PhotoNOLA hopes to draw attention to city's photo scene

It's the centerpiece of a monthlong photo feast. "Vision/Re-Vision: Louisiana Photography 2006," an exhibit of camera work by 86 local photographers, opens with a reception Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Contemporary Arts Center.

The show is part of the first PhotoNOLA month of photography, presented by the newly formed New Orleans Photo Alliance.

The alliance was the brainchild of arts impresario Don Marshall, executive director of the Jazz and Heritage Foundation and University of New Orleans associate professor of arts administration, who recognized the need for photographers to band together in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which damaged so many studios and archives.

All Marshall needed was a few "dedicated people in management roles." Photographers Jennifer Shaw, Owen Murphy, Michael Varisco and Bryce Lankard, among others, stepped in, amassing 133 members and organizing this month's suite of shows.

Marshall secured a gallery space for the alliance at 1111 St. Mary St.

"This is just the beginning," Marshall said of the fledgling organization. "We have a phenomenal photo community. This is just the seed, there's a lot of work to be done. New Orleans should be a major international center for photography."

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See the exhibition calendar on Pages 15 and 20 for details of shows opening this weekend. For information on PhotoNOLA exhibits, workshops, studio visits and exhibition lecture, go to http://photonola.org/ or call (504) 610-4899.

'The Oracle' by Thom Bennet is one of 85 photos on display in the 'Vision/Re-Vision: Louisiana Photography 2006' exhibit at the Contemporary Arts Center.