The Photographers’ Gallery in London is the first independent gallery dedicated exclusively to photography. It has exhibited famous photographers such as Robert Capa and Andreas Gursky. The gallery has undergone extensive renovations and is funded by Arts Council England and other sources, including corporate sponsorship and individual contributions.
The Photographers’ Gallery is a venue in the Soho area of London dedicated to the presentation of photography as art. It was London’s first independent gallery dedicated exclusively to photography, and remains the largest, continuing to play a leading role in the industry. Many well-known photographers have exhibited their work at the Photographers’ Gallery, including Robert Capa, Andreas Gursky and Martin Parr.
Sue Davies founded the Photographers’ Gallery in 1971. The gallery has promoted not only fine art photographers, but also photographers in other fields such as photojournalism. Newspaper editor Tom Hopkinson served as the gallery’s first chairman of the board, strengthening its ties to the journalism community.
The Photographers’ Gallery began life in a converted tea room on Newport Street before expanding into a nearby building in 1980. Both buildings underwent extensive renovations in 1993. In 2005, the gallery moved into a new facility on Ramillies Street. Shortly after moving to Ramillies Street, however, the gallery once again embarked on a refurbishment programme. The Ramillies Street building closed in late 2010, with plans to reopen in 2011.
The 2011 reopening was to reveal a new state-of-the-art building with more gallery space, a teaching area, and other amenities. Despite this prediction, the gallery’s renovation plan has been delayed. The reopening was delayed until early 2012. During the lengthy renovation, the building remained closed to the public. Other gallery activities continued unhindered; the Photographer’s Gallery hosted online exhibitions on its website, as well as conducting talks and outreach activities in other locations.
The Photographers’ Gallery is a registered charity which receives funding from a variety of sources. A major contributor is Arts Council England, a government body that provides funding for arts programs and museums. Although the Arts Council England is a large donor, the majority of the gallery’s income comes from other sources.
The gallery receives corporate sponsorship, often sponsoring a specific exhibition or program. For example, Deutsche Boörse sponsors an annual photo award. Other sources of income come from patrons who sponsor the gallery through individual contributions; individual patrons who donate large sums may commission photographs from photographers associated with the gallery. In addition, the Photographer’s Gallery operates a retail business selling photography-related books and prints of photographs from its collections. This arm of the gallery remained open during the closure of the main building to raise additional funds for the project.
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