CONVERGING PERSPECTIVES presents contemporary photography, its practitioners and innovative exhibitions from an international perspective. Absent the presumption of the primacy of Western culture, Converging Perspectives offers an alternative frame of reference, thus providing an in-depth look at a rapidly shifting landscape informed by a composite of cross-cultural influences.

Featuring critical writings that focus specifically on contemporary photographic practices often considered outside the mainstream, Converging Perspectives raises awareness of the increasing globalization of art and culture and its influence on a collective cultural identity. Unlike reacting to pluralism solely by emphasizing the “other,” Converging Perspectives serves as a platform for identifying and documenting issues, trends and perspectives informed by contemporary photographic practices that acknowledge the breadth of histories worldwide.

Demographic shifts have begun altering the complexion and social fabric of a number of Western countries. In the U.S., long considered the cultural capital of the world, just under half the population will be non-white by 2045. [Source: U.S. Census Bureau Report, 2018]. However, while non-whites already represent a third of the population, whites still make up 91 percent of museum visitors, 80 percent of museum staff, and are represented in over 90 percent of museum and gallery exhibitions. [Source: American Alliance of Museums]. Correspondingly, photography festivals and portfolio reviews heavily feature white speakers and artists. If photography is to remain relevant in the face of this shifting population, who is responsible for changing the status quo? Converging Perspectives provides an international forum for disseminating ideas, for advocating critical engagement, and for promoting art projects that address the challenges facing contemporary photographic practices.

Converging Perspectives was launched as an online initiative by Hannah Frieser and Charles Guice in 2014, and fortified in its mission during a residency at the Cassillhaus program in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 2015. Projects have included critical and in-depth writings; direct support for artists, such as one-on-one short-term and multi-year mentoring; and special projects. Between 2015 and 2022, special one-on-one mentoring support was provided to artists participating in residencies at the Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW), culminating in the collaborative effort of the 2020/2021 Social Justice Symposium, an online initiative that brought together a knowledgebase of artists and practitioners from CPW, En Foco, Converging Perspectives and more. Recent projects have included guest editing the 50th anniversary edition of exposure magazine for the Society of Photographic Education in 2023, and expanded one-on-one coaching with individual artists.