SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- Artfairs inc., producer of the highly acclaimed art fairs photo l.a., photo new york, photo Miami and artLA, is pleased to announce photo san francisco 2006, the 7th Annual International San Francisco Photo-Based Art Exposition, to be held July 20-23, 2006 at the historic Festival Pavilion at the Fort Mason Center.

Galleries and private dealers from across the United States and around the world will exhibit for sale the finest in photographic art ranging from the results of early 19th-Century photographic experiments to the most progressive photo-based art including video and digital art. Highlights of the exhibition will include works by world-renowned contemporary artists David Levinthal, Tseng Kwong Chi, Joel Peter-Witkin and Ken Ohara and vintage pieces by Walker Evans, Diane Arbus, Edward Weston, Henri-Cartier-Bresson, Harry Callahan and Ansel Adams.

More than 60 premiere exhibitors representing an international array of artists will display photography at photo san francisco 2006. Participating exhibitors include San Francisco galleries Gendell Gallery, Paul M. Hertzmann, Inc., Jenkins Johnson Gallery, Scott Nichols Gallery, and San Francisco Camerawork.; Los Angeles galleries SCALO/GUYE (also of Zurich) and Stephen Cohen Gallery; Foley Gallery (New York), Czech Center of Photography (Prague), Galerie Hafenrichter Fluegel (Nurenberg), Joseph Bellows Gallery (La Jolla), Barry Singer Gallery (Petaluma), and Etherton Gallery (Tucson).

In addition to the booth displays organized by gallery, approximately ten areas throughout the Festival Pavilion will be set aside for a provocative mix of art installations, performance spaces and historical displays featuring video and mixed media work and making photo san Francisco 2006 an event not to be missed. BEAT, a visual history of the Beat poets, GAY DAY, a never-before-seen collection of photos from a decade of New York’s gay pride parade, The New Art Project, a curated video installation from Europe, and works from the Toronto-based 640 480 Video Collective, veterans of photo new york, are among the highly anticipated special installations to be featured during the exhibition.

“Now in its seventh year, photo san francisco has matured into an engrossing, artistically rich event that attracts collectors and curators to view new artists alongside established fixtures in the world of international photography,” says Stephen Cohen, president of artfairs inc. and owner of the Stephen Cohen Gallery. “Whether you are looking to add to your personal or institutional collection or would simply like to increase your understanding of photography as an art form, photo san francisco invites you to dedicate a long weekend to engaging with new and traditional photo-based art in one of the finest venues in the world.”

An opening cocktail reception will be held on Thursday, July 20 from 6 to 9 p.m. to benefit Foto Forum/SFMOMA, a non-profit organization that brings together a diverse group of collectors, photographers, scholars and art professionals who share an enthusiasm for photography.

“The photo san francisco art fair is a summertime must-see event for our organization’s members,” says Wes Mitchell, President of Foto Forum / SFMOMA. “We’re looking forward to acquiring fine pieces of photographic art for our personal collections, and using the proceeds from the event’s opening reception to help SFMOMA bring a new photography exhibit to the public this year."

In tandem with the exhibition, a lecture series will take place July 21-23 with special guest speakers including internationally acclaimed artists Michael Childers and John Stoddart, Laura Letinsky, Ken Light, Steve McCurry and Hank O'Neal. Additionally, John Bennette, a recognized curator and consultant, and Sandra Phillips, senior curator at SFMOMA, will lead seminars.

Exhibition hours are Friday, July 21st and Saturday, July 22nd, 12 to 7pm, and Sunday, July 23rd, 12 to 6pm. Tickets are $15 for a one-day pass and $25 for a three-day pass. Lectures are $10 per person, per speaking engagement and onsite collecting seminars are $75 (price includes a 3-day pass). A student discount on lectures and the price of fair admission will be given to guests with valid I.D. Tickets to the opening benefit reception are $60 per person. All exhibition, lecture, panel discussion and opening reception tickets are available for purchase in advance or at the door. Seminar tickets should be purchased in advance. For additional information regarding photo san francisco 2006 and advance ticket sales, visit www.artfairsinc.com.