Welcome to this year’s 21st annual PhotoNOLA Festival of photography here in New Orleans. PhotoNOLA celebrates photography the month of December throughout the city with exhibitions, artist talks and workshops. A portfolio review, PhotoBOOK Fair and educational programming will take place December 02-06th.
Opening Night at NOMA
Wednesday, December 02 | New Orleans Museum of Art | NOMA Auditorium, City Park | 1 Collins Diboll Circle
Wednesday, December 2, 5:30 – 8:00 PM | Panel Discussion: “The Work We Live With: Women in Photography” + Gallery Talk and Book Signing
To celebrate the opening of “Confluence: The Tina Freeman Collection of Photographs,” join us and PhotoNOLA in NOMA’s Lapis Center for the Arts for an intergenerational conversation about the exhibition and career experiences in the field of photography.
Panelists include photographer and filmmaker Sienna Pinderhughes; photographer and artist consultant Jenny Bagert; and photographer, curator, and collector Tina Freeman. The conversation will be moderated by Emilia Mickevicius, Norton Family Assistant Curator of Photography at the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona and contributing essayist for the exhibition catalogue.
The panel discussion will be preceded by a 5:30 PM Gallery Talk from Brian Piper, NOMA’s Freeman Family Curator of Photographs, Prints, and Drawings. Following the discussion, a book signing for the Confluence exhibition catalogue with Piper, Mickevicius, Freeman, and Pinderhughes will be held in the NOMA Museum Shop.
Schedule
5:30-6:15 PM | Zita and Luther Templeman Galleries, Second Floor
Gallery talk with NOMA Curator Brian Piper
6:30 – 7:30 PM | Lapis Center for the Arts, First Floor
Panel Discussion: “The Work We Live With: Women in Photography”
7:30 – 8:00 PM | NOMA Museum Shop, First Floor
Confluence exhibition catalogue signing with Piper, Mickevicius, Freeman, and Pinderhughes
Presented in partnership with the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA).
Thursday Keynote Lecture with Sharon Farmer
Thursday, December 03 | (TBA)
The night begins with a Patron Reception, followed by a keynote lecture by Sharon Farmer at (tba). Sharon Camille Farmer is an American photographer. She was the first African-American woman to be hired as a White House photographer and the first African American and first female to be Director of the White House Photography office.
Following the keynote, the Black & White Gala (7:30–10:30 PM) — with an evening of live music, food, drinks, and a curated auction in support of the New Orleans Photo Alliance.
Guests may also attend the Patron Party (6:30–7:30 PM) for early access and mingling with artists, curators, and sponsors.
This year’s events are presented with generous support from the Feinman Foundation and mark a milestone 20th anniversary for PhotoNOLA.
Schedule
6:30–7:30 PM — Patron Party
7:00–8:15 PM — Music by (tbd) followed by the Keynote Lecture with Sharon Farmer at (tba)
7:30–10:30 PM — Black & White Gala at (tba)
Tickets: Festival Pass ($50, includes Keynote)
All proceeds support the New Orleans Photo Alliance and PhotoNOLA’s year-round exhibitions, education, and community programming.
Friday Night at the Ogden Museum: CURRENTS + PhotoWALK
Friday, December 04 | 5:30 PM-9:00 PM Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Spend Friday evening immersed in photography at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art.
Begin with a curator-led walkthrough of TBD at 5:30 with Richard McCabe, followed by the opening of CURRENTS 2026 and a curator talk with Bill Boling at 6:30 PM.
The night culminates in the PhotoWALK 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM— featuring work by photographers from PhotoNOLA’s Portfolio Reviews, Book Publishers and Sponsors. Meet the artists, explore and take home new work and photo books.
Saturday Highlights: PhotoBOOK Fair, Citywide Exhibition Openings
Saturday, December 05 | 11:00 AM–4:00 PM
Ogden Museum of Southern Art – Patrick F. Taylor Library + venues citywide + 4th Wall
Begin your day at the PhotoBOOK Fair at the Ogden Museum’s Patrick F. Taylor Library, featuring independent publishers, photobook launches, and artist signings and presentations.
Later, join us for citiwide exhibitions in venues across New Orleans. Reconnect and celebrate at the official PhotoNOLA closing party at (tbd).
Sunday: The 2025 Jules L. Cahn John H. Lawrence Photography Lectureseries + Community Gathering
Sunday, December 06 | 1:00–4:00 PM I Presented in partnership with The Historic New Orleans Collection
Wrap up PhotoNOLA Festival with the annual Jules L. Cahn John H. Lawrence Lecture, exploring the theme “New Orleans in the ’90s.” This special program reflects on the city’s photographic life before the digital era — from fine art and photojournalism to the community snapshots that captured everyday culture before Hurricane Katrina.
The afternoon will feature conversations with photographers, curators, and journalists who documented and shaped this pivotal time in New Orleans’ visual history, followed by a relaxed reception and community photo sharing.
Presented in partnership with The Historic New Orleans Collection, supported by the Cahn Family
