HISTORY AND CONTEXT

UTOPIA! is inspired by and builds on the long-standing tradition of the annual juried New Photography Exhibition at the L.A. County Fair. Each year, thousands of photos are submitted internationally for a fee and an accredited photography expert selects the best images in certain categories. The final exhibition is held each year at the Millard Sheets Gallery where over a million people each year appreciate the selected works.

While many of the photographers and viewers are professionals, the photo exhibition is specifically open to amateurs and provides a unique opportunity for all interested people to compete for entrance into the exhibition on an equal platform regardless of experience.

The number of people submitting and attending historically makes the New Photography Exhibition one of the most competitive and attended art exhibitions in the country. An international museum would consider an exhibition that reaches an audience this vast an overwhelming success.