2023 SPE Annual Conference Overview

Homecoming

When March 16-18, 2023
Where Sheraton Denver Downtown, Denver, Colorado

The world has radically transformed in the years since we last met in person, and many of us have had to fundamentally reformulate how we live, work, and learn. The trials of the COVID era have been an enormous challenge, but our members have adapted and grown to rise to the moment, developing myriad new approaches to artmaking, teaching, and scholarship.

We can at last gather together to celebrate the accomplishments and achievements that have sustained us, share the stories and strategies that have carried us through these trying times, and build the next era of the Society for Photographic Education. It is time to welcome each other back to SPE.

2023 marks the 60th anniversary of SPE as a crucial incubator for scholarship, community building, and professional development. The Board of Directors, along with Chapter and Caucus leaders, have diligently worked to sustain our vital mission, build upon our remarkable history, and plot a new course for our beloved organization. New initiatives include year-round virtual programming in addition to our Annual and Chapter conferences, the addition of High School Educators Grant awards, a fiscal partnership program to support member's non-profit projects, further development and growth of the International Caucus, and the return of our peer-reviewed journal Exposure.

We invite members and non-members to submit conference proposals that embrace the diversity of the photographic medium through immersive visual storytelling, interdisciplinary research, intersectional thinking, and experimental practice. We encourage proposals that push the boundaries of our traditional sessions and invite audience participation, including process workshops, teaching demonstrations, and writing seminars. We are eager to see works that expand, and re-define, our notions of photography.

Denver is the perfect place for our homecoming. The Mile-High City is known for its vibrant arts, culture, and food. Our conference will run concurrently with the Month Of Photography Denver, organized by the Colorado Photographic Arts Center. The Sheraton Denver Downtown is next to the exquisite 16th Street promenade designed by I.M. Pei. We will be close to the Denver Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museo de las Américas, and the River North Art District. 

Ways to Support SPE!

SPE is proud to announce the rebirth of Exposure, our peer reviewed journal. Content for the new edition will be partially tied to the peer review process of conference proposal submissions. An esteemed guest editor will work with the Peer Review Committee of the SPE Annual Conference to select projects for publication and will curate additional content as well. If you would like your proposal considered, please choose the "Consider for publication" option in Slideroom during the submission process. Conference attendees will have the option to order a print copy of Exposure during the conference registration process.  Copies will be distributed at the 2023 Conference in Denver.