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Tuesday 11am - 5pm Wednesday 11am - 5pm Thursday 11am - 5pm Friday 11am - 5pm Saturday 12pm - 4pm

Colorado Photographic Arts Center

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Colorado Photographic Arts Center

The Colorado Photographic Arts Center is a non-profit organization supporting the photographic arts. All of our exhibitions are free and open to the public.

The Colorado Photographic Arts Center (CPAC) is the only nonprofit organization in Denver dedicated exclusively to the art of photography. Founded in 1963, we serve as a resource center where photographers can learn new skills, pursue their artistic vision, build community, and seek inspiration and creative growth. CPAC hosts 7-10 high-quality exhibitions each year that showcase the finest example

s of contemporary photography from local and national artists. We offer classes and workshops year-round at affordable rates, taught by a faculty of established artists and industry professionals. We offer resources for artists, including a darkroom and digital lab. Finally, we organize more than 50 events each year to engage the broader Denver community, including artist talks, gallery openings, Final Fridays, workshops, and the Month of Photography Denver Festival. Learn more about our organization by visiting cpacphoto.org.

05/26/2026

Join us tomorrow in the CPAC Gallery for an Artist Panel Discussion with three of the artists from our current exhibition, 'Western Cowboy: Reloaded'.

Samantha Johnston, CPAC Executive Director and Curator, will lead a panel discussion in the gallery with exhibition artists Constance Jaeggi, Amanda Lopez, and Juan Fuentes.

Wednesday, May 27th at 5:30pm
Free & open to the public.

Image Credit: Constance Jaeggi

05/25/2026

KEH is coming to CPAC next weekend!⁠
⁠
Come get your photo and video gear appraised by a KEH Camera expert and get paid instantly with zero fees.⁠
⁠
No Registration needed! This event will be accepting walk-ins and will work⁠
as first come first serve. Appraisal should take 30 minutes for customers⁠
with 15 items or less. To guarantee top dollar for your gear, please be sure not to forget batteries and chargers. ⁠
⁠
When: Friday, May 29th 11am-4pm, and Saturday, May 30th 12pm-3:30pm⁠
Where: Colorado Photographic Arts Center⁠, 1200 Lincoln St. Suite 111
⁠
For more information for the event visit: https://cpacphoto.org/keh-buy-
back-event-may-2026/

Image Credit: CPAC Instructor

05/24/2026

The first of our new series 'Summer Nights Walking with CPAC' is coming up in June! Architecture & Form with Frank Varney will take place on June 6th, 4:30-7:30pm.⁠
⁠
Photography begins with looking. Join CPAC instructor Frank Varney for an early-evening photo walk exploring architecture and form in downtown Denver! This low-pressure, community-centered session is designed to get you photographing outside the classroom.⁠
⁠
We’ll begin with a short framing conversation and a set of creative prompts, then spend the bulk of the walk photographing together at an easy pace. Along the way, Frank will offer optional, informal feedback and help participants refine how they see structure, space, and changing light as the evening develops.⁠

Register here! https://cpacphoto.org/summer-nights-walking-with-cpac-architecture-form-june/

Image Credit: ©Frank Varney

05/23/2026

Thank you to The Denver Post for this great article about our current exhibition, 'Western Cowboy: Reloaded'. Come see the show now through June 20th!

You can also join us for an In-Person Artist Talk on Wednesday, May 27th at 5:30pm — with exhibition artists Constance Jaeggi, Amanda Lopez, and Juan Fuentes.

Gallery Hours:
Tuesday – Friday: 11am-5pm
Saturday: 12pm-4pm

05/22/2026

The Colorado Photographic Arts Center is pleased to announce 'Show Us Your Downtown', an online juried exhibition celebrating Colorado’s 150th anniversary of statehood!⁠ In honor of this milestone year, we invite residents from across Colorado to explore and share the downtowns that define their communities.

We encourage photographers of all skill levels to submit new or previously created images capturing downtown areas anywhere in Colorado. Interpretations of “downtown” are intentionally open — ranging from historic landmarks and civic spaces to contemporary developments, cultural hubs, neighborhood corridors, and everyday architectural details that give your community its character.

All forms of imagery are welcome, including black-and-white and color photography, streetscapes, public spaces, and architecture.

❯ Application Opens: Today, Friday, May 22nd
❯ Application Closes: Tuesday, June 30th, 11:59pm MDT⁠
❯ Online Exhibition: August 21st – December 31st, 2026⁠

To submit your work: https://cpacphoto.org/celebrate-co-photo-competition-submit-june-30-2026/

Image Credit: Stephen Podrasky

05/21/2026

We have an exciting workshop for teens coming up in July! 'Basic B&W Film Photography & Darkroom' with Jackie Webster.

