Keynote Speaker: Kip Fulbeck
Featured Speakers: Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie and Veronica Passalacqua
Featured Speaker: Dawoud Bey

This is a tremendous time for diversity. The United States has seen her first president of color sworn into office, and Iceland has just elected the world’s first openly gay prime minister. Yet ask a photography student for the names of five photographers of diverse backgrounds and they will probably fumble. Just as in political life, the demographics of diversity are also shifting in the photographic arts, but this diversity is slow to make its way into galleries, textbooks, and the awareness of those in the industry.

SPE’s 47th National Conference in Philadelphia, “Facing Diversity: Leveling the Playing Field in the Photographic Arts,” will examine how photographers of diverse backgrounds participate in the art world today and how these artists are being received. The conference will look at inclusivity, diversity within diversity, and the various perspectives on the changing cultural dynamics of this country. It strives to bring together curious minds in celebration of the achievements by artists of all backgrounds.

For photographic educators, artists and scholars, the conference programming will:
• Discuss what diversity means within the framework of photography
• Examine how artists have expressed themselves on the topics of race, culture, ethnicity, religion, class, gender, sexual preference, and age
• Identify how these issues are being discussed in the art world and in the classroom today
• Investigate the vocabulary required to discuss diversity in the arts today

Hannah Frieser
Miriam Romais
2010 Conference Co-Chairs

About the 2010 Conference:
The Philadelphia conference marks a unique partnership between SPE and EnFoco to better address issues of diversity within the field of photography. En Foco is a non-profit photography organization dedicated to nurturing and supporting photographers of diverse cultures, primarily those of Latino, African and Asian heritage, and Native Peoples of the Americas and Pacific. www.enfoco.org

About the City

The conference hotel, the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, is located in walkable Center City, which offers a wealth of art galleries, theatres, outdoor murals, historic streets, and transit connections. A city of neighborhoods, Philadelphia has distinctive Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese, and gay communities near the SPE venue, and you'll see a mix of all ages populating the streets. Don't miss the many small ethnic BYO restaurants, affordable and deliciously diverse, and the famous Reading Terminal Market right next door.

Get more info. about Philadelphia at www.gophila.com and www.philadelphiausa.travel.

A Diversity of Local Activities
Here are ten activities in order of proximity to the Marriott. Bring the family, stay extra days!

1. Four-plus-milers for runners: Start at Filbert Street side of hotel. Two good routes, especially early morning: (1) take Arch Street west to Parkway, angle down the Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art (optional route up Rocky Steps), bear right around the museum, then northwest out Kelly Drive along the river past Boathouse Row - or - (2) west on Arch to 24th, turn north one block to Race, turn west onto the Schuylkill River Trail. http://www.schuylkillrivertrail.com/

2. Reading Terminal Market - 12th & Arch, next door to SPE. Worth a browse for the sights and smells even if you are not going to shop or eat. http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/

3. Philadelphia International Flower Show - PA Convention Center, 12th & Arch, next door to SPE. Always an amazing event. To avoid the worst crowds, go during dinnertime, or the instant the doors open in the morning. The floral arrangement contest area is entertaining. (Young children would be bored.)
http://www.theflowershow.com/home/index.html

4. Visit the PSFS Building (Loews Hotel across Market) and Walk the Skinny Streets. After admiring the Art Deco lobby and mezzanine of the nation's first International Style skyscraper, walk south on 12th Street. Once past Locust, poke around the tucked-away historic streets like Quince, Jessup, Fawn, Camac, Iseminger, Panama and more. http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/PSFS_Building.html

5. Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Constitution Center and all that, a six-plus block walk east or take any bus down Market or Chestnut.
http://www.nps.gov/inde/index.htm Tours, including Scavenger Hunt: http://constitutioncenter.org/

6. Franklin Institute, 20th & the Parkway - terrific science museum - something for everyone, including iMax and Planetarium. Perpetual motion machine in lobby fascinates kids and adults. Located a few blocks from SPE - walk down Arch Street west to Parkway, bear right. http://www2.fi.edu/

7. The Mutter Musuem, 19 S. 22nd - long walk from SPE, or take any bus west on Walnut to 22nd, walk north on 22nd. Full of gross medical oddities kids love. The Mutter Musuem calendars have featured many famous photographers. If you wish to photograph, contact them 2 weeks in advance. http://www.collphyphil.org/mutter.asp

