Soho Photo Gallery

Soho Photo Gallery, founded in the early 1970s by a group of New York Times photographers, is New York City’s longest operating member-run photography gallery and a cornerstone of the city’s photographic community. Created to provide serious photographers with a cooperative space to exhibit personal work, exchange ideas, and grow as artists, the gallery has remained faithful to its mission for over five decades.

Now located at 539 W. 23rd Street in the Chelsea Arts District, Soho Photo offers seven exhibition bays that host a wide range of fine-art photography. The gallery’s collection is as varied as its membership and guests: large-scale digital color prints may be displayed beside delicate platinum and palladium prints, while experimental Polaroid manipulations, hand-colored works, and pinhole images appear alongside conceptual and documentary projects. This diversity underscores the gallery’s dedication to photography in all its forms, from the historic to the most innovative contemporary practices.

In addition to member exhibitions, Soho Photo organizes themed group shows, national competitions, and prestigious guest exhibitions. Its four signature annual competitions highlight the gallery’s adventurous spirit: the National Competition welcomes all photographic techniques, the International Krappy Kamera Competition celebrates images made with plastic and toy cameras, the Alternative Processes Competition spotlights historic and experimental printing methods, and the Portfolio Competition invites international artists to present cohesive bodies of work.

Beyond exhibitions, Soho Photo is a hub for education and community engagement. Workshops, lectures, and public programs foster dialogue between photographers and audiences, reinforcing the gallery’s role as both a platform and a classroom. For members, it provides a unique opportunity to belong to a collective that values collaboration, experimentation, and craft.

Through its ever-evolving photography collection and dynamic programming, Soho Photo Gallery remains a vital institution dedicated to honoring tradition while embracing the limitless possibilities of photographic art.