PhotoMidwest Biennial Festival Weekend

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Philip Heying

A landscape at sunset.

An image from the 2024 PhotoMidwest Biennial.

This celebration of modern photography features work by artists from 13 Midwest states, chosen by New York artist and publisher Kris Graves, who on “Festival Weekend,” Sept. 27-28, will give a welcome and talk during the opening reception (6-8 p.m., Sept. 27), lead a workshop (9 a.m., Sept. 28) and give the keynote talk (3:30 p.m., Sept. 28). Read Graham Brown's preview here. Related exhibits at ALL include Rashod Taylor's collection "Little Black Boy" and the "Flat File Project" including 10 Midwest artists; PhotoMidwest member exhibits include “In Search of Awe,” juried by board member Tim Mulcahy, through Nov. 17 at Overture Center’s Playhouse Gallery (reception is 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Oct. 3); and “For the Love of Light,” Oct. 1-31 at the Pyle Center. Find more info on other area photography exhibits, and virtual galleries, at photomidwest.org.

media release: PhotoMidwest’s Biennial Exhibition, September 17 - November 9, 2024, is our signature show. It is a juried exhibit that celebrates the work of Midwest photographers living in one of 13 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, or Wisconsin. Juried by Kris Graves.

Preview the Exhibit - View the Virtual Gallery

This weekend is...Festival Weekend, September 27 - 28, 2024

Free workshops and talks! Arts + Literature Laboratory, 111 S Livingston St #100, Madison, WI 53703

Friday, September 27

13th Biennial Exhibition Opening Reception

6 - 8 pm Wine & Beer Reception

7:30 pm Kris Graves, juror remarks and awards announcement

Important: Due to an event held at the nearby Sylvee Concert Venue parking for the 13th Biennial's opening reception could be challenging. We encourage you to arrive early. Please visit the Art + Lit Labs website for parking recommendations. https://artlitlab.org/about-all/planning-your-visit

Saturday, September 28

Workshops and Lectures

9 - 10:30 am Kris Graves: Professional Practices for Photographers: ris Graves will lead an in-depth discussion on enhancing the marketing and promotional aspects of your photography and art practice. This class will cover essential topics such as crafting compelling artist statements and biographies that effectively convey your vision and work. You will learn how to build a personal website that showcases your portfolio professionally and engagingly and strategies for establishing a solid social media presence to reach a wider audience.

Additionally, the course will explore various methods for fundraising and raising awareness about your art practice. Whether seeking grants, crowdfunding, or other financial support, you will gain valuable insights into effectively communicating your work's importance and impact to potential backers. By the end of the class, you will have a comprehensive toolkit to elevate your professional practices and advance your artistic career.

11 - 12:30 pm Kelli Connell: Pictures for Charis - Lecture & Book Signing: Join us to hear Kelli Connell speak on Pictures for Charis, a groundbreaking new work that synthesizes text and image while raising vital questions about photography, gender, and portraiture in the twenty-first century.

Pictures for Charis is a project driven by photographer Kelli Connell’s obsession with the writer Charis Wilson, Edward Weston’s partner, model, and collaborator during one of the most productive segments of his historic career. Connell focuses on Wilson and Weston’s shared legacy, traveling with her partner, Betsy Odom, to locales where the latter couple made photographs together more than eighty years ago. Wilson wrote extensively about her travels and her and Weston’s photographic concerns.

In chasing Charis Wilson’s ghost, Connell tells her own story, one that finds a kinship with Wilson and, to her surprise, Weston, too, as she navigates her own life and struggles as an artist against a cultural landscape that has changed yet remains mired in many of the same thorny issues regarding the nature of desire and inspiration and the relationship of artist and landscape.

This rich weave of narrative and images complicates and breathes new life into a well-known set of photos while also presenting Connell's entirely new and mesmerizing body of work, her first work combining image and text as a mode of visual research and storytelling.

Following the lecture, Kelli will sign copies of her book, Pictures for Charis.

12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch Break

1:30-3 pm  R.J. Kern: The Unchosen Ones - Lecture & Book Signing: R. J. Kern will share narrative arcs to personal projects which began in 2012 with an exploration of his pastoral roots in Ireland, Germany, Norway, and Iceland. He discovered his ancestors and their land have historically thrived alongside animals—goats, sheep, and rams—that were vital to their economy and sustenance. Growing up in a military family, he moved frequently, which fostered a longing for a hometown and deep community roots.

