9 July 2008
A national celebration of photography in Australia, including 100 exhibitions at 50 venues across Canberra, will be launched at the National Museum of Australia at 6.30pm on Friday 11 July, 2008.
Michael Bowers, pictorial editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, broadcaster, writer of a number of books on history and photography and front-line photographer, will launch Canberra's inaugural Vivid: National Photography Festival at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.
Vivid: National Photography Festival is a collaborative project celebrating the vital role of photography in Australian life and history. The festival showcases a rich variety of historic, commercial, student and community photographs. More than four hundred Australian and international photographers are represented in solo, joint or group exhibitions throughout Australia's largest photography festival from July 11 to 12 October 2008.
In addition to the exhibitions, Vivid: National Photography Festival features conferences, projections onto landmark buildings, a trade show, master classes, seminars, talks and tours, as well as events for photographers and photographic historians.
As part of the festival, the National Museum of Australia will present two photographic exhibitions; A Different Time: The Expedition Photographs of Herbert Basedow 1903 -1928 and Selling an American Dream: Australia's Greek Café.
For interviews, images and more information please contact Dennis Grant on 02 6208 5351, 0409 916 481; Caroline Vero on 02 6208 5338, 0438 620 710 or media@nma.gov.au