Centre for Contemporary Photography facts for kids
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| Former name | Victorian Centre for Photography |
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| Established | 1986 |
| Location | 404 George Street, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia |
The Centre for Contemporary Photography (CCP) is a special place in Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria. It's a gallery where you can see amazing modern photo-based art. The CCP helps people enjoy, learn about, and understand photography today.
Contents
History of the CCP
The CCP started in 1986. It was first called the Victorian Centre for Photography (VCP). People from the photography world helped create it. They followed advice from Bernie O’Regan, who studied if it was possible to open such a center.
The VCP's first home was a small shop on Rathdowne Street in Carlton. It received money from the Victorian Ministry for the Arts and the Australia Council for the Arts. The center grew from a small local group to include photographers from all over Australia and even other countries.
A big project was an exhibition called The Thousand Mile Stare. This show traveled around Australia from 1988 to 1989. It became a very important part of Australian photography history from the late 1900s.
The VCP moved to a bigger place on Johnston Street in Fitzroy. Soon after, in the early 1990s, it changed its name to the Centre for Contemporary Photography. This new name showed its focus on modern art. In 2005, the CCP moved again to 404 George Street, Fitzroy. This building was specially designed by Sean Godsell Architects.
The CCP is a not-for-profit center. This means it uses its money to support art, not to make a profit. It helps many kinds of photo-based art and connects the public with photography. Famous artists like Leah King-Smith, Gregory Crewdson, and Patricia Piccinini have shown their work here.
The CCP shows many types of art. This includes art by Indigenous photographers and traditional styles. For example, they show portraits, documentary photos, and photojournalism. They also feature new digital art and video.
In July 2016, the CCP celebrated its 30th birthday. They held an exhibition called From Silver Gelatin to Instagram: Celebrating 30 Years of the CCP. Artists donated their work to help raise money. This happened after some of the government funding for the center changed. Before this, the CCP received a lot of support from the State of Victoria and the Commonwealth Government. They also got help from the Visual Arts and Crafts Strategy. The rest of their money came from members and events, like an annual fundraiser.
Who Manages the CCP?
The CCP is run by a team of people. They make sure everything works well.
Directors of the CCP
These are the people who have led the CCP over the years:
- Deborah Ely (1988-1991)
- Susan Fereday (1992-1995)
- Stuart Koop (1995-1999)
- Tessa Dwyer
- Charlotte Day (1999–2001)
- Naomi Cass (2001–June 2018)
- Adam Harding (from August 2018–2022)
- Daniel Boetker-Smith (2022 -present)
Many people who started as volunteers at the CCP have gone on to do great things in the art world. For example, Professor Daniel Palmer is now a leader at RMIT University. Michelle Mountain is an Exhibition Manager and Curator at TarraWarra Museum of Art. Pippa Milne is a Senior Curator at Monash Gallery of Art.
Board of Management
A group called the Board of Management oversees the CCP. They help make important decisions. The current members include Patrick Pound (Chair), Michael McCormack (Dep. Chair), Nicole Bradshaw (Treasurer), Myles Russell-Cook, Isobel Crombie, Ying Ang, Neil Hugh Kenna, Hoda Afshar, and Mark Simpson.
Exhibitions and Shows
The CCP has five different spaces where they show art. This includes the Night Projection Window, which you can see from 9 pm to 2 am. They show many kinds of photo-based art from new and well-known artists.
The program includes shows by single artists, groups, and special curated exhibitions. These shows feature local, national, and international photography. They highlight both new and established artists, as well as curators and writers.
The CCP also holds a competition called the CCP Salon. Sponsors like Leica and Ilford offer over $20,000 in prizes across 23 categories. Anyone can enter this competition, and visitors can vote for their favorites. It's free to visit the CCP. In 2017, nearly 93,000 people visited the Fitzroy gallery.
Learning at the CCP
The CCP offers many ways to learn about photography.
Every Saturday after an exhibition opens, the artists give "Artist Floor Talks." This is a chance to hear them talk about their work. The CCP also has education programs. These include hands-on photography courses. They also host a yearly series of public lectures. Past speakers have included famous experts like Geoffrey Batchen, Martin Parr, and Victor Burgin.
See also
- Australian Centre for Photography
- Queensland Centre for Photography
- Brummels Gallery
- The Photographers' Gallery and Workshop
- Church Street Centre for Photography