In this four day workshop, Jackie will guide students in how to expose black & white film, and how to print negatives into photographs in a traditional darkroom.

When: Monday, July 13 – Thursday, July 16, 9am-3pm
Where: Red Rocks Community College
Instructor: Jackie Webster

For more information and to register:
https://cpacphoto.org/july-teen-workshop-basic-bw-film-photography-
darkroom/

Image Credit: Erin Clark

05/20/2026

Join us on June 10th for an in-person PhotoVox presentation — Photography in Public: Rights, Risks, and Realities with Lawyer Dave Ratner.

From street photography and public events to protests, architecture, and environmental portraiture, photographers often navigate complicated questions around privacy, consent, and usage.

Dave Ratner is the founder of Creative Law Network, and one of Colorado’s leading advocates for artists and creative professionals. This presentation will provide a practical overview of what photographers can legally photograph in public, where limitations may arise, and how to better protect both themselves and their work.
⁠
Member Happy Hour from 5:30–6:30pm⁠.
Presentation at 6:30pm⁠.

Register now! https://cpacphoto.org/photovox-june-2026-photography-in-public-rights-risks-and-realities-with-dave-ratner/
⁠
Image Credit: ©Mari Howells

05/19/2026

Join the on Tuesday, June 2 (6 - 7 pm) for the Anderman Photography Lecture featuring photographer Alexey Titarenko.

Titarenko explores the character of a city and its people, blending the reality of a moment with metaphor. By using long exposure times and darkroom techniques, he makes photographs that evoke a mood and the passage of time.
⁠
Following this talk, there will be a book signing of the new expanded edition of The City is a Novel (2025).

This program is presented in connection with the photography exhibition What We’ve Been Up To: People, on view February 8 through September 29, 2026.⁠

CPAC members receive a special discount on tickets!
⁠
Get tickets https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/calendar/anderman-photography-lecture-alexey-titarenko
⁠
Image credit:
Alexey Titarenko, Vasileostrovskaya Metro Station (Variant 4 Crowd 2), Saint Petersburg, from the series City of Shadows, 1992. Toned gelatin silver print; 17 x 17 inches. Denver Art Museum: Gift of Phaedra Harbaugh & Boris Sepesi, 2020.201. Image courtesy and © Alexey Titarenko

05/18/2026

We have another great TEEN Workshop coming up in July — DSLR & Mirrorless Camera Basics with Chelsea Chorpenning!

In this 4-day workshop, students will learn how to confidently move beyond automatic settings by understanding and controlling exposure, light, and camera functions. Students can come with their own camera, or borrow one from CPAC.

When: Monday, July 20th – Thursday July 23rd, 9:00am–2:00pm
Where: Colorado Photographic Arts Center, 1200 Lincoln St., Suite 111
Cost: $375, Scholarships available.

To learn more, register, and apply to this teen workshop: https://cpacphoto.org/july-teen-workshop-dslr-mirrorless-camera-basics/

Image Credit: Angie Dornier

05/17/2026

We are now on Bloomberg Connects! Bloomberg Connects is a free mobile app and website featuring guides to thousands of museums, galleries, and cultural spaces.

You can explore CPAC's gallery, darkroom, and current exhibitions through the app. Each section of our guide features information, images, and audio clips from our curator, architect, staff, and current exhibition artists!

The guide on our new exhibition, Western Cowboy: Reloaded is now live — you can hear from exhibition artists Jack Ludlam and Rob Hammer, exclusively available on Bloomberg Connects.

https://cpacphoto.org/about/bloomberg-connects-cpacphoto-guide/

05/16/2026

Thank you to everyone who came to our panel last Saturday! If you missed the live discussion, you can now listen to the recording on our website.⁠
⁠
Thank you to Mad Agriculture and the Rocky Mountain Land Library for joining us in conversation, along with exhibition artists Jack Ludlam, Rob Hammer⁠, and Ian Warren.
⁠
In this discussion facilitated by Jonnah Perkins, Director of Media at Mad Agriculture, our panel dove deeper into modern cowboy culture, identity, and land through photography.⁠

Come take a look at our exhibition Western Cowboy: Reloaded, on view in the CPAC Gallery now through June 20th.

Listen to the panel discussion: https://cpacphoto.org/western-cowboy-reloaded/

Image Credit: CPAC staff

Address

1200 Lincoln Street, Suite 111
Denver, CO
80203

Opening Hours

Tuesday	11am - 5pm
Wednesday	11am - 5pm
Thursday	11am - 5pm
Friday	11am - 5pm
Saturday	12pm - 4pm

Telephone

+13038371341

Website

http://www.cpacphoto.org/

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