Your Downtown Guide to Exposure Fest 2018

Celebrating 14 years of amazing work, Alberta’s one and only province-wide photography festival is back again this year - and it’s bigger and better than ever.

With nearly 40 venues that seek to “expose” the province’s most talented photographers, the 2018 Exposure Photography Festival also boasts an array of influential collections from all over the world. Happening during the entire month of February in spaces all around Calgary, there’s no excuse not to checkout some of this great artwork!

Exposure has been a staple in Alberta’s art and culture scene for over a decade, and 2018 is certainly no exception. A registered non-profit run by a passionate Board of Directors, this year’s festival has locations in Calgary, Canmore, Banff, Medicine Hat, and Edmonton just to name a few.

Though the exhibitions are all over the province, those who frequent downtown Calgary are in store for an extra special treat this time around. The 2018 Festival Hub is now located inside of Eau Claire Market, and on top of being the organizations headquarters, it is also playing host to a few exhibitions and events. These include a showcase for emerging photographers and an open call group exhibition of international artists hand picked by guest juror Andrea Kunard, the Associate Curator of Photography at the National Gallery of Canada.

On Sunday February 3rd, the Hub will be presenting both the Kick Off Bash (10am - 5pm) and the 2018 Opening Reception (6pm - 9pm). These events are family friendly and free, so come on down to celebrate the beginning of the festival. You’ll get to see how two different spaces in Eau Claire have been transformed into temporary galleries and hear insights from the some of the artists and the hardworking team behind the event. Make sure you arrive before 6:30pm if you want to catch the announcement for this year’s open call and emerging artist winners!

The Glenbow Museum is another space downtown where you can see a part of the festival. The exhibition “Frida Kahlo: Her Photos” will be open on February 3rd and is a collaboration between the festival and the museum. Here until the end of May, this collection is comprised of the late artists personal collection of photographs depicting herself, her family and her friends.

Another downtown venue you might want to check out is Loft 112, who’s Exposure exhibition, Déjà Vu, presents photographs intended to show the soul of Calgarys urban streets. Candid and real, this series is for those who wish to spend an hour as a tourist in their own city.

All of the exhibitions and events within Exposure this year represent something different and unique within the art of photography but The Fence is guaranteed to be a festival highlight. A traveling outdoor photography exhibition from Brooklyn, New York, The Fence is making its international debut here in Calgary specifically for the 2018 Exposure Photography Festival.

Moving through major US cities such as Atlanta, Boston, Denver, and Santa Fe, this large scale project reaches over 4 million people every year. The Fence will run along the west end of Eau Claire, starting at the plaza and ending right before Calgary’s iconic Peace Bridge. If this peaks your interest make sure you catch the free walking tour on Saturday, February 3rd at 1pm with project creators Sam Barzilay and Dave Shelley (no registration required).

With a collection of events and exhibitions that are equal parts education and entertainment, those looking to dig further and learn more about the role of public art should definitely stop by this year’s panel discussion-Photography as Public Art-on February 4th. Led by industry professionals and event organizers at the Glenbow Museum, this isn’t something you’re going to want to miss. Hope to see you there!

Tagged as: downtown, eau claire market, EXPOSURE, festival, Glenbow Museum, Photography, the fence, yycarts