The Exposure Photography Festival returns this month for a province-wide celebration of contemporary photography, bringing together more than 250 artists across 30 venues in Alberta.
The annual event opened last week at Contemporary Calgary. The featured artwork — including core exhibits such as the North West Showcase and the International Open Call — will be on display until March 5.
The festival unfolds throughout Alberta, with countless galleries and artist-run spaces, encouraging visitors to explore exhibitions in different communities.
The North West Showcase featured several local Calgary artists, such as Kathryn Audet.
Audet has been taking pictures since she picked up photography as a hobby to cope with the stress of the pandemic in 2020.
Since then, her work has already been exhibited across Canada, the U.S., and the U.K.
She had previously participated in a portfolio review with the Exposure Photography Festival a few years ago and would recommend it to any photographer.
“To get that really indepth thoughtful feedback on your work was just an exceptional experience,” she said.
Being a storyteller by nature, Audet describes her work as simple and minimalistic, drawing inspiration from photographers such as Jeffrey Conley, Michael Kenna, and Olivier du Tre.
“It’s about taking the frame down to the essential elements,” Audet adds. “I find I’m better at doing a long-form project where it’s a full story arc.”
She went on to be featured in last year’s Emerging Photographer Showcase, which has now been renamed the North West Showcase. The exhibit shines a spotlight on artists from Western Canada, including the Prairies, the Rockies, and the Territories.
This year, the lineup received much acclaim.
Artists created stories that were described as “varied” and “imaginative.”
“The traditional idea of ‘photography’ was challenged throughout many submissions, as entrants pushed the boundaries of the medium,” said Director of Photography for Maclean Magazine, Rachel Wine, in her juror statement. “It was a privilege to engage with work from the next generation of photographers, and I look forward to following along on their next chapter.”
Audet’s exhibit this year particularly focuses on her lost loved ones and how their memory stays ‘Woven’ in her life.
“It’s based on the woman who we’d consider my mother-in-law, who passed away, and then just really reflecting on her life and the few things that were left at the end,” she said.
More highlights of this year’s event include “Here, Together,” a series curated by photographers Jasmine Piper and Beth Kane. It explores themes of connection and shared experiences through a range of photographic practices.
Also on view is “NEXTDOOR,” a cross-border collaboration between Strata Editions and Exposure supported by Calgary Arts Development, underscoring the festival’s commitment to partnership and dialogue beyond provincial and federal boundaries.
The festival continues to draw both dedicated art patrons and newcomers curious about how photography can illuminate both personal and collective stories.
As for Audet, she continues to be a proud part of an organization that’s essential to the arts in Calgary. “They really have done such an amazing job at making it such a photographic community event,” she adds.
The exhibition runs until March 5, 2026.
More information about times and ticket prices can be found here.