes are welcome for submission. Juried by Aline Smithson.
© Joan Tortorici Ruppert
International Juried Photography Exhibition
FAMILY PHOTOS
MEMORY • IDENTITY • ARTIFACT
Opening Night Reception: February 17, 6-8PM
Exhibition dates: Feb. 17–Mar. 9, 2024
Praxis Gallery Presents photography that unravels the intricate tapestry woven by family dynamics, histories, and emotions encapsulated within conceptually constructed images, seemingly ordinary snapshots, or historic family photographs
Visual studies of specific family histories, highlighting unique stories, personal contexts, and broader interpretations that recognize shared human experiences and emotions across diverse family narratives are encouraged.
The family photo as concept or artifact may explore specific stories, moments of joy, sorrow, love, and nostalgia, and extend an invitation to viewers to connect with the universal and timeless aspects of familial relationships. Praxis Gallery presents photographic works that explore any of these concepts, endeavoring to unravel layers of meaning inherent in family photos. Curated by Praxis Directors
ANNUAL PRAXIS MEMBER SHOWCASE
2023 ARTIST MEMBERS
Opening Night Reception: February 17, 6-8PM
Exhibition dates: Feb. 17–Mar. 9, 2024
We are thrilled to host our third annual Praxis Members’ Exhibit! All current Artist Members are free exhibit a photograph of their choice. The members-only exhibit will be installed by our gallerist Jonathan Pavlica as a salon style presentation.
We hope to see you on opening night!
Thank you for supporting Praxis Gallery | Photo Arts Center
PRAXIS GALLERY
PRAXIS PHOTO ARTS CENTER
LANDSCAPES
International Juried Photography Exhibition
Opening reception: Sat. Jan 20, 6–8PM
Exhibition dates: Jan. 20–Feb. 10, 2024
Landscape photography shows spaces within the world that are sometimes vast and unending, other times microscopic. Landscape photographers typically capture the presence of nature but can also focus on man-made features or disturbances of natural vistas. Many landscape photographs show an unsullied depiction of nature, devoid of human influence—instead featuring subjects such as strongly defined landforms, weather, ambient light and other sublime elements. Beyond purely aesthetic considerations, landscapes often contain intensely personal and emotional subjectivities, hinting at secret histories of fondness, love, and nurturing, or past emotional turbulence, loss, and regret.
Praxis Gallery presents photographic artwork that explores a broad, interpretive, and personal investigation of the landscape: both as a place or an idea, as a literal expression or conceptual iteration. All genres, capture types, and post-production processes were considered. Juried by G.S. Broz.
International Juried Photography Exhibition
HOME
Opening Night Reception Jan. 20, 6–8PM CST
Exhibition dates: Jan. 20–Feb. 10, 2024
The notion of home transcends conventional meanings and interpretations. Beyond its physical manifestation as a shelter, home unfolds as a dynamic concept that resonates across the human experience. It embodies not only a tangible space but also a repository of emotions, memories, and a sense of belonging.
Yet the concept of home is not without its complexities. The exploration of home involves an introspective journey, unraveling layers of meaning and confronting the nuances of attachment and detachment, personal growth, and familial conflict. Transience or instability can evoke feelings of displacement, making it difficult for individuals to perceive the home as a nurturing space.
Praxis Gallery presents photographic art that explores the idea, space, or memory of home. A broad interpretation of the theme is encouraged. Curated by Praxis Directors.
International Juried Small Group Exhibit
ANTHOLOGIES
Nine Artists • Nine Short Stories
Solo Exhibit Selection: Vicky Martin
<< The Lab Gallery • 2024 >>
Opening Reception: Sat. Jan. 20, 6–8PM
Exhibit dates: Jan 20 - Feb 10, 2024
The word ANTHOLOGIES derives from the Greek meaning “to gather or collect”. In this precise sense, Praxis Gallery seeks to explore the manner in which photographic artists gather and organize images into collections to creating meaning. This is not an exercise in sequencing images or creating linear chronologies. It is more an interpretive exploration of the interdependence of each image vis a vis the collective meaning of the group. The viewer is invited to extract their own subjectivities, to search for meaning in collected photographs that may seem meandering, anfractuous, and excursionary – as much as they may also seem explicit and absolute in substance.
Praxis presents four-photograph stories by nine emerging artists. All themes, genres, capture types, black & white and color, traditional and non-traditional photographic and digital post-production processes were considered. Jury Panel: Praxis Directors