The nomadic nature of these animals resonates deeply with his own experiences; he has learned wandering can provide both sustenance and a sense of grounding. The hoofed animals, representing both the ordinary and the mythical, have become central figures in my artistic work, drawing inspiration from 19th-century painters. This body of work culminated in his first monograph, The Sheep and The Goats (Kehrer Verlag, 2018).

In 2016, motivated by empathy, he initiated The Unchosen Ones project, photographing 65 agricultural youth and their animals that were not champions at ten Minnesota county fairs. National Geographic published the work, with gallery and museum exhibition as outcomes from Photolucida and Review Santa Fe portfolio reviews. In 2020, he revisited The Unchosen Ones, delving deeper into the aspirations and dreams of the youth photographed. This reflective process culminated in the publication of The Unchosen Ones: Portraits of an American Pastoral (MW Editions, 2021), accompanied by a video documentary series and a traveling exhibition across 15 venues.

Inspired by Minnesota’s rich agricultural traditions, he launched The Last Fair project in 2021, creating portraits of county fairs with a nod to classical painting techniques. Drawing inspiration from artists like Pieter Bruegel and Grandma Moses, the project aims to showcase the vibrant tapestry of rural life at county fairs across Minnesota. 

After his presentation, R. J. will sign copies of his projects, The Sheep and The Goats and The Unchosen Ones.

3:30-5 pm Kris Graves: Keynote - Lecture & Book Signing: Kris Graves will share insights from his extensive photography career, which has spanned over two decades. He will delve into his work experience and artistic practice, examining how he has evolved as a photographer and artist.

In addition to discussing his creative journey, Kris will provide an inside perspective on his experience running a commercial gallery. He will explain the transition from managing a traditional gallery space to shifting his focus toward collaborating with artists on publications. This discussion will highlight the challenges and rewards of adapting to new platforms and methods of artistic dissemination, providing valuable lessons for those looking to expand or redefine their creative practices.

Following the lecture, Kris will sign copies of his book, Privileged Medicocrity.

More on the exhibits:

In fall 2024, PhotoMidwest will produce its signature event, the PhotoMidwest Biennial Festival in Madison, Wisconsin. Festival exhibitions occur at various galleries, including the Arts + Literature Laboratory, Overture Center for the Arts, PhotoMidwest Studio, and the Pyle Center on the UW Campus.

The festival’s capstone event is the 13th PhotoMidwest Biennial Juried Exhibition, which showcases photographers from 13 Midwest U.S. states. PhotoMidwest seeks work from photographers living and working in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Sept 17 - Nov 9: Exhibition will be open at the  Arts + Literature Laboratory (ALL) in downtown Madison.

2024 Juror | Kris Graves (b. 1982, New York, NY) is an artist and publisher based in New York and California. Graves creates artwork that deals with societal problems and aims to use art to inform people about cultural issues. Graves received his BFA in Visual Arts from S.U.N.Y. Purchase College. He has been published and exhibited globally, including at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Getty Institute in Los Angeles, and the National Portrait Gallery in London. Permanent collections include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Getty Institute, Schomburg Center, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

A message from Kris Graves: I am excited to serve as the juror for the PhotoMidwest Biennial Exhibition and eagerly anticipate all the wonderful artist submissions.

The universal language of photography has the power to provoke thought, evoke emotion, and change the world. It is of the utmost importance for artists to carve out their own voice, and this challenge leads to growth.

I eagerly anticipate the diverse range of perspectives and stories that will be showcased. With a keen interest in culture and agency, I look forward to encountering images that not only captivate visually but also resonate deeply with their intended messages.

Festival Weekend, September 27 - 28, 2024

September 27, 2024, Opening Reception at 6-8 p.m. CST.  7:30 pm Kris Graves, juror remarks and awards announcement

Saturday, September 28 Workshop and Lectures

9 - 10:30 am Kris Graves: Professional Practices for Photographers

11 - 12:30 pm Kelli Connell: Pictures for Charis - Lecture & Book Signing

12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch Break

1:30-3 pm Deanna Dikeman: Relative Moments - Lecture & Book Signing

3:30-5 pm Kris Graves: Keynote - Lecture & Book Signing

Other exhibits:

In Search of Awe, Juried by Tim Mulcahy.

August 27 - November 17, 2024, Overture Playhouse Gallery. Reception:October 3, 2024, time TBA.  

For the Love of Light, An Exhibition by PhotoMidwest Members

October 1 - 31, 2024,Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St