FotoFocus Center is the new physical headquarters for the nonprofit organization that in 2010 launched FotoFocus programming to celebrate photography and lens-based art. Located on the corner of Sycamore and Liberty streets in Over-the-Rhine, the building opens to the public on May 29.
Designed by Cincinnati-based Jose Garcia Design + Construction, the building features an exterior of steel window grids and marble frames that mimic a camera’s viewfinder and bring natural light into the warm wood-finished interior. It includes space for public art exhibitions, meetings, events, and offices as well as an 835-square-foot outdoor terrace.
FotoFocus currently has eight full-time staff who will be moving into the building, with one new hire planned. Artistic Director and Curator Kevin Moore is based in in New York City.
FotoFocus Center has two exhibition spaces: a 3,000-square-foot gallery on street level and a 1,500-sf gallery on the second floor. Five or six exhibits will rotate in the spaces throughout a typical year, and all shows will be free to the public Thursdays through Saturdays.
The inaugural exhibition, Big Tent, opens May 29 and runs through August 22. In spirit with the nation’s 250th birthday, the show features past and present FotoFocus artists celebrating democracy, creativity, and experimentation. The building will also serve as a venue for the FotoFocus Biennial, which returns in October.
Photographs by Devyn Glista