October 5 – November 16, 2024
On View
Silver Street Studios
2000 Edwards Street
Gallery Hours
Wednesday–Saturday | 12 PM–5 PM
Zak Loyd and Melanie Clemmons (Omnigenesis), Heaven (detail of Hamburger), 2023. From the series Trophy Club Nissan, 2023. Aluminum Dibond UV Prints. Courtesy of the artists and Liliana Bloch Gallery.
Artist-run, Artist-organized
FotoFest is pleased to announce the juried winning proposals of artist groups La Mecha Contemporary (El Paso, TX), Omnigenesis (Austin, Dallas, Denton, San Antonio, TX), and Throughline Collective (Houston, TX) will be realized for FotoFest’s fall exhibition, Artist-run, Artist-organized. Each artist group will receive support to produce an exhibition that will fill one-third of FotoFest’s exhibition space at Silver Street Studios, plus program and promotional backing.
FotoFest will present the discrete exhibitions at its Sawyer Yards campus between October 5 and November 16, 2024. In addition to an opening day reception on Saturday, October 5, from 2 to 4 PM, each artist group will lead two programs accompanying their project, including artist talks, curatorial tours, and interactive performances that engage audience members.
Carolina Otero (Throughline Collective), DIALOGOS SERIES (2021–2024) Number I, II, VI and VIII, 2024. From the series DIALOGOS SERIES, 2021–24. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of the artist.
Marissa Baez (La Mecha Contemporary), Marigolds, 2023. Digital photo. Courtesy of the artist.
Artist-run, Artist-organized speaks to FotoFest’s mission by supporting Texas-based artists and placing them in the international context of FotoFest’s programming and audience reach. Since its founding, FotoFest has supported Texas-based artists, including nine across its recent Biennial 2024 central exhibitions, Critical Geography and Ten by Ten.
The free exhibition call for Artist-run, Artist-organized, announced in March 2024, sought project proposals from artist-run spaces, collectives, and networked groups of artists based in Texas. The submission required a concept for a group exhibition utilizing image-based media—at least 50% film, photography, video, AI, computer-generated images, and/or light-based work—as part of their practice.
The call was juried by independent curators Leslie Moody Castro, Roberta “Nina” Hassele, and Kevin Rubén Jacobs, with FotoFest executive director Steven Evans. The groups and artists featured in Artist-run, Artist-organized include:
La Mecha Contemporary
Marissa Baez
Grace McCoy
Yashoda Latkar
Omnigenesis
Melanie Clemmons
Ashley Gillanders
Zak Loyd
Paho Mann
Christopher Meerdo
David Stout
Holly Veselka
Rodell Warner
Throughline Collective
Beatriz Bellorín
Carolina Borja
Angela Chen
Jonas Criscoe
Margaux Crump
Luisa Duarte
Jake Eshelman
Jeanette “Joy” Harris
Heather L. Johnson
Cindee Travis Klement
Molly Koehn
Colleen Maynard and Mark Chen
Carolina Otero
Ellen H Ray
JR Roykovich
Alexander Squier
Sarah Sudhoff
Artist-run, Artist-organized is co-organized by FotoFest manager of communications and engagement Asaeda Badat and exhibitions manager Chris Wicker and was originally conceived by former curator and director of publishing Max Fields.
For additional press information, interviews, or images, please contact Asaeda Badat, Manager of Communications and Engagement, at press@fotofest.org.
About the artist groups
La Mecha Contemporary is a non-profit 501(c)(3) artist-led contemporary art gallery in El Paso, Texas, dedicated to the celebration of art and creativity that enriches artistic discussion and educates the public about the work of contemporary women and under-represented artists. La Mecha Contemporary is a venue that encourages the expansion of the artist’s role to include mentor, curator, critic, and community developer.
Follow La Mecha on Instagram and Facebook, and visit the space in person at 3803 Frutas Ave., El Paso, TX.
Omnigenesis is a self-identified network of artists, educators, writers, and practitioners from across Texas invested in research and practice surrounding artificial intelligence in the arts. The group was established in 2024 through the organizational efforts of Christopher Meerdo.
Throughline Collective is an artist collaborative that organizes exhibitions and programming from their current space in Houston, Texas, showcasing a diverse range of contemporary art. The artists are well-known nationally and internationally, have received numerous prestigious awards and grants, and have their work featured in various major collections.
Formed in October of 2023, Throughline is a network of artists committed to prioritizing experimentation and collaboration, fostering a sense of community and a spirit of exploration. Throughline’s culture empowers artists to develop their creative and professional ambitions, continuously culminating in a wide range of events, from art shows to educational programs to cooperative partnerships with diverse organizations.
Follow Throughline on Instagram and Facebook, and visit the space in person at 3909 Main St, Houston, TX 77004.
Funders
FotoFest Major Institutional, Corporate, and Individual Support
Houston Endowment; The Brown Foundation, Inc.; National Endowment for the Arts; Texas Commission on the Arts; City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance; The Powell Foundation; Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation; John R. Eckel, Jr. Foundation; The Susan Vaughan Foundation; The Wortham Foundation; Judith and Gamble Baldwin; Wendy Watriss and Frederick Baldwin; FotoFest Board of Directors; contributors to the FotoFest Annual Fund; and donors who wish to remain anonymous.
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