WELCOME


Welcome to the blog for the 2009 Southeast Regional SPE Conference. The conference will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, October 15-17, 2009, at SCAD-Atlanta. For directions, the street address for SCAD is 1600 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta, 30309.

Atlanta is a unique location for the conference for many reasons. In the past twenty years the southeastern United States has become an economic, political, and cultural power unlike any other time since the Civil War. But within this region an enormous contradiction of ideologies still exists. Atlanta, in many respects, is a state within a state. The recent election results clearly showed a blue island in an otherwise red sea. This place of contrasts – urban and rural, rich and poor, liberal and conservative, is the Crossroads of the Southeast Region. The Crossroads has also traditionally been a place where people gathered. It was the location of the general store, and the place where money, ideas, and gossip were exchanged.

SPE has not held a conference in Atlanta since 1995, and much has changed since then. We are very excited to be collaborating with Atlanta Celebrates Photography to bring our Keynote Speaker, Gregory Crewdson, and to cross-list all our programming with theirs. If you are unfamiliar with ACP check out their web site at www.acpinfo.org. Because of the wealth of exhibitions during the time of the conference we encourage you to get out and see as many as you can.

The conference hotel (see accommodations) is just a 3 minute walk to the High Museum. This area contains an additonal piece of photography history, as it is two doors away from the former residence of Harry Callahan.

For any additional information and questions contact:
Perry Kirk - Conference Chair
Associate Professor of Photography
Department of Art
University of West Georgia
pkirk@westga.edu
678-839-4947

We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta!