PHOTO INDEPENDENT LAUNCHES WITH PREVIEW TO BENEFIT THE LOS ANGELES ART ASSOCIATION ON APRIL 25 

Artist-Only Photography Fair will feature Special Exhibit by Andy Summers

(Los Angeles, Calif., March 3, 2014) – Photo Independent, the first and only high-visibility art fair platform for independent photographers, will kick off with a Opening Night Preview benefitting the Los Angeles Art Association (LAAA) on Friday, April 25 from 7pm-10pm. Taking place at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, CA, Photo Independent is a forum for direct exchange of ideas and contact between photographic artists, collectors and art professionals. The inaugural edition of the art fair will also feature specialized programs in partnership with the Los Angeles Art Association and Art Nerd Los Angeles including panel discussions, lectures, and docent tours.

The Opening Night Preview will feature hors d’oeuvres, drinks, an organic whiskey tasting in partnership with Koval Distilleries, and music. Offering guests a “first-look” at the forty national and international photographers that have been vetted to participate in the show, including works by noted photographers Philipp Scholz Rittermann (U.S.), Robert Tamara (The Netherlands), and Ian Provest (Australia), among others.

The 2014 Photo Independent Selection Committee, comprised of prominent photography curators and gallerists, are selecting the highest level of talent in a variety of photographic fields for the fair. Representatives from the Selection Committee include: Daniell Cornell, The Donna and Cargill MacMillan Jr., Director of Art at the Palm Springs Art Museum; Graham Howe, Curator & Photo-Historian, and CEO of Curatorial Assistance; Sarah Lee, who has served as trustee, Executive Director of and guest curator at the Korean American Museum in Los Angeles, and has been on the Japan-American National Museum’s advisory council since 1995, and Eve Schillo, Curatorial Assistant in the Wallis Annenberg Photography Department at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). 

The Opening Night Preview will also be the first opportunity for guests to view a curated exhibit of works by Andy Summers, guitarist for The Police. Titled “I'll be Watching You,” the exhibit will feature a series of black and white photographs culled from many cities Summers has photographed over the past several years, from Tanzania to China. A second special exhibit will feature works by the 2013 winners of The AX3 – American Aperture Awards.  The exhibit will feature more than fifty works by artists from around the globe. 

Presented by Fabrik Media, Photo Independent will take place on April 25-27, 2014 at Raleigh Studios Hollywood, 5300 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90038. The 2014 Opening Night Preview Party will take place on Friday, April 25, 2014 from 7pm-10pm. Trade professionals and press are welcome to attend sneak-peak on Friday, April 25. A press preview will take place between 5pm-7pm, Trade professionals preview will take place between 1pm-5pm on Friday. Preview tickets are $100 when purchased in advance and $110 at the door. To purchase tickets and see related benefits, please visit http://www.eventbrite.com/e/photo-independent-art-fair-tickets-9369473347.

For more information about Photo Independent, please visit www.photoindependent.com.

About Fabrik Media

Fabrik Media is a Los Angeles-based multifaceted publishing and marketing agency that supports artists and the arts. The Fabrik media platform connects and profiles influential and visionary innovators, features contemporary artists, distinctive galleries, trendsetting designers, discerning architects, and showcases emerging artists. With its Los Angeles-centric magazine, Fabrik covers art and design in a manner as distinctive as it is thorough. A quarterly journal of lively coverage and commentary on art and design in America’s new cultural capital. For more info, visit http://fabrik.la

About the Los Angeles Art Association 

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, LAAA's mission is to provide opportunities, resources, services and exhibition venues for Los Angeles artists, with an emphasis on emerging talent. Founded in 1925, LAAA has launched the art careers of many celebrated artists and has played a central role in the formation of Los Angeles' arts community.

Today, LAAA continues to play a central role in the Los Angeles arts community by providing our artist members and the public with exceptional exhibitions and programs, as well as a forum for exchange and education through lectures, workshops and networking opportunities. LAAA serves a broad cross section of artists of all mediums, career levels and socio-economic backgrounds, including those from low-income communities. By supporting the emerging talent at the onset of their career path, we hope to influence all the cultural stakeholder groups in Los Angeles and contribute to the cultural identity of our community. LAAA is pledged to providing emerging artists with the experience, education and exposure needed to create and sustain a career in the arts. For more info, visit www.laaa.org.