Conversations, the Center for Railroad Photography & Art’s annual conference, is coming back to Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois, on the weekend of June 14-16, 2024. Explore past conferences here.
Conference scholarships are available to younger and/or emerging photographers and visual artists. They are available to individuals creating photography or other visual art focusing on rail-related subjects, who meet at least one of the following requirements:
- Under the age of 30 at the time of application
- Enrolled in an institution of higher learning, in a program relating to fine arts
- Have less than five years of experience in the field of visual arts
The conference scholarship is designed to support artists who would otherwise be unable to attend. Even better, you’ll have the opportunity to show your work to fellow photographers, artists, editors, and rail community leaders … and get inspired yourself! Details below.
Scholarship recipient Steven Chen presents his photography at Conversations 2023. Photograph by Elrond LawrenceAn ideal applicant will demonstrate:
- Thoughtful, creative work in photography or other visual arts with rail-related subject matter
- How attending the conference will support their development as a visual artist
- Financial need
- Volunteer experience
Successful applicants will receive:
- Up to $400 in travel reimbursements
- Free admission to the conference
- Meals provided at the conference venue
- Two nights of lodging at the conference hotel
- A platform to present your work in a short presentation
- The opportunity to meet and learn from industry greats
Application process
Applications will only be accepted electronically.
Please submit the following to info@railphoto-art.org
- A short (500 words max) introductory statement that describes:
- The artist’s medium (i.e. photography, oil painting, etc.)
- Any training, experience, or influences that have contributed to the applicant’s development
- A description of the applicant’s past projects and/or special achievements
- How the applicant feels they would benefit from attendance
- Contact information including, name, phone number, and email address
- Up to 10 sample images
- In an email attachment, or
- In a linked social media account where the applicant’s work can be viewed
Conference attendees at the Friday reception at Conversations 2023. Photograph by Elrond LawrenceAbout the Center:
The Center for Railroad Photography & Art (www.railphoto-art.org | @railphotoart) is America’s foremost organization for interpreting the intersection of railroad art and culture with America’s history and culture. The Center has achieved that status through successful publications (especially its quarterly journal, Railroad Heritage), exhibitions, conferences, and an awards program, all of which showcase the best of railroad photography and art in ways that enhance understanding of railroad history, technology, and artistry.
Founded in 1997, the Center works with photographers, artists, writers, and historians across the country, although its home is in Madison, Wisconsin. The Center does not maintain its museum or archive space, but instead collaborates with other institutions.
About the Conference:
The conference is the nation’s premier venue for presentations on railroad art and photography. The three-day event is held on the picturesque campus of Lake Forest College, just thirty miles north of Chicago. Attendees include active railroad photographers and artists, magazine editors, industry leaders, and scholars from wide backgrounds. Past presenters include photographers David Plowden and Lina Bertucci, railroad executive Henry Posner III, writers such as novelist Linda Niemann and Washington Post transportation columnist Don Phillips, and curators Ian Kennedy of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Anne M. Lyden of the J. Paul Getty Museum, and Ashlee Whitaker of the Brigham Young University Museum of Art.
In 1955, a Milwaukee Road train rests nearby the Chicago & North Western depot with the capitol building visible in the background. Photograph by John Gruber.
