b. 1985, Bakersfield, CA
Lives and works in Rochester, NY
studio@chavezlouis.com
Louis Chavez is an artist and curator based in Rochester, New York. Their creative and research interests include queer activism and art practices, conceptual modes in photography, experimental cinema, and artist’s books. Their work has been featured in Contact Sheet, Der Greif, and Contrafotografía, and included in exhibitions at the Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY (2025), Light Work, Syracuse, NY (2024), Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, Xiamen, China (2023), PeepSpace, Tarrytown, NY (2023), Le Petit Versailles, New York, NY (2022), and the Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, VA (2020). Chavez was a selected participant in the 2024 Impromptu Photobook Workshop, hosted by the independent photography publisher Void, and a 2023 Project Space artist-in-residence at Visual Studies Workshop. In addition to their visual arts practice, Chavez is a Curatorial Associate in the Department of Photography at the George Eastman Museum and serves on the Board of Directors for the Society for Photographic Education. Chavez holds an M.F.A. in Photography and Related Media from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a B.S. from SUNY Brockport.
CURRENT + UPCOMING
Some Bodies
Roxbury Arts Center, Roxbury, NY
May 24—July 26, 2025
Are You a Friend of Dorothy?
Side Rail Collective, Seattle, WA
June 14—July 24, 2025
Queer Conscience 2025
The Image Flow Photography Center, San Anselmo, CA
June 14—September 12, 2025
69th Rochester-Finger Lakes Exhibition
Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY
June 28—October 5, 2025
LOCALS! Experimental Variety Show
Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY
July 24 at 7:00 p.m.
RECENT
Der Greif 17: One Day Soon—Guest edited by Torbjørn Rødland
Light Work: According to the Laws of Chance
The Real Photo Show with Michael Chovan-Dalton
Void: Impromptu Photobook Workshop
C.V.
Education
M.F.A. Photography and Related Media, Rochester Institute of Technology (2023)
B.S. Museum Studies Minor, SUNY Brockport (2021)
Curatorial Independent Study and Collection Management courses, Visual Studies Workshop (2020)
Selected Exhibitions
2025
LOCALS! Experimental Variety Show [with Demian DinéYazhi'], Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY.
69th Rochester-Finger Lakes Exhibition, curated by Timothy Peterson, Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY.
Queer Conscience 2025, curated by Brian Paul Clamp and Nathan Lomas, The Image Flow Photography Center, San Anselmo, CA.
Are you a friend of Dorothy? A Queer Camp Show, curated by Courtney Burrow, Side Rail Collective, Seattle, WA.
Some Bodies, curated by Ursula Hudak, Roxbury Arts Center, Roxbury, NY.
Explore Rochester at 10: A Decade of People and Places, Rochester Contemporary Art Center, Rochester, NY.
Der Greif Archive Pop-Up Exhibition, 2LAB, Catania, Italy.
2024
According to the Laws of Chance, curated by Whitney Hubbs and Dan Boardman, Light Work, Syracuse, NY.
Postcards from the Edge: Visual AIDS Benefit Exhibition, Berry Campbell Gallery, New York, NY.
2023
Space on Paper: Jimei x Arles Book Exhibition, Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, Xiamen, China.
Homecoming: MFA Photography Reviews, RIT City Art Space, Rochester, NY.
(Solo) New Intimacies, PeepSpace, Tarrytown, NY.
Preceding the Future, MFA Thesis Exhibition, William Harris Gallery, Rochester, NY.
Homecoming, juried by Jess T. Dugan, Rotunda Gallery at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design.
2022
Switch, Pine Apple Company, Buffalo, NY.
Soiled: The Downtown Dirty Book Fair, curated by Matthew Leifheit, Le Petit Versailles, New York, NY.
Free to Be, curated by Lissa Rivera and Orestes Gonzales, Culture Lab LIC, New York, NY.
Draft 17, George Eastman Museum, Rochester, NY.
2021
(Solo) New Intimacies, curated by Peter Murphy, Hartnett Gallery at University of Rochester.
Resilience, Tower Fine Arts Gallery, SUNY Brockport.
2020
Crafting Democracy: Fiber Arts and Activism, Davis Gallery at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
20emerging, Gallery Q at Out Alliance, Rochester, NY.
