Michael Tardioli, Director of Education at the School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa (SPAO), will give a talk on how critical photography has evolved over time, from its early roots to the present day.

Michael will highlight important historical movements, artists, and ideas in photography and show how photography has grown from being a strictly documentary genre into a wide-ranging art form.

He will connect older photographic traditions with the work of contemporary artists. Through examples from the past and the present, he will show photography has developed into a living visual language: one that changes with the times while remaining connected to its history.

Michael Tardioli co-founded The School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa in 2005 to create an intensive photographic experience for those seeking to hone their artistic skills.  Many of his former students have gone on to win prestigious awards and international
recognition, with their work having been acquired and commissioned by several noteworthy arts institutions.

His unique pedagogical approach connects to students’ individual creative voice, and his unmatched ability to identify and cultivate artistic talent has led to him serving as a mentor to a generation of successful artists.

Michael’s work can be found in the collections of the National Library and Archives, the National Arts Centre, and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. He was also the recipient of the Ottawa Arts Council’s inaugural Community Arts Educator Award in recognition of his educational contributions to the Ottawa arts community.