Photopolis

Who doesn’t love a good photo? Photopolis is the biggest photography festival in Atlantic Canada and for 31 days in October, the city will be covered with beautiful, provocative and moving photographs in 35 exhibits. Major international exhibits include a glimpse into Andy Warhol’s photography in Little Red Book at the AGNS and Syria before the ongoing civil war in Lorraine Field’s At the Edge of Infinity at Anna Leonowens Gallery. Nova Scotia is examined through a wide range of topics from Steve Farmer’s take on marine life in PILOT: The Marine Compasses for the Port of Halifax at Pavia Gallery, to Declan O’Dowd’s intimate portrait of agricultural business in Valley Farms—opening the festival at Studio 21. This year the festival is expanding with new venues including the Keshen Goodman Library and the Naval Museum of Halifax. On October 25, the festival will host their annual symposium Inside Photography: Issues, Practices & Perspectives about careers in photography, using photography to build a sense of community and photography used for social change. Closing night features a film screening of Everybody Street, a documentary chronicling New York street photography. “We are surrounded by photographs every day, but how often to see photos that show social reality?” says Heather MacLeod, president of Photopolis. “A lot of people know about photography but not the traditions. We want to show how photography can help build communities.” For full exhibit and event listings, visit photopolis.ca —Julie Sobowale