FotoWeek DC, a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the power of photography, invites the public to join with the photographic community.

Its first annual weeklong festival brought over 20,000 visitors to the Nation’s Capital, galvanizing the Washington, DC community. Washington is unique in the photographic world, consisting as it does not only of a nexus of talented photographers, but also its far-ranging collections of photography. From national institutions like The Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, and the National Gallery to edgy galleries in Adams Morgan and Bethesda, the image is everywhere, and FotoWeek DC was created in part to pay tribute to this. The inaugural competitions attracted an astounding amount of high caliber work, and a photographic light show on the walls of the Nation’s monuments was, well, electrifying.

FotoWeek DC isn’t just about seven days or one city, however. Exhibitions continue throughout the year, including our most recent exhibition, Fotobama, at the Newseum. The educational, community building and informational exchange platforms we provide for photographers and photo enthusiasts have expanded to a global scale, which is why, in 2009, our awards competition has gone global. Finally, as the first organization to recognize the need to create a photographic forum that engages people of all ages, races, and economic means, FotoWeek DC hopes to foster both grassroots initiatives and public/private partnerships to publicize global issues and encourage positive social change.