Denver’s Month of Photography, approximately, kicked off this year on March 8 and runs into April and beyond. For this installment of the biennial photo fest, which started in 2005, more than 80 venues in Denver—and as far away as Boulder, Ft. Collins and Aspen—are celebrating lens-based art in its many forms. From The Museum of Contemporary Art to the Bardo Coffee Shop (which is too busy making coffee to put up a website), photography reigns. Organized by Mark Sink, a local photographer and gallerist, the event is being covered in depth by Le Journal de la Photographie. 

The MoP features regional stars such as Benjamin Rasmussen, Loretta Young-Gautier, and Sally Stockhold as well as art-world heavies Lori Nix, PhillipToledano, David Maisel and more. Although the festival has already launched, at RedLine Gallery, there are many upcoming events, including portfolio reviews and competitions on the calendar.

Accidentally Kansas © Lori Nix at RedLine Gallery. The Reality of Fiction: The realities and absurdities of our modern age March 8 - April 28, 2013 RedLine, 2350 Arapahoe Street Denver CO.

RedLine, as well as being the anchoring contemporary art space for MoP, is presenting the exhibition The Reality of Fiction. Curated by Mark Sink, this a survey of photographers who explore the subject of reality and fiction in their work. This study of fake consists of portraits of extreme plastic surgery, hyper realistic fake babies, fake holidays, fake relationships, fake realities, UFO Polaroids and much more. Photographs range from serious social documentation to humorous plays on the absurdities our fast-paced culture.

On March 30, the MoP Big Picture World Wide Street Art Celebration will host a party behind City O City with refreshment and music from noon to 5 pm. Information. The Big Picture is co-hosted by Art-Plant, a Denver based non-profit whose mission is to foster growth in the creative community, and Artwork Network, whose mission is to create opportunities for art by developing a network of artists, galleries, businesses, designers and collectors. Installation photo below, courtesy The Big Picture.

Images gathered from photographers around the world for Big Picture were reproduced as large Xerox prints and displayed inside galleries as well as posted in outdoor locations throughout the city of Denver and sister cities around the globe. This show of large-scale photography exposes the possibility of images as art from around the world, instantaneously exchanged via email, and blown up to large mural proportions.

Throughout the run of  MoP are many events and activities, just two here as an example. Please check the website for information.

Portfolio Reviews – March 23 – 24, 11 am – 5 pm: Intensive portfolio review sessions are available with gallery and museum directors, curators, photography collectors, teachers, critics and editors. Student and professional fine art photographers will have access to experts who can influence and advise on current marketing and offer image-world knowledge. For more information or to sign up for Portfolio Reviews. 

APA Lecture – April 25, 7 – 9 pmL Art Photographers of America presents Jackie Shumaker, with a lecture on copyright law and licensing your work in today's world of the internet.