The Center for Fine Art Photography has experienced exceptional growth in just over two years. Its short history is rich with significant accomplishments that have had a meaningful influence on the growth of artists and recognition of photography as an art form.

As testimony to support for the Center’s mission, over 800 photographers from 24 countries have become paid members.  British Airways was Title Sponsor of the 2006 International Exhibition.

In part, the Center’s rapid growth has been due to its unique approach to promoting the art of photography, and to supporting the growth of gifted artists. Central to its mission is providing diverse venues for artists to show their work.

• The Center has hosted ten exhibitions, including two annual International Exhibitions of Fine Art Photography and eight themed exhibitions.  Work has been submitted by artists from 68 countries.

• To facilitate participation by international artists and to make it possible to conveniently use international jurors the Center developed one of the few totally online submissions and jurying programs.
• Personal visits to the Center’s exhibitions have exceeded 26,000.
• The Center will provide three traveling shows to Denver International Airport , one each in the third quarter of 2006, and the first and second quarters of 2007.  In 2007, both shows will exclusively occupy all the art exhibition space in DIA’s three concourses.
• The Center is about to launch Artists ShowCase – Online, a website dedicated to the promotion and sale of member’s fine art photography.
• Artists’ ShowCase Annual Collection, the Center’s CD consisting of all exhibited work in the previous year, will be distributed internationally to selected collectors, consultants, curators and educators – providing artists with extensive visibility.  
  

Educational Programs

While the Center’s exhibitions and public education have been the principal focus of its efforts, the Center has been providing regional educational programs since June, 2005.

To bring the experience of photography to a wider audience, the Center plans to produce a series of 30 minute educational programs for public broadcast, beginning in the third quarter of 2006 or the first quarter of 2007.  

Funding  

The Center’s source of operational funding is the fees paid by artists submitting their work to calls for entry. Worth noting, the Center ended 2005 with a $6,500 operating surplus – without any income from grants and with less than one percent in donations.

 The Center has diverse, but interrelated, sources for creating revenue and acquiring supplemental income.  

• Exhibitions: entry fees and art sales commissions
• Artists’s ShowCase - Online: artist use fees, sales commissions and ad space.
  Significant to the expected appeal to artists and the success of Artists’s ShowCase Online is the Center’s current Google search results.  The Center currently lists number 10 of over 56 million results for fine art photography.
• Sponsorships for Artists’s ShowCase publication insert within CameraArts magazine
• Grants and donations.
• Membership and membership renewals will become a significant source of continuing revenue
• Workshop tuitions
• Catalogue sales
• Sale and auctions of donated works (currently over 60)

The Center’s staff consists of two fulltime and one half-time persons: Executive Director, Assistant Director and Exhibitions Coordinator (half time).  The staff is not limited in talents to pursue its opportunities.  However, the rapid growth and exceptional opportunities have created financial challenges, as well.

The Center has a realistic potential to be self sufficient through revenue derived from its programs and services.  Additionally, the Center retained a grant writer to acquire additional funds to supplement the Center’s income.

However, while the new services are being implemented and others reach maturity during 2006, the Center requires supplemental income in the form of donations and grants.  The interim funding will make it possible for the Center to continue to offer existing programs, to take full advantage of the stated opportunities and, most importantly, to continue its growth towards becoming one of the international leaders in promoting the art of photography.

Please click here to make a donation by credit card.