Midwest Chapter Conference Overview

Shifting Gears

When October 09-11, 2025
Where College for Creative Studies / Cranbrook Academy of Art / Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
Keynote Speaker Sheida Soleimani, Carlos Diaz

register my schedule

The 2025 MWSPE Conference, Shifting Gears, invites photographers, educators, lens-based artists, and scholars to gather in Detroit—long celebrated as the Motor City—for a critical examination of transformation within photographic practice. Drawing on the city's rich history of innovation, industry, and reinvention, this conference examines how photographers are navigating change across technological, pedagogical, and cultural terrains. Through presentations, workshops, and exhibitions, Shifting Gears provides a platform to engage with the evolving methodologies and conceptual frameworks shaping the future of photographic education and image-making.

Shifting Gears is hosted by the College for Creative Studies, Cranbrook Academy of Art, and Wayne State University. It is organized by faculty across Michigan and northern Ohio.

Conference goers will be given a complimentary pass to the Detroit Institute of Art.

_________________________________________________________________________

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Now accepting Conference Proposals!

The organizers of the SPE Midwest Chapter Conference in Detroit invite all image makers (advanced and student), educators, historians, and others, to submit proposals for presenting at the upcoming conference.

Proposal categories include:  

• Image-maker Lecture: a 30-40-minute presentation by the artist about their own work. 
• Snapshot Talk: a 15-20-minute presentation by the artist about a new or recent project.
• Student Presentation: a 15-minute presentation on the artist's work, with a brief introduction to their education program. Open to students 16+.
• Panel Discussions: a 40-50 min presentation with up to 3 panelists, including a moderator.
• Pedagogical Presentation: a 30-40-minute session on educational techniques and strategies.
• Hands-on workshops: an interactive workshop where participants can learn a new technique (digital, lighting, alt-process). Please include a time frame and budget with your proposal.
• Lecture: a 40-minute presentation on a historical topic, theoretical concern, or another artist's work.

Submit your proposal here: https://spenational.slideroom.com/#/login/program/84006

Deadline for Proposals is August 1, 2025