The 40th Center Annual
June 23rd to August 20th, 2023
Image by Steph Foster
“We live in an age of photographic abundance. Images are everywhere. The plethora of photographs we daily encounter help to define the shapes and contours of our world. But art demands more than ubiquity. Art asks us to look beyond the typical boundaries, to dig beneath the surface and reveal unacknowledged truth. Photography is uniquely suited to fulfill the promise of art, taking the commonplace and familiar and transforming it into something powerful, thought-provoking, or enigmatic. Critic Vince Aletti recently commented on photography’s unusual ability to capture “the rich, weird randomness of real life.”
The photographs chosen for this exhibition are sure signs of the rich artistry of the medium. Unfettered by the banality of everyday pictures, the works on exhibit challenge histories, question social structures, probe memories, and remake reality. The broad array of approaches and styles of the work submitted is a testament to the talent of these artists and a tribute to HCP’s vital role in supporting an abundant art community.”
Lisa Volpe, Juror
Associate Curator, Photography at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Opening Reception
Friday, June 23rd, 6pm–8pm
The Beth Block Honorarium Virtual Artist Talks: Jamie Ho, Robin North, & Dranat Vazquez
Wednesday, August 2nd, 6pm–7pm
Participating Artists
Norman Aragones (San Jose, CA)
Kelly Berry (Murphy, TX)
Sarah Bork (Austin, TX)
Kallie Cheves (Bulverde, TX)
Kolby Delce (Houston, TX)
Alexander Diaz (St. Augustine, FL)
Steph Foster (Philadelphia, PA)
Francine Funke (Austin, TX)
Rashed Haq (Houston, TX)
Jamie Ho (Lincoln, NE) **
Li Kenna (Houston, TX)
Kehan Lai (New York, NY)
Chantal Lesley (Austin, TX)
Xidong Luo (Shenzhen, China)
Aimee B McCrory (Houston, TX)
Venessa Monokian (Houston, TX)
Angela Montani (Houston, TX)
Robin North (San Diego, CA) **
Alayna N. Pernell (Milwaukee, WI)
B. Proud (Philadelphia, PA)
Marshall Sharpe (St. Louis, MO)
Sarah Sudhoff (Houston, TX)
Dranat Vazquez (Houston, TX) **
Bill Walterman (Walker County, TX)
Jonas Yip (Los Angeles, CA)
Congrats to Jamie Ho, Robin North, and Dranat Vazquez, this year’s Beth Block Honorarium Winners!
About the Juror, Lisa Volpe
Image Courtesy of Todd Spoth
Lisa Volpe is Curator, Photography at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Previously, she was the Curator of the Wichita Art Museum, held various curatorial roles at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA), and fellowships at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Her 2021 exhibition catalog, Georgia O’Keeffe, Photographer, was one of two finalists for the Association of American Publishers Prose Awards. Gordon Parks: Stokely Carmichael and Black Power, published for the 2022 exhibition, was named a “must read” by Esquire and New York Magazines.
About The Center Annual
The Center Annual exhibition, formerly known as the “Juried Membership Exhibition,” is HCP’s yearly members’ exhibition that seeks to illuminate current themes, technologies, and practices in photography. The exhibition features work from our diverse global photography community, selected by a leading curator, editor, or artist. HCP’s Center Annual provides viewers with critical insight into our current moment within the field of photography and society at large.
Questions?
For questions about this exhibition, please contact André Ramos-Woodard,
Exhibitions and Programs Coordinator, at andre@hcponline.org or 713-529-4755, ext 16.