ABOUT

AUSTRALIAN CENTRE FOR PHOTOGRAPHY

ACP Foley St Premises

About us

The Australian Centre for Photography (ACP) is a leading institution in Australia dedicated to the art of photography and lens-based media. From 1974, the ACP has been a creative force in the cultural life of Australia, presenting the work of dynamic and diverse artists. The ACP presented the first major retrospectives of photographs by Max Dupain, Olive Cotton and Mervyn Bishop as well as the early exhibitions of works by Bill Henson, William Yang, Tracey Moffatt and Trent Parke.

The ACP holds at its core the vital contribution of artists and photographers in distilling and reflecting upon society, displaying a pluralism of perspectives and a breadth of artistic practice. ACP’s exhibitions, education and community programs have provided opportunities for audiences and peers to engage in a dynamic  conversation about the significance of images, both past and present, within contemporary culture.

Our History

Officially founded in September 1973, the Australian Centre for Photography (ACP) was one of Australia’s oldest contemporary arts organisations. The ACP of  the 1970s was a community-based exhibition space, that responded to a need to exhibit contemporary photography as works of art. The ACP opened in  Paddington, Sydney on the 21st November 1974 as the first Government funded national organisation for the promotion of photography in Australia.

One of Australia’s leading photographers, David Moore conceived of the idea of a national centre for photography in 1970. The practitioner-based initiative was established and initially conceived as a non-profit, cultural organization, with aims to research, exhibit, publish, collect and generally encourage photography in Australia.

The original committee comprised of David Moore (photographer), Wesley Stacey (photographer), Peter Keyes (architect), Daniel Thomas (Curator of Australian Art at the Art Gallery of new South Wales), Laurence Le Guay (photographer) and Craig McGregor (writer). Funding was provided to The Australian Foundation of Photography from the Australia Council Visual Arts Board.

Contact Us

For all general enquiries

E info@acp.org.au

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