For Immediate Release: 2024 WOPHA Congress Programming Highlights

WOPHA / 09.10.2024

September 10, 2024 (Miami, Florida) — Women Photographers International Archive (WOPHA), in partnership with the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), announced today new details for the highly anticipated return of the WOPHA Congress, scheduled from October 23–26, 2024.

The WOPHA Congress is a creative convening and exhibition series taking place across South Florida. Conceptualized by Latinx art historian and curator Aldeide Delgado, the Congress’ second edition, titled “How Photography Teaches Us to Live Now,” presents the indelible contribution of women and non-binary photographers in contemporary art and explores how we can pioneer new approaches to foster photography education.

More than 35 esteemed art historians, renowned photographers, curators, and thought leaders will convene in South Florida for this multi-day event, celebrating the powerful role of women in photography. The Congress offers a robust program of exhibitions, presentations, and thought-provoking conversations, with highlights including:

• The WOPHA Assembly: Technologies of Companionship, held at and in partnership with the Norton Museum of Art, provides participants with opportunities for networking, discussing best teaching practices, and examining the role of educational institutions in society. Among the representatives from women’s photography organizations attending are Laylah Amatullah Barrayn, Co-founder of MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora (USA), Anna Fox, Co-founder of Fast Forward: Women in Photography (UK), Clare Samuel, Co-Founder of Feminist Photography Network (Canada), April Wiser, Founder of Foto Femme United (France), and Velia de la Cruz, Founder of Fotógrafas del Norte (Mexico).
• Three bilingual (English/Spanish) immersive photowalks in Wynwood, Miami Design District, and Downtown Miami, led by South Florida women photographers Clara Toro, Rose Marie Cromwell, and Nicole Combeau.
• A group portfolio review session bringing together leading photography experts from South Florida and beyond, including Noelle Flores Théard, Senior Digital Photo Editor at The New Yorker, Verónica Sanchis Bencomo, Founder and Curator of Foto Féminas and Photo Editor at The New York Times, Juliana Forero, Director and Curator at the Coral Springs Museum of Art, Dina Mitrani, Director of Dina Mitrani Gallery, and Éline Gourgues, Co-director and Curator of La Station Culturelle, Fort de France, Martinique.
• Welcoming remarks by Marie Vickles, Senior Director of Education at PAMM, Aldeide Delgado, Founder & Director of WOPHA, and Sarah Meister, Executive Director of Aperture Foundation, discussing the current status of photography education, radical pedagogies and feminist practices.
• The conversation Building a Miami Photographic Curriculum with preeminent artists and educators Silvia Lizama, Maria Martínez Cañas, Jahaira Ríos Campos y Galvez, Amalia Caputo, and Noelle Théard, moderated by Amanda Bradley, WOPHA Associate Curator of Programming, tracing the history of photography in South Florida.
• The presentation of the book, Collaboration: A Potential History of Photography by acclaimed authors, photographers, and educators Susan Meiselas and Wendy Ewald, along with Laura Wexler, Professor of American Studies, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Co-Chair of the Women’s Faculty Forum at Yale University, moderated by Delgado.
• The panel Caribbean Photography History, moderated by Professor of Art History at the University of Virginia Tatiana Flores, featuring scholars Emilie Boone, Assistant Professor of African American/African Diaspora Arts at New York University, Roshini Kempadoo, photographer and Professor at the University of Westminster, and José Antonio Navarrete, independent curator and researcher. The panel focuses on the relevance of the Caribbean for understanding the history of photography.
• The keynote lecture Dissident Women: The Genre-Bending Nature of Japanese Women Photographers and the Potential of Photographic Education by Mariko Takeuchi, writer, curator, and Head of Art Studies at the graduate school of Kyoto University of the Arts. This lecture delves into the international traveling exhibition and publication I’m So Happy You Are Here: Japanese Women Photographers from the 1950s to Now.
• The conversation Camera Geologica: Photography, Ecology, and Materiality with visual artists Rosell Meseguer, Hien Hoàng, and Kosisochukwu Nnebe, moderated by Siobhan Angus, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Media Studies at Carleton University, explores the links between photography, colonization, labor, and environmental degradation.
• The launch of the WOPHA Institute, with closing remarks on visual history, teaching, and citizenship by venerable photographer and scholar, Deb Willis, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts and Director of the Center for Black Visual Culture at New York University.

During the 2024 WOPHA Congress, additional conversations, programs and exhibitions take place across Miami, including What They Saw: Historical Photobooks by Women Reading Room, in collaboration with 10 x 10 Photobooks at the Miami Dade Public Library (Main Branch), Atlas of Imagined Ecologies: 2024 WOPHA Artists in Residence at Green Space Miami, and Women Photographers –Shared Documentary Narratives at the HistoryMiami Museum. These exhibitions will remain on view during Miami Art Week and run through 2025.

