Range of styles at Spectrum Art Gallery print auction

Spectrum Art Gallery on Saturday holds its annual print auction, its major fund-raiser for the year. This is a chance to bid on works by some of the nation's most prominent photographers. Here's a rundown:

The time and place: Reception starts 5 p.m. Saturday, 608 E. Olive Avenue. Auction starts 6 p.m.

Number of photographers: 74.

A sample of those from out-of-town: Steve Anchell, Martha Casanave, Jim Kitchen, Rondal Partridge, Huntington Witherill.

Range of last year's auction prices: $50-$580.

Range of subjects and styles: still life, abstract, portrait, human interest, documentary, conceptual, nature, urban landscapes, traditional experimental, digital experimental, photograms (traditional and digital), infrared, environmental light-painting, underwater, figure studies, flora, fauna and pinhole images.

Preview catalog: Check out a complete PDF version at spectrumphotogallery.org.

Has visibility increased for Spectrum since it moved into its new Tower District space? Yes, approximately a threefold increase, says spokesman Steve Dzerigian. "Many did not know we previously existed for 27 years at our other location. 2009 marks our 30th anniversary year as one of the longest lived not-for-profit cooperative organizations in the U.S."

What's next: Spectrum will continue its current program of bringing nationally known photographic artists to Fresno for exhibitions of their work and public presentations to the community, Dzerigian says. It will begin a program of low or no cost educational workshops in various historical and digital photographic processes.