I was on a panel at Xavier University last week that had as it's topic "The Future of Photography". Towards the end, we were asked what we thought the value of the FotoFocus biennial has been. My answer to that is: It made so many people in this region aware of photography as a creative medium.
It pointed out the many different ways in which people approach this medium and proved that a photograph can be so much more than just a recording of something in front of the lens.
It introduced photographers to each other who otherwise wouldn't have met.
It provided networking opportunities to photographers, students, and others who love the medium.
Finally, it made photography important in a way that a million photos posted on Facebook, Pinterest, or other social media sites can't.
Kudos and many thanks to Tom Schiff, Cincinnati Art Museum Chief Curator James Crump, and their team of sponsors, supporters, and workers for the fantastic job they did at making FotoFocus be such a success.