NEW YORK.- Stephen Cohen, producer of the highly acclaimed art fairs photo l.a., photo san francisco and artLA, is pleased to announce photo new york 2005, the 2nd Annual International New York Photographic Art Exposition. The event will be held October 6 - 9 at the Metropolitan Pavilion, located at 125 W. 18th Street, and will feature a selection of the finest contemporary photography and photo-based art including video and digital art.

More than 45 premier galleries and private dealers representing artists from the United States and every corner of the globe will be on display at photo new york 2005. Confirmed exhibitors to date include New York galleries: KPB and Magnan Projects; galleries from abroad Thinking Prints (Belgium), Kunshthandel Jorg Maass (Germany) and 640 480 Video Collective (Canada); and some of the most prominent publishers of photo-based art books in the world including powerHouse Books, Printed Matter and 21st: Publishers of Fine Art Photography Books. The fair also will feature photographically derived installations by world-renowned contemporary artists such as Rafael Fuentes, Jen DeNike, Tracey Snelling, Patterson Beckwith and Unholy Erection, as well as highlight several young, breakout galleries including Creative Thriftshop from Brooklyn/Miami, Jack the Pelican from Williamsburg, NY, de Soto from Los Angeles, and gescheidle from Chicago.

"We are very enthusiastic about our return to Manhattan for the 2nd Annual Photo New York event,” says Stephen Cohen, producer of photo new york, owner of the Stephen Cohen Gallery in Los Angeles, and co-owner of the new Cohen Amador Gallery in New York. “Last year’s show successfully featured not only pioneers within the world of photography, but also introduced the next of generation of contemporary artists to dealers, collectors and art enthusiasts alike. We are looking forward to delivering an even more captivating contemporary art fair this year.”

The vanguard installation at photo new york 2005 will be Michael Garlington’s “Photocar, “ a Volkswagen van covered with black and white portraits, taken at previous “Photocar” expeditions, of subjects ranging from ingénues to outcasts. “Photocar” will depart San Francisco on September 10 and arrive prior to photo new york’s preview reception. Five young artists will accompany Garlington on this transcontinental odyssey documenting a new series of the ordinary as well as extraordinary.

In conjunction with the art exhibition, a lecture series will take place in the upstairs gallery of the Metropolitan Pavilion October 7 - 9 with special guest speakers including freelance writer and curator and former discovery editor of 21st: Journal of Contemporary Photography John Bennette; internationally acclaimed photographer and School of Visual Arts instructor Nicholas Prior; and prominent photography collector Alvin Hall. On Saturday, October 8 at the School of Visual Arts, located at 209 E. 23rd Street, photography consultant Mary Virginia Swanson will conduct a special one-day seminar sponsored by the Santa Fe Center for Photography entitled Fine Art Photography and the Marketplace.

“The lecture and seminar series highlights distinguished individuals in the art community and has been a key ingredient in the art fairs produced by Stephen Cohen,” says Laura Wzorek, Programs Director for the Santa Fe Center for Photography. ”We are delighted to partner with photo new york to provide this important seminar to attendees of this year’s prestigious event.”

A preview reception also will be held on Thursday, October 6 from 6 to 10 p.m., offering guests a sneak peek before the fair’s official opening the following day.

Exhibition hours are Friday, October 7 and Saturday, October 8, 11a.m. to 7p.m. and Sunday, October 9, 11a.m. to 6p.m. Tickets are $15 for a one-day pass and $25 for a three-day pass. Tickets to the preview reception are $30. On-site collecting seminars are $75 (includes a 3-day pass and catalog) and should be purchased in advance. Tickets to the one-day seminar at the School of Visual Arts are $160 before September 23 and $195 thereafter and should be purchased in advance by calling (505) 984-8353. For additional information on photo new york 2005 and advance ticket sales, please visit www.artfairsinc.com.