Help Send Our Students to the Society for Photographic Education Conference
The annual Society for Photographic Education Conference will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, March 19-21, and School of Art and Design Director Jessica Labatte will be chairing a panel discussion titled "Reciprocity Reframed: Co-Creating in the Light of Belonging." The panel examines collaborative photography as a method of ethical co-authorship, where image-making becomes a reciprocal process rooted in community engagement, shared representation, and belonging. The presentation will highlight NIU Photography students' community-engaged work over the past five years in the context of other collaborative photographic projects nationwide. We will present our "Faces of Belonging" project, which uses photography to move beyond the frame of individual authorship to serve as a medium for collective voice and social connection.
We hope to send current NIU Photography students and recent alumni who worked on the project, along with Jessica, to the conference so they can share their experience, learn about how their work is in conversation with others in the field, and network with other amazing artists.
We set our goal at $4,000 to support the travel of four student photographers. Travel expenses for each person will be approximately $1,100. The more money we can raise, the more photographers can help attend!
- Conference Registration Fee - $300
- Flight - $500
- Hotel - $300
Please make your gift today and help our students and alumni attend the SPE conference this March.
Thank you!
$25
Level 1 - The Contact Sheet
Your gift helps lay the groundwork for student travel by supporting shared expenses like meals, transit, and materials. Many images, one story. THANK YOU for being a part of the process.
$50
Level 2 - The Test Print
This contribution helps cover essential travel costs and moves one student one step closer to presenting their work on a national stage. Proof that belonging takes support.
$100
Level 3 - The Darkroom Stay
Your gift helps cover lodging costs, giving students a safe and supportive place to recharge between conference events. A place to reflect and belong.
$250
Level 4 - The Conference Pass
This level supports a student's conference registration, allowing them to attend panels, exhibitions, and conversations shaping the future of photography. This is where voices are amplified.
$500
Level 5 - The Boarding Pass
Your contribution helps fund airfare, making it possible for students and alumni to travel from DeKalb to Atlanta to share their work and experiences. Because representation can't happen from a distance.
$1,000
Level 6 - The Full Portfolio
This level covers one student's full travel experience from conference registration, airfare, and lodging, ensuring they can fully participate in SPE. You're helping a photographer show up, speak up, and belong. THANK YOU!
