24th Annual International Photographic Art Exposition Comes to Downtown L.A.

Sandra Miska

Alternate Title: Innovative Photo Expo to Bring Photo Lovers from All over the World to LA

Photographers and photography enthusiasts have something to look forward to after the holidays, as the 24th Annual International Photographic Art Exposition, or photo la, will take place January 15-18, 2015 in downtown Los Angeles.

The 24th photo la will feature a variety of classic and contemporary photographic works of arts, as well as lectures, roundtable discussions, special installations and guided tours with distinguished members of the arts community.

2015 photo la will be held at The Reef, a “Creative Habitat” located inside the historic LA Mart building.  What is a creative habitat, exactly?  From the venue’s official website: “THE REEF is a complete habitat of creation: a whole system of design, rapid prototyping, production, promotion, sales, innovation and exhibition.”  Last year’s photo la at The Reef attracted an unprecedented 16,000 attendees.

Founded in 1992, photo la was first held at Bonhams, formerly Butterfield Auction House.  Since then, classic photography has been an integral part of the expo.  According to photo la, classic photography is not limited to its most accepted definition, black and white photography from the 19th and 20th centuries.  It can also include innovative color photography, such as William Eggleston’s groundbreaking photos from the 1970’s.

A modern photographic artist whose work is destined to be classic is Catherine Opie, who is to be honored at the 2015 photo la opening night gala.  Born in Sandusky, Ohio, Opie studied right here in California, earning her B.F.A. from the San Francisco Art Institute and an M.F.A. from CalArts, Los Angeles.  Opie specializes in documentary photography, photographing American landscapes and citizens.  Her photos are often characterized as social/political commentary.  Opie is a current professor of photography at UCLA.

2015 promises to be a banner year for the arts in DTLA, with the opening of the new Broad Museum this fall, as well as multiple galleries, including Hauser Wirth & Schimmel.  Photo la will be taking place on the same weekend as the LA Art Show at the Los Angeles Convention Center.  Shuttle service will be available between the two venues.

The 24th Annual International Photographic Art Exposition (photo la) will take place January 15-18, 2015 at The Reef in downtown Los Angeles.  For more information, go here.