SPE Conferences

The Society for Photographic Education is built upon a long history of conferences to encourage the discussion of photography and related media. The organization itself was born out of the first Invitational Teaching Conference, coordinated by Nathan Lyons in 1962.

National Conferences

"Sprawl"
46^th SPE National Conference
Dallas, Texas
March 26 - 29, 2009
Fairmont Dallas Hotel

The city of Dallas provides an informative and imaginative backdrop for the conference theme. Like other metropolitan areas since the 1960s, Dallas has seen suburban sprawl reshape its civic geography and identity. Sprawl then is a physical manifestation of civic growth and population migration, housing developments and ‘big-box’ retail parks. But the concept of sprawl also prompts discussions of environmental conservation, the appropriate use of land and resources, the loss and/or renewal of city centers and close-knit neighborhood communities. Cultural depictions of sprawl have long been a mainstay in popular culture, including the 1970s photo movement New Topographics, William Gibson’s cyberpunk fiction, the music of Sonic Youth, and in TV shows, such as “Weeds,” with its ‘burb’-inspired theme song “Little Boxes.” Sprawl—suburban landscape and life—serves as both cultural inspiration and critique. The organizers of the 2009 SPE National Conference invite imagemakers, historians, critics, and curators to submit proposals illuminating the visual and cultural complexities of Sprawl as a defining concept and reality of our twenty-first century public experience.

Our Host City of Dallas
Dallas is situated on rolling plains near the Trinity River, midway between the Piney Woods of east Texas and the vast landscape of the Great Plains. It is a sprawling metropolis shaped by the confluence of diverse cultures and communities. Today, civic ambitions have created a dynamic cityscape in which urban flight has been reversed and a municipal footprint of inner city idealism is being reestablished. Thus Dallas blossoms with cultural and social renewal from its urban center to its far flung suburban neighborhoods, as seen in new building construction designed by noteworthy architects such as I.M. Pei, Rem Koolhaas, Renzo Piano and Phillippe Stark. Public art works revitalize planned residential and commercial districts, like Victory Park with its multiple, moving video screens streaming programming into the wee hours of the morning. Beyond these exciting civic features, SPE conference goers will find ready access via the Dallas Metroplex to a plethora of museums and cultural institutions: Amon Carter Museum; Nasher Sculpture Garden; the Fort Worth Modern; Dallas Museum of Art; Dallas Contemporary; the DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University; and the McKinney Avenue Contemporary. So mark your calendars for March 26 – 29, 2009 and join colleagues and friends at the SPE National Conference in Dallas!

CALL FOR DALLAS IMAGES

SPE is seeking images of Dallas, Texas from SPE members for possible inclusion in 2009 national conference promotional materials. Images may be used on the SPE website or printed materials.

If you would like to participate, please send your image(s) to speoffice@spenational.org. The images should be jpegs or tiffs at 300 dpi and no larger than approximately 5 x 7". Please include captions for all images. By sending images you are agreeing to allow SPE to use your images in conference promotional materials including the website and other 2008-2009 SPE publications. All images used will be credited appropriately.

Regional Conferences

SPE has eight regional organizations that serve the special needs of their local constituencies. These groups organize annual regional conferences each fall. Like the national conference, these programs range over a wide variety of topics and bring together SPE members in an arena of scholarly inquiry and fellowship. Plans for the 2008 regional conferences can be found at 2008 regional conferences. Please visit the regional websites for further details.

Conference Calendar

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