Entry to the Congress at PAMM is free with RSVP. American Sign Language interpretation and live translations to Spanish and Creole will be available at PAMM and the Congress will be accessible online via livestream on PAMM’s YouTube channel. For more information, please visit WOPHA Congress.

REGISTRATION

Tuesday, October 22

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm. “Visual Epistolary Diaries” opening reception presented by Tout-Monde Art Foundation in collaboration with La Station Culturelle, in partnership with Atlantic Arthouse.
Location: JW Marriott Marquis Miami
Tickets: Free

7:30 pm – 10:00 pm. WOPHA Congress Welcoming Dinner –Honoring Susan Meiselas
Location: Mallorca Room. JW Marriott Marquis Miami
Tickets: $1,000 – $2,500 per person
Register Now

Wednesday, October 23

2:00 pm – 4:30 pm. WOPHA Assembly: “Technologies of Companionship”
Location: Norton Museum of Art
Tickets: $18 museum admission / Free for WOPHA Members*
Register Now

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm. “No Looking Back” Opening Reception
Location: Girls’ Club
Tickets: $15 – $30 / Free for WOPHA Members
Register Now

Thursday, October 24

8:30 am – 10:30 am. WOPHA Photowalks
Location: Wynwood, Miami Design District, Downtown Miami
Tickets: Free (Sponsored by MPB)
Register Now

11:15 am – 8:45 pm. WOPHA Congress at PAMM (First Day)
Location: Pérez Art Museum Miami
Tickets: Free with registration – (For events at PAMM, a one-time registration is required to attend all events at this location over the two days free of cost.)
Register Now

Friday, October 25

9:00 am – 10:30 am. Congress Breakfast: “Atlas of Imagined Ecologies” Exhibition Tour
Location: Green Space Miami
Tickets: Free

11:15 am – 5:50 pm. WOPHA Congress at PAMM (Second Day)
Location: Pérez Art Museum Miami
Tickets: Free
Register Now

8:00 pm – 11:30 pm. WOPHA Congress Party
Location: JW Marriott Miami
Tickets: $25 – $50 / Free for WOPHA Members*
Register Now

Saturday, October 26

8:00 am – 9:00 am. Yoga Class
Location: JW Marriott Miami
Tickets: $25 / Free for WOPHA Members*
Register Now

10:00 am – 10:30 am. What They Saw: Historical Photobooks by Women Reading Room
Location: Miami Dade Public Library (Main Branch)
Tickets: Free

10:45 am – 12:15 pm. Foto Féminas Mobile Library Performance
Location: Miami Dade Public Library (Main Branch)
Tickets: Free

12:30 pm – 3:00 pm. Women Photographers –Shared Documentary Narratives opening reception and panel discussion
Location: HistoryMiami Museum
Tickets: Free

The 2024 WOPHA Congress is co-presented by Women Photographers International Archive (WOPHA) and Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), and organized by the WOPHA team: Aldeide Delgado, Francisco Maso, Co-Founder and Creative Director, and Amanda Bradley, Associate Curator of Programming.

Lead support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, Bechily – Hodes Family Foundation, Green Family Foundation, The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation, and Miami Downtown Development Authority.

JW Marriott Marquis Miami and JW Marriott Miami are the Official Hotel Partner.

Major support is provided by One Sotheby’s International Realty.

Programs are made possible with the support of the Florida Department of State, the Division of Art and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, and the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.

Additional support is provided by Beth Rudin DeWoody and MPB, the world’s largest online platform for used photo and video equipment. 

Cultural Partners include HistoryMiami Museum, Norton Museum of Art, 10×10 Photobooks, The Betsy Hotel, El Espacio 23, PAMM’s Caribbean Cultural Institute, Green Space Miami, Girls’ Club, Miami-Dade Public Library System (Main Library), Miami-Dade Art in Public Places, Miami International Airport, Miami Design District, Palm Film Lab, Concept Aware, Maison de la Photographie de Guyane-Amazonie, Foto Féminas, and Lucie Foundation.

In-kind media support is provided by Centro Cultural Español Miami, CREO / Sony World Photography Awards, Foam Magazine, and Contemporary And.