8. Eastern State Penitentiary, partially restored historic prison, popular site for art installations. Tours every day, ages 7 and up. Bus: #48 from 12th and Arch to 22nd & Fairmount. http://www.easternstate.org/

9. The Philadelphia Zoo - America's first zoo. The 38 bus goes out there from 15th & JFK.  Highlights: Naked mole rats, new Primate House with baby orangutan, new tiger territory, Carnivore Kingdom with giant river otters. http://www.philadelphiazoo.org/

10. Please Touch Museum, 4231 N. Concourse Drive- Since 1976 this has been the children's museum of Philadelphia. Now its home is grand Memorial Hall, built in 1876 for the nation's Centennial. The 38 bus goes out there from 15th & JFK. Ask about the Whispering Bench, located outside. http://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org/

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Conference Costs

Download the Conference Flyer and/or the Registration Form for conference costs.

Industry & Education Forum

Join in the Industry and Education Forum to share a rare opportunity for open exchange between all those engaged in our field today. The I&E Forum is the place for faculty, students and industry representatives to come together with the future in mind. The art and science of photography has undergone a great many changes over the last 15 years, presenting new challenges within the educational community as well as within the photographic industry. This metamorphosis is also influenced by today’s tough economic environment. SPE believes we all share an interest in the issues that challenge the field - from product development to curriculum. This year we will launch the forum with a short panel of presenters reflecting current trends based on responses from surveys issued to educators and representatives from industry (see links below), then involve all in a lively exchange. The forum will take place from 8:00 – 9:15am on Saturday, March 6, 2010, in Salon A at The Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. In its fourth year, the forum is open to all exhibitors and conference attendees. Jeff Curto, SPE board member and Professor/Coordinator Photography at the College of DuPage, will moderate this session that will include panelists from industry and education.

Industry and Education Survey
SPE collaborated with educators and industry partners to develop the surveys (see links below) for both educators and representatives from the industry to see how challenges are being met by today’s photography schools and educators as well as from within the industry. We ask you to please take a few minutes to fill out one of the surveys available at the links below. Your participation will help in determining the trends and challenges of teaching and supporting photography today. Responses will be collected through the end of December 2009. The data collected will be analyzed and results will be unveiled at the Educator & Industry Forum.

Survey for educators:
http://surveys.verticalresponse.com/a/show/212010/8c7d9feaba/0

Survey for photo industry representatives:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VTGJK6D

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Student Portfolio Critiques & Professional Portfolio Sessions

This opportunity remains free of charge to registered conference attendees though SPACE IS LIMITED so earlyconference registration is encouraged. Participants will receive two twenty-minute sessions.

Download a list of reviewers (current as of 1/22/10; reviewers added after this date can be found in the conference program guide onsite at the conference.)

We are still looking for professional portfolio reviewers. If you are interested, please contact portfolio@spenational.org.

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First Friday Gallery/Independent Gallery Tour

Friday, March 5, starting after 6:00 pm
Want proof of Philadelphia‘s vibrant art scene? On Friday, March 5, 2010, don’t miss First Friday, the monthly art gallery collective open house. On the first Friday evening of every month the streets of the “Hipstoric” Old City neighborhood fill with art lovers of all kinds who wander among the neighborhood‘s 40-plus galleries, most of them open from 5 until 9 pm. There’s diversity in the crowd, the galleries, the architecture, and local restaurants—you’ll enjoy a multi-flavored experience on Philadelphia‘s oldest streets. Most galleries can be found between Front and Third, and Market and Vine Streets. Old City is walkable or a short subway or bus ride from the Marriott. Just north of Old City is the dynamic Crane Arts Building at 1400 N American Street. The Crane is filled with artist studios, art businesses, and galleries including the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center (PPAC). Gallery 339 in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood will also participate in First Friday. A handout will be provided that will include transportation information, a map and list of galleries and restaurants in the different neighborhoods.

Bus Trip to the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center and Gallery 339
The Philadelphia Photo Arts Center (PPAC) and Drexel University will provide free bus transportation for SPE conference attendees on Friday, March 5, 2010, to PPAC and Gallery 339. Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. PPAC will host a reception for SPE conference attendees for the opening of PPAC’s third exhibition, .matrix (see www.spenational.org for more details about the show). Traditionally, prints are created from a single original surface, known technically as a matrix. The artist in .matrix are either embracing or challenging this idea of a single original. All of the artist share an interest in pushing the limits of the printed image and how it is created and used, whether by creating new printing techniques, site-specific installations or re-contextualizing images.

