ATLANTA, GA.- Atlanta Celebrates Photography announced that this month October 2023, the 25-year-old nonprofit is rebranding to become the Atlanta Center for Photography (ACP). This transformation demonstrates the organization’s expanded mission and reflects its sustained commitment to broadening the reach and influence of lens-based media in the American South.

As part of this new initiative, ACP is opening its first-ever exhibition and programming space, the Atlanta Center for Photography Project Lab. This dynamic space, hosting exhibitions, public programs, and live events, will present a new platform to convene and exchange, cementing ACP’s year-round presence in the Atlanta art community.

“For 25 years, ACP has been an organizing force for artists,” says Lindsey O’Connor, Executive Director. “ACP has grown from a volunteer-run non-profit to become a cornerstone of the Atlanta art community with programming that reaches hundreds of thousands of people each year. Rebranding the organization and establishing the Project Lab reflects ACP’s commitment to listen and remain responsive to the ever-evolving cultural landscape of Atlanta.”

The Atlanta Center for Photography will continue to grow ACP’s core programs, including its annual Festival, Portfolio Reviews, and the Emerging Artist Fellowship. With the opening of the Project Lab, opportunities to gather and collaborate with artists and community partners will thrive from a new, open-to-the-public home base. This expanded, year-round programming will provide new opportunities for community engagement and professional development.

ACP Project Lab is dedicated to supporting the production of new work from artists living in the South. The exhibition program will focus on holistic, environmental solo shows that give artists financial support and free rein. The Project Lab is a space for lens-based artists to take risks, experiment with creative approaches, and push the boundaries of photography’s potential and impact.

ACP Project Lab’s inaugural exhibition featuring a comprehensive installation by Fort Worth-based photographer Kalee Appleton will open on October 26, 2023, with an opening reception from 6-8 PM. Titled New Paths, the exhibition comprises works that blur the boundaries between photography, sculpture, and drawing to create immersive, digitally manipulated landscapes. An artist talk with Appleton will take place at the ACP Project Lab on October 28 at 11 AM.

ACP’s rebranding as the Atlanta Center for Photography and launch of the Project Lab demonstrate the organization’s ongoing commitment to photography as a robust and inclusive cultural force. By providing platforms for artists at a defining point in their careers to create and show their work and be compensated for it, ACP fosters a culture of commitment towards the practices of artists in the South.

Following the opening reception on October 26, the ACP Project Lab’s hours will be Wednesday-Saturday, 12-5 PM. The address is 546 Edgewood Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 30312. Admission is free and open to the public.