The black/white exhibition juried by Michael Kirchoff, was in the online gallery from October 10  to November 20, 2025. The juror selected forty seven images from thirty three artist for the exhibition. Edward L Rubin’s Hands received the Juror’s Award. Robin Olive Reich’s image Mabel Looking for Me Through the Bedroom Window received the Director’s Award.

Juror’s Statement

This call was quite broad in terms of subject matter or substance of the photographs. The great thing is that, being an all black and white call, I really get to look deeply at the content and composition of what shows up. None of that pesky color hogwash to distract and trip me up. The amount of creativity that somebody can achieve with a monochrome photograph is astounding. A full range of tones and deep blacks gets me every time. Don’t get me wrong, I do love color images as well, but the black and white work still reigns supreme in my world.

Themes of solitude and reflection often emerge as key elements in what I might include in an exhibition or sequence of images. The photographs that create mystery and drama, while asking questions rather than providing answers, are something I wish to bring to the table. Most of the time, I feel like we live in a world (these days) that won’t give us what we want out of it. So, we are left to search and ask how we might get from point A to point B in only the best way possible. I believe it’s the curious ones who put in the effort to get there, knowing that the answers might never come, but still finding a way of enjoying the ride while it’s happening. Looking through photographs like this provides just that, much the same as making them. We make and engage with image-making because we enjoy it and have something to say with the results we’ve achieved.

I believe that the makers are the ones who create the most engaging conversations. And this goes for all mediums, not simply photography. The never-say-die crowd is the one I watch and listen to, and everyone who submitted to this call can call themselves part of that group. Every step forward you take with whatever it is that you create is paramount in fulfilling oneself, and I, for one, appreciate the walk you walk.

Persevere.

Michael Kirchoff
September, 2025

link to online exhibition

link to exhibition catalogue