The Munro Review on CMAC: For ArtHop, Spectrum Art Gallery opens its big annual members exhibition. Plus: GCP’s Shawn Williams celebrates sitting on his Top 20 throne.

Just in time for today’s ArtHop: The February episode of “The Munro Review on CMAC” features Spectrum Art Gallery’s annual members exhibition. I welcomed curator Jesse Merrell to the CMAC studio for an in-depth conversation about the new show (which runs through February), trends in photography and the role of professional photographers. We also give a sneak preview of the gallery’s upcoming annual print auction in March, where you can purchase works from noted local and national photographers. (My segment with him begins at the 3:00 minute mark and continues until 16:45.)

Photography is more popular than ever, thanks to our ubiquitous phones, and it’s almost overwhelming to ponder the billions of images taken each day. One great thing about Spectrum is that it reminds us that photography can also be art. The gallery is a great place, Merrell tells us, both for trained photographers (who have studied the subject in school, say) and also budding amateurs (who have learned how compelling and powerful that images can be). These next two months at Spectrum will be an excellent way to explore what it has to offer.

Also in this episode: Don’t miss my interview with Shawn Williams, “Elf” extraordinaire, who led off my Top 20 of 2021 list. I talk to him from CMAC’s brand new Zoom studio! That story starts at the 16:45 mark. Enjoy!

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