About the Congress

The WOPHA Congress is a creative convening and exhibition series held at the Pérez Art Museum Miami and virtually, with parallel activations taking place across South Florida from October 23 – 26, 2024. It aims to establish a critical space for photography by bringing together worldwide organizations of women photographers, art historians, theorists, and curators with a goal to enrich and more accurately represent the dynamic history of women photographers from the nineteenth century to the present day. This event showcases both seminal and emerging research and discourse in the field, encompassing national and international discussions on women and feminisms in the history of photography. Additionally, it serves as a platform to celebrate women and foster an unparalleled network for the international community of women in the photographic arts.

About WOPHA

Women Photographers International Archive (WOPHA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by Latinx art historian and curator Aldeide Delgado to research, promote, support, and educate on the contributions of women and non-binary photographers to modern and contemporary art in order to rewrite the artistic canon and provoke social change. WOPHA fosters a more diverse and equitable world by providing a permanent archive for future generations that preserves, documents, and promotes women photographers’ work while being a driving force for innovative thinking and discussion about the role of women in photographic arts.

About Aldeide Delgado

Aldeide Delgado is a Cuban-born, Miami-based independent Latinx art historian and curator, founder & director of Women Photographers International Archive (WOPHA). She has eight years of experience writing, curating, and presenting at art history forums centered around photography, including lectures at institutions such as the Tate Modern, The Clark Institute, the University of Pennsylvania, Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), DePaul Art Museum, King’s College London, California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), and The New School. Delgado is a recipient of the 2023 Ellies Creator Award, 2019 Knight Arts Challenge award, the 2018 School of Art Criticism Fellowship by SAPS – La Tallera, and the 2017 Research and Production of Critic Essay Fellowship by TEOR/éTica. Delgado conceptualized the world’s first-ever feminist photography collective conference, WOPHA Congress: Women, Photography, and Feminisms (November 17-20, 2021). She publishes and curates from feminist and decolonial perspectives on crucial topics of the history of photography and abstraction within Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx contexts. She is also the author of “Becoming Sisters: Women Photography Collectives & Organizations” (2021). Prior to founding WOPHA, Delgado created the online feminist archive Catalog of Cuban Women Photographers, the first comprehensive survey of Cuban photography history highlighting women’s contributions from the nineteenth century to the present. She is an active member of PAMM’s International Women’s Committee and PAMM’s Latin American and Latinx Art Fund, US Latinx Art Forum, the Lucie Foundation Advisory Board, and the steering committees of the Feminist Art Coalition and Fast Forward: Women in Photography. Currently, she is pursuing an MA in Liberal Studies at Rutgers University.

About Pérez Art Museum Miami

Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), led by Director Franklin Sirmans, promotes artistic expression and the exchange of ideas, advancing public knowledge and appreciation of art, architecture, and design, and reflecting the diverse community of its pivotal geographic location at the crossroads of the Americas. The 40-year-old South Florida institution, formerly known as Miami Art Museum (MAM), opened a new building, designed by world-renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron, on December 4, 2013, in Downtown Miami’s Maurice A. Ferré Park. The facility is a state-of-the-art model for sustainable museum design and progressive programming and features 200,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor program space with flexible galleries; shaded outdoor verandas; a waterfront restaurant and bar; a museum shop; and an education center with a library, media lab, and classroom spaces.

About JW Marriott Marquis Miami

Experience unparalleled luxury at JW Marriott Marquis Miami, nestled in the heart of Downtown Miami. Our recently renovated property offers 313 exquisitely designed guestrooms, including 56 luxurious suites, and boasts unique amenities such as Chef Daniel Boulud’s Mediterranean gem, Boulud Sud restaurant. Offering a diverse setting for business, meeting, and pleasure travel pursuits, the 41-story hotel showcases 80,000 sq. ft. of versatile function space, including a 20,000 sq. ft. Grand Ballroom, along with a unique entertainment complex featuring an NBA-approved basketball arena, Mariano Bartolome Golf School, duckpin bowling, billiards, Enliven Spa, and more. Located at 255 Biscayne Boulevard Way, Miami, FL. Visit JW Marriott Marquis Miami for more information and bookings.

About JW Marriott Miami

Located in the vibrant neighborhood of Brickell the JW Marriott Miami offers an unparalleled luxury experience that combines sophisticated elegance with modern amenities. Our hotel features recently renovated guest rooms and suites with stunning views of the city skyline. Guests can indulge in exceptional culinary experiences at our on-site restaurants, unwind at our luxurious pool, or take advantage of our state-of-the-art fitness center. For business travelers, the JW Marriott Miami provides over 25,000 square feet of versatile event space, with one of the largest ballrooms in the area equipped with cutting-edge technology and supported by a dedicated team of event planning professionals. Located at 1109 Brickell Ave. Miami, FL. Visit JW Marriott Miami for more information and bookings.

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