2009 AIPAD show catalog; Movie Theater, Midland, Texas, March 25, 1995 by Dan Winters

While there might still be snow and slush on the ground, the spring arts calendar in NYC is beginning to fill up with great gallery shows and opportunities. Among the annual rites of spring in the city is one of the biggest international photographic events of the year, the AIPAD show at the Park Avenue Armory from March 18 through 21, 2010.

If you've never had a chance to make it out to AIPAD before, here's the skinny*:

AIPAD is short for the Association of International Photography Art Dealers. Every year for this long weekend at the beginning of spring, photographic galleries from all over the globe convene on the Armory site and set up shop. The idea is to give viewers and collectors a good sense of the kind of work that each gallery represents, as well as to provide face-to-face access with gallery owners and assistants that are on hand to field any questions or have a nice, casual conversation about art, the universe and everything. And if you're the sort with a nice cushion in your bank account you can even purchase work at the event.

It's an invaluably useful tool for photographers at all levels of their careers, as you can visit the show and in one weekend have compiled a list of galleries that might represent the kind of work you're doing, and whom it might be fortuitous for you to approach (but *after* the AIPAD event, not during!). And aside from personal gain, it's also an eye-popping experience of micro-gallery-going on an international scale. Will you be able to travel easily to Berlin in the near future and see the what's on the walls at Galerie august-fotokunst? Or have you been curious about the emerging scene in China and would like to see what's showing at Beijing Jade Jar Fine Art? At this once-a-year event, all the galleries of the world come to you (if you're in New York). And instead of wearing yourself out trying to cram in everything that's showing in Midtown, Chelsea and the Upper East Side—let alone in Argentina, France or the UK, you can do it all in one building one weekend in March. (View a full list of this year's exhibitors right here).

AIPAD 2008, © Susan Sermoneta

AIPAD will be on view from:
Thursday, March 18 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Friday, March 19 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 20 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 21 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

For more information on ticket sales and special exhibition talks (want to hear Bruce Davidson speak?), visit the AIPAD website and download their education program (pdf).

And, if you know all about AIPAD but have never been able to make it, promising "next year, next year," at least pencil it in for now. Not just because it's also a Whitney Biennial year and you can cram both of those two venues into one action-packed-art-weekend, but also because our very own Jen Bekman is co-chairing the Aperture Snap! Out of Winter Party. We'll have much more info on this soon, but in short: the ticket to the party comes with a print giveaway of photographer Dan Winters' work, a subscription to Aperture magazine, fine champagne and a Polaroid photobooth—with all of the proceeds for the event going to the Aperture Fund for Emerging Artists. Sound good? You can buy tickets right here (and you'd get to meet Jen + team 20x200). What other motivation could you possibly need?

*I had the chance to visit in 2008 and left full of notable impressions of the fair.