Erika Gentry's photostream

The Society for Photographic Educaton West encompasses California, Nevada and Hawaii. Prior to the 1960s, photography was taught primarily in departments of journalism at American universities. SPE emerged at a time when art departments were beginning to offer photography in their curriculum. Nathan Lyons, then associate director at the George Eastman House, recognized the newly emerging academic field; he coordinated and hosted a conference in November 1962 in Rochester, NY to address the concerns of these educators. Beaumont Newhall, Walter Rosenblum, Arthur Sinsabaugh, Aaron Siskind, Henry Holmes Smith, John Szarkowski, Jerry Uelsmann and Clarence White were among the thirty attendees at the “Invitational Teaching Conference.” Representing the intersection of fine art practice, education and history, these early participants aimed to formulate the goals, future and improvement of photographic education.

The first annual national conference was held in Chicago in 1963 and the articles of incorporation were signed in May 1964. Since its establishment, many noted artists, curators, and critics in the field of photography have been involved with SPE or its programs. Although the majority of its 1,800 members are fine art photographers and educators, curators, critics, historians and artists are also members. SPE is a national non-profit organization that seeks to promote a wider understanding of photography in all of its forms and to foster the development of its practice, teaching, scholarship and critical analysis. The national headquarters are located at Miami University in Oxford, OH, and the archives are at the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, AZ.