Photography: an appreciation

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Two decades ago, the owners of four art galleries in Louisville decided to present photography to the city on a scale larger than what their East Market Street locations could provide. The Louisville Photo Biennial was born.

This year, the biennial will include 60 venues in Louisville, southern Indiana, central Kentucky and beyond.

The growth “was gradual over the years, and every time we did it, we seemed to gather more venues, and more people would just call us and ask to be a part of it,” said Paul Paletti, the festival’s director since 2003. “It’s taken on a life of its own in that regard … It’s just a really cooperative effort.”

Beginning Sept. 20, photography exhibits will pop up at art galleries, museums and universities across the region. Even a car dealership and a Pilates studio will host exhibits showcasing what’s often called the most accessible art form.

“It’s quite a wide variety of exhibits, and there’s literally something for everybody in this,” Paletti said. “We really love to promote photography as an art form. That’s something that we’ll never get tired of doing.”

Best of all, the exhibits, public openings and artist receptions are free. Workshops also are scheduled throughout the time of the festival, which ends Nov. 10. Some of those workshops require a fee.  

Listings of photographers, exhibits and venues, plus a calendar of events can be found on the festival’s website, louisvillephotobiennial.com.