FotoFocus, the Cincinnati-based nonprofit championing photography and lens-based art, has announced that “The Long View” will be the theme of its 2026 Biennial. The eighth edition of the month-long celebration will explore ideas of time, distance and perspective through photography and film.
Scheduled for October 2026, the Biennial will bring together international artists, curators, critics, educators and audiences across Greater Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and Northern Kentucky. Opening weekend events, set for Oct. 1–3, will include talks, panels, tours and receptions.
“The long view” captures both photography’s literal ability to see across great distances and its metaphorical power to frame historical and future perspectives. As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, the theme invites reflection on how images shape collective memory and understanding over time.
FotoFocus is giving curators and artists an opportunity to pitch an exhibition to be featured in the Biennial, awarding up to $10,000 in support for each selected project. The application link will go live Aug. 1 with a deadline of Sept. 5.
Organizers encourage proposals that engage “The Long View” through topics such as history and memory, visions of the future, the technical challenges of distance and perspective, and reflections on the present within a wider historical arc.
“Our country is undergoing a lot of turbulence as it approaches its 250th anniversary, and a lot of us are anxiously caught up in the moment, worried about what the future holds,” said Kevin Moore, FotoFocus artistic director and curator. “’The Long View’ suggests we might benefit from gaining a broader perspective by looking to the past to better imagine a future.”
Looking ahead to October 2026
Since launching the Biennial in 2012, FotoFocus has produced more than 800 exhibitions and programs, working with artists such as Doug Aitken, Tina Barney, Gregory Crewdson and An-My Lê. The nonprofit has also awarded over 600 grants to support lens-based projects that foster public engagement and dialogue.
This will be the first Biennial to host select programming at the new FotoFocus Center, a 14,700-square-foot facility opening in fall 2025. Designed to provide a year-round space for exhibitions and events, the Center marks a major expansion for FotoFocus, which since its founding in 2010 has built a national reputation for presenting photography and film in new and dynamic ways.
FotoFocus is also looking for other venues in Greater Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and Northern Kentucky to apply to host exhibits as well. The deadline to apply is Sept. 5.
“Cumulatively, our Biennial exhibitions have welcomed over one million visitors,” said Executive Director Katherine Ryckman Siegwarth. “We look forward to once again hosting a month-long celebration of photography in the Greater Cincinnati region.”
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