My Queer Valentine, Target Gallery at Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, VA.
Awards + Residencies
2025
Center for Photography at Woodstock – 2025 Portfolio Reviews, Invited.
2024
Void – Impromptu Photobook Workshop, Selected Participant.
Charcoal Book Club – Chico Portfolio Review, Invited.
2023
Jimei x Arles Dummy Book Award, Shortlisted.
Project Space Residency, Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY.
2022
Urbanautica Institute Awards, Shortlisted.
RIT Graduate Merit Scholarship, Rochester Institute of Technology.
Greg Barnett MFA / Robert Eighmie SPAS Scholarship, Rochester Institute of Technology.
William A. Reedy Endowed Scholarship, Rochester Institute of Technology.
Career Preparation Resource Fund, Rochester Institute of Technology.
2021
Theodore Chapman Memorial Graduate Scholarship, Rochester Institute of Technology.
Departmental Scholar Award, SUNY Brockport.
Montgomery Schultz-Waite Award, SUNY Brockport.
Gary Kazin Memorial Award (for body of work in show), SUNY Brockport.
Photography Award, SUNY Brockport.
2020
William P. Manitsas Memorial Award in Art, SUNY Brockport.
Douglas A. Feldman LGBTQ Paper Award, Runner-up, SUNY Brockport.
Publications + Features
2024
Der Greif 17: One Day Soon, Guest edited by Torbjørn Rødland.
Contact Sheet 225: According to the Laws of Chance, Light Work (exhibition catalog).
2023
Homecoming: MFA Photography Reviews, RIT City Art Space (exhibition catalog).
Homecoming, Rotunda Gallery at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (exhibition catalog).
2022
Free to Be, Culture Lab LIC at The Plaxall Gallery (exhibition catalog).
Draft Magazine, Issue 17.
2020
Draft Magazine, Issue 16.
My Queer Valentine, Target Gallery at Torpedo Factory Art Center (exhibition catalog).
2019
Half Frame Club, Volume 2.
50: Pride Zine, Soft Lightning Press.
2018
Punx in Paradise, Contrafotografía Zine (online feature).
2017
One Year Later | Experiments in Process, Flower City Arts Center (online feature).
Presentations
2024
Podcast Guest, The Real Photo Show with Michael Chovan-Dalton.
2023
Artist Talk, New Intimacies, PeepSpace, Tarrytown, NY.
Panelist, “New Intimacies: Cruising, Temporality, and Geographies of Desire,” Graduate Student Presentations, Society for Photographic Education, Denver, CO.
2021
Artist Talk, New Intimacies, Hartnett Gallery, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY.
2020
Guest Interviewer, In Streams with Ben Lovell, Conversation with Jack Waters & Peter Cramer, WAYO FM, Rochester, NY.
Bibliography
2024
Mellor, Carl, "'According to the Laws of Chance' at Light Work explores the role of chance in photography," Central Current, July 18.
2023
Garland, Aaron, “Photo MFA candidate’s thesis work examines queer life and sexual culture,” College of Art and Design at RIT, March 29.
2020
Loria, Anna, “The Protester Perspective: Q&A With Student Activists,” The Port at SUNY Brockport, September 30.
2017
Charland, Megan, “Interview with Louis Chavez,” Flower City Arts Center Blog, December 15, 2017.
Teaching + Service
2025—26
Board Member, Society for Photographic Education.
2025
Juror, Annual Student Art Exhibition, Tower Fine Arts Gallery, SUNY Brockport, Brockport, NY.
Juror, Seeing and Being Seen: LGBTQ+ Visions of Rochester, ImageOut Art, Rochester, NY.
2024
Visiting Critic, Photography and Related Media MFA Studios (Juan Orrantia), College of Art and Design, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY.
Juror, Kentucky Documentary Photographic Project, Louisville, KY.
Portfolio Reviewer, Society for Photographic Education, St. Louis, MO.
2023
Portfolio Reviewer, Filter Photo, Chicago, IL.
Adjunct Professor, Introduction to Photography, SUNY Monroe Community College, Rochester, NY.
2022
Instructor of Record, Introduction to Digital Photography, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY.