Aperture Gallery – Aperture Foundation The Aperture Foundation, which grew out of Aperture Magazine, the respected publication founded in 1952 by photographers Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange and others, oversees many photo-related activities. Among them is hosting exhibitions in their brand new Chelsea gallery in Manhattan. Local and traveling photo exhibitions will now have a new and likely prestigious venue. The Foundation also publishes Aperture Magazine and photography books, offers magazine internships to “individuals of special promise,” and has assembled a considerable archive of important prints. 

Belfast Exposed, Belfast (UK) Although Northern Ireland's only dedicated photo gallery exhibits a variety of contemporary reportage and art photography, its main interest is Belfast. The gallery has initiated and supported photo projects that document urban life in this famously troubled city. The results of this work form the backbone of the gallery’s collection; many narratives told from many different perspectives. 

Blue Sky Gallery, Portland (OR) Blue Sky Gallery boasts of having the best record of discovering new photographers of any artists' space in the country. Mounting 24 exhibitions a year with complementary lecture series and publications, this artists-run non-profit exhibition center certainly does have an imposing record of bringing new talent, be it local or international, to light. 

Impressions Gallery, Bradford, UK The website describes Impressions as one of the first independent galleries dedicated to photography in Europe, using its stylish new space in Bradford to further its stated mission to support the work of emerging artists. True, but this non profit offers up a great deal more for the price of admission (which happens to be free). Exhibitions by emerging artists have in the past been bracketed by shows from major names in the field as well as international group shows. There is a divers educational program, a schedule of artist talks and events and an interesting “Buy Art” program that offers prints from recent shows. Participation and enjoyment of photography seems to be the goal here, to the point where Impressions will occasionally even offer tea and cookies to compliment its wide-ranging audience’s appreciation of the work.  

Light Work, Syracuse NY Light Work supports photo and digital imaging artists by mounting exhibitions in Syracuse University’s Robert B. Menschel Media Center. Donations from the diverse talents of their Artists-in-Residence program continues to build its permanent collection. The Syracuse-based organization also offers lectures and classes, and publishes Contact Sheet, a graceful monograph series. 

Open Eye Gallery Liverpool’s Open Eye Gallery is photo centric arts center that brings photography to the public in a variety of innovative ways. Offering a busy schedule of exhibitions encompassing photography, film, video and installations, Open Eye compliments the gallery program with off-site exhibitions and projects taking place in experimental formats, contexts and locations around Liverpool. A scroll through their past exhibitions reveal the eclectic and interesting range of work that Open Eye hosts.  

PhotoInk As a combination well-connected photo agency, design studio, publisher and photo gallery, PhotoInk seems to cover a lot of ground in the world of contemporary Indian photography. The sharp-looking site is home to galleries of work by the agency’s roster of photographers, who work in a variety of styles, as well as examples of the design and publishing work that compliment both the agency and the gallery’s work. This is an excellent showcase (and market place) for current work from a vibrant and fast-changing art world. 

SF Camerawork This is the online resource center for SF Camerawork, the San Francisco based community-minded organization that fosters the work of emerging and mid-career photographers. Exhibitions in their online and physical gallery spaces, a lecture series, workshops and the journal Camerawork: A Journal of Photographic Arts are there to engage the wider world on photography’s aesthetic and social concerns. The organization’s mentoring program invites photographers to act locally and teach the craft to youth at risk. 

Speos The Paris-based photography school pioneered a cutting edge program of trans-Atlantic photo courses with the Rochester Institute of Technology (R.I.T.), and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), while offering a comprehensive photography curriculum to levels from college level students to established professionals. Building on its international reputation, Spéos exports, among other things, its exclusive darkroom teaching system (Stop-System) and imports international students for its Studio, Fine Arts and Photojournalism programs - not to mention their summer workshops in Paris. Because it is both a leader in advancing new photo technologies and has also been a vital part of the rediscovery of one of photography’s pioneers, the French inventor Nicephore Niepce, Spéos is important presence on the French photo scene. 

Torpedo Factory Alexandria Virginia’s restored waterfront torpedo factory is home to a hive of artists’ studios, including galleries and workshops, all open to the public. Among the 82 studios in the Factory, a good number are rented by photographers whose work can be sampled on the site (along with artists’ statements) or viewed live in the artists’ studios. The in-house Multiple Exposures Gallery shows work from the Factory’s photographers, while the Target Gallery presents national and international work of many genres.