Modesto photography in the viewfinder for new monthlong exhibit

Modesto says “cheese” for a new monthlong photo exhibit.

The “Foto Modesto” exhibit will be spread across 22 venues in the city and showcase a wide range of fine art photography. The brainchild of three local photographers – David Schroeder, John Wynn and Edward Mendes – the exhibit opens Wednesday, Feb. 1, and will run through the month.

Schroeder said the show is meant to promote the art of photography in a world gone selfie crazy.

“A lot of times people don’t consider photography an art because everyone has cellphone cameras and takes selfies,” he said. “We wanted to see if there was still interest in fine art photography beyond selfies. We wanted to remind people that photography is an art.”

The collage of exhibits will run simultaneously all month at the different venues, which range from galleries to museums, businesses to restaurants and more. Each site will have its own theme, from work by a specific artist to different kinds of photography such as landscapes or portraiture or manipulated images.

“There are a lot of different types of photography, and it’s hard to cover that in one show. We didn’t want to do a contest or one show,” Schroeder said. “So we thought, why don’t we do a big splash and throw photography out into Modesto in a big way?”

Some 70 to 90 photographers will be featured, all from Modesto and the Central Valley. Schroeder said there is a diverse photographic community in town, but it rarely comes together like this for shows.

“This literally brings people out of the woodwork who are in town and do great work,” he said. “I think the general public will be surprised at the depth and talent in photography that exists here in town.”

Among the featured artists will be Modesto photographer Aaron Draper, who will display his exhibit “Underexposed,” a collection of photos of valley homeless meant to show them in a different light, at the Mistlin Gallery all month.

“All of these venues came together, which is something that doesn’t always happen,” Schroeder said. “I was surprised that everyone was willing to participate with the same project.”

The displays will be free and open to the public. Hours depends on each venue. The grand opening will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, at the Mistlin Gallery downtown. The event will include an artists reception. The works will also be featured during the ongoing Third Thursday Art Walk on Feb. 16 in downtown Modesto.

The organizers hope to be able to turn the exhibit into an annual event. In future years Schroeder said they might expand to include workshops and lectures about photography. But for its first year, the goal is simple.

“I want it to be an enjoyable experience. It’s about enjoying the creative arts,” he said.

This story was originally published January 24, 2017 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Modesto photography in the viewfinder for new monthlong exhibit."