Scottsdale Arts to Present PHOTOGRAPHY IN TRANSLATION Exhibition This Summer

Scottsdale Public Art will present Photography in Translation, a thought-provoking new exhibition exploring unconventional approaches to photography and identity, on view from July 24 to September 30, 2025, at the Civic Center Public Gallery inside the Scottsdale Civic Center Library.

Co-curated by Wendy Raisanen, curator of collections and exhibitions for Scottsdale Public Art, and Claire A. Warden, a multimedia artist whose work centers on portraiture, identity, and abstraction, the exhibition highlights artists navigating life in the United States while rooted in familial and cultural traditions from abroad.

“This exhibition has exposed me to so many ways a person can take or make a photograph,” said Raisanen. “There are images on glass and corn husks, even camera-less photography. The variety will surprise people—because it surprised me.”

The featured works utilize photography in unexpected ways—ranging from classic black-and-white prints to experimental formats and materials—to engage with themes of translation, language, identity, and (in)visibility. “There is great power in the illegible or opaque photograph for artists of color in a world that creates conditions of being hyperseen,” said Warden.

A closing reception with Warden and participating artists will take place on Thursday, September 25, from 5:00–6:30 p.m. at the gallery. That same evening, Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation will host a free cyanotype workshop starting at 5:00 p.m., where guests can create their own indoor “sun print” using UV-sensitive paper and found objects. No registration is required.

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