FotoWeekDC

The week of November 15-22, 2008 will mark the launch of FotoWeek DC, the first annual gathering of a diverse and wide-ranging photography community in the nation’s capital, including photographers, museums, universities and all those involved in the profession across the metro D.C. area, including Virginia and Maryland. Unique among American cities, Washington, D.C. is a nexus of artistic, business, political and public sector energy, in which photography plays an integral role. FotoWeek DC seeks to bring together all photographers and imaging professionals from every discipline to join with the public in celebration of the medium.

Details here.

There are dozens and dozens of gallery shows, dozens of lectures by famous photographers, loads of book signings, many workshops for all you photo geeks and everything associated with making lovers of the silver gelatin happy.

This is a massive, city-wide event and clearly a ton of work by the organizers has taken place; my kudos to all of them!

Now let's see how the (a) city fathers and mothers, (b) DCCAH and (c) the media add their part to the event so that (d) the local collectors and buyers react to it so that (e) the international photography market and (f) other collectors and (g) curators and (i) national museum curators pay attention and thus make it impossible for (j) for local DC area museum curators to ignore it.

This is a once in a decade opportunity for DC area museum curators to get off their butts and go visit a couple of dozen art venues and see a myriad of photography shows (and earn their pay) and perhaps discover a good local photog here and there, and even a gallery here and there. Get the fuck out of your offices and do your jobs!

This is a once in a decade opportunity for the Washington Post and the Washington Times and the Washington City Paper and Washingtonian magazine and all those other thick, full of ads DC area magazines to record for posterity this important local effort on behalf of art and photography in a city and region where the moniker "local" raises semantic eyebrows. And yes... I know several of these media outlets are "sponsoring" the event - thank you! But now I'd like for all of them to leave a newsprint and digital footprint of the event.

Visit this website, learn all about it, and visit DC, Bethesda, Virginia and all of that great artsy area known as the Greater Washington DC region to see some great photography and then buy some photos!

Cheerleader in Chief and proud of it.