Panel Speaker: Stephanie Dowda!

As a photographer, curator, and organizer, Stephanie Dowda has high hopes for Atlanta. In her own words:

Where other people might think something’s impossible, I don’t. I don’t really see limitations that way.

And it’s a philosophy she’s put into practice. In 2006 she cofounded
Click Clique, a local collaborative dedicated to innovative group-based photography. Dowda was also instrumental in establishing the Photographer’s Print Studio, a community darkroom co-op that opened its doors in Decatur this February.

Further, she’s curated multiple exhibitions in both photography and other media. For example, her two events at Opal Gallery (a Poloroid show and a group exhibition of medium-format photography titled Color Field), as well as Plastic Makes Perfect at Beep Beep Gallery, challenged artists to explore the possibilities hidden within the limitations of unconventional or “antiquated” equipment. Steal this Art Show! at MINT Gallery, on the other hand, was so popular the artwork didn’t survive opening night. In an attempt to overcome the limitations of controlled space (and the intimidation factor normally associated with art galleries), visitors were invited to literally steal works of art, so long as they truly wanted the art and could escape being “caught” by MINT volunteers.

Of course, Stephanie Dowda is also an accomplished artist in her own right. Her work has been included in group shows at the Granite Room in Castleberry Hill, Opal Gallery, Composition Gallery, and in MOCA GA’s 2007 Movers and Shakers of the Georgia Art Scene. Not to mention Time & Time, last year’s solo exhibition at Hagedorn Foundation Gallery in Peachtree Hills.

Dowda holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University with a major in Philosophy and a minor in Photography. She’s recently described herself as “an examiner of thought and logic through the lens of a camera.” She loves her two doggies and works closely with her lovely beau, John Paul Floyd, another Atlanta photographer.

Remember to check back here EVERY Monday for new announcements about our guest speakers!!