Inside The VIP Opening of The 2026 Photography Show Presented by AIPAD

The 45th edition of The Photography Show Presented by AIPAD, which ran April 22-26, opened last Wednesday with a VIP cocktail and vernissage that introduced art-world attendees to the fair’s milestone programming and elite roster of exhibitors. Guests congratulated this year’s AIPAD Award recipient, Dr. Deborah Willis, firsthand, as the artist, author, curator, professor, and Chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts navigated the floor—which featured over 80 top international galleries and the introduction of a new Focal Point sector dedicated to solo presentations. The enthusiasm from the evening cascaded into the days that followed, and through the show’s AIPAD Talks lineup.