Upstate Photography Biennial Open Call
CPW launches inaugural Upstate Photography Biennial, showcasing contemporary lens-based work from artists across New York north of NYC.
The Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW) has announced an open call for the "Upstate Photography Biennial," a new recurring exhibition platform dedicated to lens-based work created north of New York City. This inaugural biennial represents CPW's formalization of its long-standing role as an incubator and mirror for photographic practice in the Hudson Valley and beyond.
The exhibition will run from May 30 through September 6 and will feature up to 30 artists working across diverse formats including straight photography, documentary, experimental work, installation, and video. The exhibition will occupy the entire first floor of CPW's newly renovated Kingston headquarters at 25 Dederick Street, symbolizing both a physical and institutional expansion.
Organized by CPW curators Adam G. Ryan and Marina Chao, the Biennial aims to acknowledge the range of contemporary photographic practice being produced across upstate New York—a geography often overlooked in national conversations about photography. The exhibition premise is not about defining a single regional aesthetic, but rather reflecting the complexity of the Hudson Valley as a crossroads of migration, media, and artistic reinvention.
Selected artists will be included in a high-quality, small-run catalogue produced in-house by CPW Press using the organization's new Canon v700 printer. This commitment to the book as a physical object reflects CPW's dedication to slowing down how photography is encountered and remembered in an era of endless digital scrolling.
The Biennial represents a significant opportunity for photographers working in the region—whether emerging or established—signaling that upstate New York's photographic work deserves sustained attention, serious presentation, and a regular place on the cultural calendar.