FotoFocus deadline extended

Hamilton (OH) – No need to panic. The Fitton Center pushed back its deadline to submit proposals for the fall 2024 FotoFocus Biennial.

Originally scheduled to close March 3, the submission window gets an additional two-week opening for prospective artists to make their proposals. The new deadline falls March 17, 2024.

“We realize artists are busy people and sometimes things get missed the first time around,” said Cathy Mayhugh, Fitton Center Director of Exhibitions. “This two extra weeks of time might be just the opportunity some interested photographers need to get their applications in to us.”

The Fitton Center is one of multiple regional venues to mount exhibitions for the seventh installment of the FotoFocus Biennial whose theme is backstories. The exhibition highlights the partnership between the Fitton Center and Hamilton’s citizen-led initiative, 17STRONG.

Adult artists living within 60 miles of Hamilton may submit proposals for a planned group exhibition titled We > Me: 17 Artists Explore Hamilton Neighborhoods. Artists will use photography and/or other lens-based media to tell the ongoing story of Hamilton - the 10th largest city in Ohio – and unite multiple perspectives and interpretations of the backstories theme through their work.

Supported by FotoFocus, the show will be installed in September and officially goes on view in the Fitton Center galleries from October 19 to January 3, 2025.

The exhibition pairs each of 17 selected artists to one of Hamilton’s 17 neighborhoods through a lottery; they will then create a visual narrative from within the neighborhood boundaries.

“I am looking forward to seeing who applies for the 2024 FotoFocus Biennial and the kind of proposals they submit,” Mayhugh said. “FotoFocus gives a broad prompt with the theme. It’s always interesting to see the creative ways artists interpret and narrow that down.

“With 17 different artists capturing 17 distinct neighborhoods, I anticipate a wide range of ideas and expressions.”

Applicants are asked to complete an online entry form, including file uploads of a theme statement, install specifications, resume, 10 artwork jpeg files and an image list. Each selected artist receives a $500 honorarium to support their project. Complete details and the application form are available online here.

“The FotoFocus Biennial is the largest of its kind in America,” Mayhugh said. “We are so glad to team up with them again and be part of this prestigious celebration of all lens-based art.”

The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is located at 101 S. Monument Avenue on the Riverfront in downtown Hamilton, Ohio.

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