Artist will include Matthew Brandt, Richard Benson, Donald Camp, GD Loft, Bryan Graf, KesselsKramer , Khanh Le, Susan Lipper, David Benjamin Sherry and Ann Woo.

In addition, PPAC will have a book-signing extravaganza with visiting artist and SPE Saturday night featured conference speaker Dawoud Bey, SPE conference panelist David Graham, Lisa Kereszi, Justin Kimball, Susan Lipper, Richard Renaldi, Dr. Deborah Willis, and John Willis. Come join us for this special night!

There will also be other exhibitions in the same building hosted by Indigo Arts, Nexus, InLiquid, UD@Crane Gallery, the Grey Area and the Icebox.

Gallery 339 will host a special reception for SPE attendees. Showing at Gallery 339 will be Henry Horenstein: Show and Stuart Rome: Drawn from Nature.

Bus Schedule:
6:30 – Pick up at Marriott at the12th St. entrance, between Market St. and Filbert St.
6:45 – Arrive PPAC
7:30 – Depart PPAC to Old City, Arch Street, between 2nd St. and 3rd St, in front of the Betsy Ross House
7:45 – Depart Old City to PPAC
8:00 – Arrive PPAC
8:45 – Depart PPAC to Gallery 339
9:00 – Arrive Gallery 339
9:00 – If necessary, bus will return to PPAC to pick up any remaining attendees to drive them to the Marriot.
10:00 – Depart Gallery 339 to Marriott


Bus Trip to Tyler School of Art at Temple University
Tyler School of Art will provide free bus transportation for SPE conference attendees on Friday, March 5, 2010, to the Tyler campus. Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. Tyler will host a reception for SPE conference attendees in conjunction with Tyler’s exhibition, “Photography faculty, MFA students and Alumni show" in the main hallways on the ground level and in the lower level galleries at 2001 N. 13 Street in north Philadelphia. Exhibition runs from March 1 - 8, 2010. Tours of Tyler’s new facility will also be available.

In addition, Tyler will be participating in "Philagrafika 2010: The Graphic Unconscious," the core exhibition of Philadelphia's international festival celebrating print in contemporary art. For more details on Philagrafika, please refer to the gallery listing in this guide. Temple Gallery will feature the work of the following artists: Thomas Kilpper (Germany), Carl Pope, (U.S., New York), Francesc Ruiz (Spain), Superflex (Denmark), Swoon (U.S., New York), Barthélémy Toguo (Cameroon/France), and Young-Hae Change Heavy Industries (Korea). Enjoy a visit to Tyler’s spectacular new facilities!

Bus Schedule:
6:00pm – first bus pick up at Marriott Hotel at the12th St. entrance, between Market St. and Filbert St.
Continuous loop to Tyler School of Art - Temple University.
9:30pm - Last bus will leave Tyler to return to the Marriott.


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Hotel + Travel Information

The 2010 SPE National Conference will be held at Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, 1201 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107.

Room rate is $169. The reservation deadline has been extended to February 8, 2010. Rooms fill up fast so reserve your room now! Click here to reserve your room. Don't want to reserve online? Call the designated reservation line: 1-800-266-9432. Be sure to tell them you are reserving a room at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown for the SPE conference, March 4-7!


AIR AND GROUND TRAVEL

Air
Philadelphia International Airport: There are 31 airlines serving the newly renovated Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) with 1,500 daily inbound flights. U.S. Airways and Southwest are among the largest carriers: 1-800-PHL-GATE, 215-937-6800. There are several other airports nearby in Newark, NJ (72 miles away), Atlantic City (45 miles away), and Allentown/Bethlehem/Lehigh Valley, PA (50 miles away).

Rail
Amtrak Rail Transportation: Amtrak operates trains from 30th Street Station, with service along the Northeast Corridor and points west and south. For schedules, fare and other information call 1-800-USA-RAIL or visit www.amtrak.com.

SEPTA Rail Line: The R-1 connects Philadelphia International Airport directly to Center City Philadelphia, where the Marriott is located. Market East Station is a block away from the Marriott. For more information, including maps and schedules, visit www.septa.com.

