©André Ramos-Woodard, Which one of y’all said y’all didn’t see color?

Today is Day Four of Atlanta Celebrates Photography Week. I wanted to share the ACP event I organized with an excellent team at the Gwinnett County Public Library (GCPL).

The GCPL Photo Annual is a public installation of 46 photographs from 37 artists. The exhibition was selected by juror Maria L. Kelly from 135 international entries exploring the theme, Imagining the Unreal.

The works range from the surreal world of online dating with McKinna Anderson to examinations of race through altered imagery in André Ramos-Woodard’s photograph to the “gap between accuracy and fiction” in Sarah Nesbitt’s images. The photographs take many forms, from digital to alternative processes to a site-specific installation from Kalee Appleton. Overall the included work considers what a photograph means, how it can be constructed and what it can communicate to the viewer.

The opening is Friday, October 15 at 6:00 pm and will run October 15 – November 19 throughout the new Duluth branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library.

©Sarah Nesbitt, Our Desire for Knowledge…

I am also eager to share that the Gwinnett County library system has many free resources for photographers. There are seven (soon to be eight) Learning Labs throughout the county that have mirrorless and DSLR cameras, photo printers, film scanners, iMac stations with the entire Creative Suite, studio lights, and backdrops.

These makerspaces can be reserved online here. There are also 3D printers, a GlowForge, sewing machines, and more. You can also get one-on-one sessions to learn new skills with a Learning Lab Specialist, and there is a calendar of free programming.

If you don’t live in Gwinnett county, you can get a full access out-of-county card for only $40 a year. Find information here: GCPL Learning Labs

©McKinna Anderson, Dalton 24 (My Anthem: Born Free_Kid Rock)

The exhibition was juried by Maria L. Kelly, Curatorial Assistant of Photography at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Maria will share her thoughts on the exhibition on October 23 at 1:00 pm.

GCPL Photo Annual: Imagining the Unreal
In-person Opening Reception: October 15, 6:00 – 7:30pm
In-person Juror’s Talk: October 23, 1:00 – 2:00pm
Exhibition runs October 15 – November 19
Location: Gwinnett County Public Library, Duluth Branch, 3180 Main St, Duluth, GA, 30096

See the full list of ACP events on the ACP Festival Guide

GCPL Photo Annual Zine, Cover image ©Emily Mason, available at the opening until we run out

©Chris Manfield, Courtesy Light

©Cristina Fontsare, In the witch’s cave

©Rebecca Drolen, Mustache

©Morgan Ford Willingham, really

©Dylan Everett, Tattoo

©Ashley E. Craig, Morning Disco

©Jasmine Clarke, Palm Curtains

©Erika Nina Suàrez, Nagypapa’s Flask

©Alissa Ohashi, Shapeshifting

©Chrissy Lush, French Braid

©Emily Mason, Mylar and Locust at Sunrise

©Lily LaGrange, death wish #6

©Kris Sanford, Anxiety

©Megan Zecchin, Studies in Weightlessness

©Marco Castelli, Stranger Hand

©Emily Wiethorn, Ship

Ashley Kauschinger is an artist, educator, and curator. She received her BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design and her MFA from Texas Woman’s University. Her photographs have been exhibited and published internationally. Her work is in the collections of Vanderbilt University and the Sir Elton John Collection. Ashley has also been a frequent guest contributor on Lenscratch, an invited curator at The Light Factory, and was the founding editor of the online photography magazine Light Leaked. Ashley has previously taught photography at the University of South Carolina and Maine Media Workshops + College. She currently lives and works in Atlanta, GA.