If you were asked to tell a story with photographs, how many images would you need to get your point across? What if you could only choose one?
Tell Me a Story at the Colorado Photographic Arts Center highlights the power of storytelling in a single frame. The exhibition features 32 photographs by 32 local, national, and international artists selected from over 500 submissions by juror Mary Statzer, Curator of Prints and Photographs at the New Mexico Museum of Art.
“We’re used to seeing photographic storytelling in books and exhibits when there’s room to include at least 10-20 images. But even if you’re the best photographer on Earth, it’s extremely challenging to tell a story in a single frame,” said Samantha Johnston, CPAC’s Executive Director & Curator. “You must consider every detail. You have to be ruthless about what to include – and what to leave out.”
The exhibit includes a range of styles, from landscapes to still-lifes, portraiture to abstraction – but each one tells a unique story that stands on its own.
“Personal stories are what interest me the most – stories about family dynamics, coming of age and aging, moments of solitude in a domestic space – not only because they communicate more nuanced meaning, but because I care about which stories are told and who gets to tell them,” Statzer said.
Exhibiting Artists
Artists are based in 8 U.S. states, Israel, and Canada. They include: Saeed Abdollahi, Wednesday Aja, Robert Anderson, Debe Arlook, John Bonath, Chris Bratt, Daniel Brenner, Justin A. Carney, Mark Coggins, Ron Cooper, Sharon Draghi, Jesse Freidin, Risa Friedman, Camila Franco Ribeiro Gomide, Patricia Howard, Collin Howell, Roxanne Huber, Savanna Klear, Elizabeth Kelly, Ellen Mahaffy, Sarah Malakoff, Heather Canterbury Marks, Jason McKinsey, Marni Myers, Bill Orisich, Dana Pianowski, Linda Plaisted, Edward L. Rubin, Alexandra Sheremet, Igal Stulbach, Jane Szabo, and Sherry Wiggins & Luís Filipe Branco.
Tell Me a Story : The Role of Storytelling in Photography
December 1, 2023 – January 6, 2024
Colorado Photographic Arts Center
1200 Lincoln St suite 111
Denver, CO 80203