PATCO: PATCO provides regional rail service from South New Jersey to Center City Philadelphia. The 12th and Locust Station and 8th and Market Station are close to the Marriott. www.ridepatco.org.

New Jersey Transit:Take New Jersey Transit to Trenton ,NJ, where you can switch to SEPTA(see above) for the rest of the trip. Cheaper than Amtrak. www.njtransit.com

Bus
BOLTBUS Provides inexpensive bus transportation, serving Boston, Cherry Hill NJ, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. www.boltbus.com

Megabus provides low-cost, daily express bus service. www.megabus.com.

Chinatown Bus and Apexbus provices low-cost bus trips among various Chinatowns in the Eastern US. www.chinatown-bus.com/ and www.apexbus.com/


DC2NY Upscale Bus provides low-cost trips to Washington, D.C. and New York City, both a short trip to Philly. www.dc2ny.com/

And check out www.gotobus.com for more low-cost bus trips.

Airport Shuttle
The Marriott uses Trapiano Transportation as their shuttle service provider. Call the Marriott for details about arranging a ride at (215) 625-2900. Fee is $11 one-way.

Taxis
Taxis from the airport to the Marriott cost approximately $30.

Parking
Onsite and Valet Parking is available at the Marriott for $43.20 per day with in-and-out privileges. There are also numerous parking lots in Philadelphia’s Center City neighborhood, where the Marriott is located, with rates averaging $17.00 - $33 a day. Click here for a list of parking lots and garages. Or visit the Philadelphia Parking Authority webite to search for parking options.

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Sponsors and Exhibitors

Many advertising and sponsor opportunities exist for the 2010 conference. To reserve your spot in the Exhibits Fair at the Philadelphia conference, or to find out about other conference opportunities, please contact the national office at 216/622-2733 or send an email to Advertising Coordinator Nina Barcellona at advertising@spenational.org.

2010 sponsor and exhibitior information (132k pdf)
Advertising opportunities (76k pdf)
2010 sponsors and exhibitors to date


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Silent Auction

Need a Roommate?

If you'd like to share a room with another conference attendee, contact Sheryl Banks, national conference planner, at sbanks@spenational.org.

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About SPE Conferences

Each spring SPE hosts a national conference, a four-day gathering that provides an opportunity for you to exchange ideas with other members, become acquainted with the latest developments in the field and meet some of photography’s most illustrious talents. Members are eligible to submit proposals each summer to present a body of work, research or panel discussions covering the theme of the conference.

About the 2010 Conference Co-Chairs:
Miriam Romais is the executive director of En Foco, Inc, and editor of Nueva Luz photographic journal. En Foco is a non-profit that supports the creation and dissemination of work by photographers of diverse cultures, primarily U.S. residents of Latino, African and Asian heritage, and Native Peoples of the Americas and the Pacific. Through exhibitions, workshops, events and publications, En Foco uses the photographic arts as an approachable means to promote cultural equity. Romais is also a photographer, curator, and has served as panelist/reviewer at FotoFest, Center, and many others. www.enfoco.org

Hannah Frieser is the director of Light Work, a photographic arts organization dedicated to the support of emerging and under-represented artists. Hannah has curated exhibitions with photographers such as Suzanne Opton, Ben Gest, Pipo Nguyen-duy, Kanako Sasaki, Angelika Rinnhofer and Don Gregorio Antón, and has served as reviewer for Photo Lucida, FotoFest, EnFoco, and more. She has also written essays for photography publications and exhibition catalogues including Contact Sheet and Nueva Luz. Hannah currently serves on SPE's national board of directors and is the chair of the 2010 conference planning committee. www.lightwork.org

Deadlines

Please mark your calendar with these important dates:

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Questions?

For general questions or if you require special assistance during the conference, please contact:

Society for Photographic Education
SPE National Office
2530 Superior Avenue, #403
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 622-2733 phone
(216) 622-2712 fax
www.spenational.org

or email SPE Office.


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National Office Conference Staff

Virginia Morrison, Executive Director
vmorrison@spenational.org

Sheryl Banks, National Conference Planner
sbanks@spenational.org

Nina Barcellona, Advertising, Publications and Exhibits Coordinator
advertising@spenational.org

Meghan Borato, Registrar
membership@spenational.org

Portolio Reviews
portfolio@spenational.org

Volunteers/Volunteering
vlunteer@spenational.org

Image credit: Priya Kambli, Muma and Me (Cast Shadow), 2008