Society for photographic education
Encyclopedia
The Society for Photographic Education is a nonprofit membership organization that provides a forum for the discussion of photography
and related media as a means of creative expression and cultural insight. Through its interdisciplinary programs, services and publications, the society seeks to promote a broader understanding of the medium in all its forms, and to foster the development of its practice, teaching, scholarship and criticism.
History of the Society for Photographic Education (SPE): Prior to the 1960s, photography was taught primarily in departments of journalism at American universities. SPE emerged at a time when art departments were beginning to offer photography in their curriculum
. Nathan Lyons
, then associate director at the George Eastman House, recognized the newly emerging academic field; he coordinated and hosted a conference in November 1962 in Rochester, NY to address the concerns of these educators. Beaumont Newhall
, Walter Rosenblum, Arthur Sinsabaugh, Aaron Siskind
, Henry Holmes Smith
, John Szarkowski
, Jerry Uelsmann
and Clarence White
were among the thirty attendees at the “Invitational Teaching Conference.” Representing the intersection of fine art practice, education and history, these early participants aimed to formulate the goals, future and improvement of photographic education. The first annual national conference was held in Chicago
in 1963 and the articles of incorporation were signed in May 1964. Since its establishment, many noted artists, curators, and critics in the field of photography have been involved with SPE or its programs. Although the majority of its 1,900 members are fine art photographers and educators, curators, critics, historians and artists are also members. The national headquarters are located in Cleveland, OH, and the archives are at the Center for Creative Photography
in Tucson, AZ.
Every year an annual national conference continues the tradition of gathering some of the greatest artists, students, historians and thinkers of photography’s past, present and future. The annual event (49th to be in San Francisco in March of 2012) attracts over 1200 photographic artists, educators, students, curators, historians and enthusiasts from around the world. Featured speakers include recognized artists and over 45 hours of peer-reviewed programming from artists, historians and curators, including panel discussions, imagemaker presentations, demos and workshops. SPE’s four-day event also hosts an Exhibits Fair with 60+ representatives from industry, publishing and academic institutions. Portfolio reviews are conducted throughout the event and programming is open to members and non-members of SPE alike. Contributions help support student scholarships, featured artists' costs, and special events.
There are many ways to be involved with the organization and the event. With its 50th anniversary approaching in 2013, the organization has renewed its strategic plan and will implement many new initiatives, including diversification of membership and expanded programming.
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and related media as a means of creative expression and cultural insight. Through its interdisciplinary programs, services and publications, the society seeks to promote a broader understanding of the medium in all its forms, and to foster the development of its practice, teaching, scholarship and criticism.
History of the Society for Photographic Education (SPE): Prior to the 1960s, photography was taught primarily in departments of journalism at American universities. SPE emerged at a time when art departments were beginning to offer photography in their curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
. Nathan Lyons
Nathan Lyons
Nathan Lyons is an American artist and photographer who currently lives and works in New York. The artist's body of work consists primarily of photographs which focus on American culture...
, then associate director at the George Eastman House, recognized the newly emerging academic field; he coordinated and hosted a conference in November 1962 in Rochester, NY to address the concerns of these educators. Beaumont Newhall
Beaumont Newhall
Beaumont Newhall was an influential curator, art historian, writer, and photographer. His The History of Photography remains one of the most significant accounts in the field and has become a classic photo history textbook...
, Walter Rosenblum, Arthur Sinsabaugh, Aaron Siskind
Aaron Siskind
Aaron Siskind was an American abstract expressionist photographer. In his biography he wrote that he began his foray into photography when he received a camera for a wedding gift and began taking pictures on his honeymoon. He quickly realized the artistic potential this offered...
, Henry Holmes Smith
Henry Holmes Smith
Henry Holmes Smith was an American photographer and one of most influential fine art photography teachers of the mid 20th century. He was inspired by the work that had been done at the German Bauhaus and in 1937 was invited to teach photography at the New Bauhaus being founded by Moholy-Nagy in...
, John Szarkowski
John Szarkowski
John Szarkowski was a photographer, curator, historian, and critic. From 1962 to 1991 Szarkowski was the Director of Photography at New York's Museum of Modern Art.-Early life and career:...
, Jerry Uelsmann
Jerry Uelsmann
Jerry N. Uelsmann is an American photographer.Uelsmann was born in Detroit, Michigan. When he was in high school, his interest in photography sparked. He originally believed that using a camera could allow him to exist outside of himself, to live in a world captured through the lens...
and Clarence White
Clarence White
Clarence White was a guitar player for Nashville West, The Byrds, Muleskinner, and the Kentucky Colonels. His parents were Acadians from New Brunswick, Canada...
were among the thirty attendees at the “Invitational Teaching Conference.” Representing the intersection of fine art practice, education and history, these early participants aimed to formulate the goals, future and improvement of photographic education. The first annual national conference was held in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1963 and the articles of incorporation were signed in May 1964. Since its establishment, many noted artists, curators, and critics in the field of photography have been involved with SPE or its programs. Although the majority of its 1,900 members are fine art photographers and educators, curators, critics, historians and artists are also members. The national headquarters are located in Cleveland, OH, and the archives are at the Center for Creative Photography
Center for Creative Photography
The Center for Creative Photography , established in 1975 and located on the University of Arizona campus, is a research facility and archival repository containing the full archives of over sixty of the most famous American photographers including those of Edward Weston, Harry Callahan and Garry...
in Tucson, AZ.
Every year an annual national conference continues the tradition of gathering some of the greatest artists, students, historians and thinkers of photography’s past, present and future. The annual event (49th to be in San Francisco in March of 2012) attracts over 1200 photographic artists, educators, students, curators, historians and enthusiasts from around the world. Featured speakers include recognized artists and over 45 hours of peer-reviewed programming from artists, historians and curators, including panel discussions, imagemaker presentations, demos and workshops. SPE’s four-day event also hosts an Exhibits Fair with 60+ representatives from industry, publishing and academic institutions. Portfolio reviews are conducted throughout the event and programming is open to members and non-members of SPE alike. Contributions help support student scholarships, featured artists' costs, and special events.
There are many ways to be involved with the organization and the event. With its 50th anniversary approaching in 2013, the organization has renewed its strategic plan and will implement many new initiatives, including diversification of membership and expanded programming.