Last year, Photo Opp opened the doors to After Hours, a gallery exhibition exploring the quiet, electric, and sometimes mysterious world that unfolds once the sun goes down. The collection invited viewers into that in-between space where day fades into night—where solitude, intimacy, rebellion, rest, and revelation live side by side. From the stillness of midnight streets to the pulse of nightlife, from moments of quiet reflection to secret rendezvous, After Hours revealed what’s often hidden in plain sight once the world stops watching.

The exhibition featured the work of three local photographers alongside selected images from our broader community through an open submission and blind jury process. What emerged was our most diverse After Hours gallery yet.

We received 264 photo submissions from 88 artists, with more than half coming from photographers new to Photo Opp! Compared to the previous year, submissions increased by nearly 50%, bringing in both fresh voices and returning artists eager to share their unique perspectives on life after dark.

When the gallery opened, the response from the community was just as inspiring. More than 160 visitors joined us for the opening night celebration, filling the space with energy, curiosity, and conversation. The exhibition ultimately showcased 23 Wisconsin-based artists, each contributing their own interpretation of what happens when the lights dim and the stories of the night begin to unfold.

Beyond the incredible artwork, the evening also had a meaningful impact on Photo Opp’s mission. Together, we raised over $14,000 to support Photo Opp’s 2026 programming, directly fueling creative opportunities, education, and community programming right here in our city.

We’re deeply grateful to the sponsors who helped make After Hours possible and who continue to believe in the power of local art and storytelling. Their support—along with every visit, every donation, and every conversation—helps us keep the lights on, the cameras clicking, and creativity flowing in our community.

Before we said goodbye to After Hours, we invited everyone to join us for one last gathering.

We hosted a Gallery Closing and Soup-off on January 10 from 2–6 PM for a final walkthrough of the gallery and the chance to sample some delicious soups/chillis prepared by our board..

We’re excited to announce the theme for our next Photo Opp gallery:

alt. – a Photo Opp Gallery

At Photo Opp, we celebrate photography as a medium without limits. alt. explores what happens when artists step outside the expected and redefine what a photograph can be.

This exhibition embraces alternative creations in every sense—from cyanotypes and salt prints to film soup, unconventional printing surfaces, digital manipulation, sculptural photography, emulsion lifting, collage, and beyond. If it challenges convention, questions process, or expands the definition of photography, it belongs here.

“Alternative” isn’t just about technique—it’s about mindset. It’s about curiosity over perfection, process over predictability, and risk over routine.

Some works in alt. may reference photography’s earliest historical methods, while others push the medium into entirely new territory. What unites them is a willingness to experiment—to blur boundaries between analog and digital, object and image, photograph and artifact.

This exhibition invites viewers to reconsider the photograph not just as a captured moment, but as a constructed, transformed, and reimagined experience.

Community submissions will open Summer 2026.
The gallery opening will take place Friday, October 16, 2026, from 5–9 PM at Photo Opp.

Until then, thank you to everyone who helped make After Hours such a vibrant celebration of creativity and community. We can’t wait to see where the next creative experiment takes us.

After Hours Gallery Opening: A Night of Art, Community, and Creativity

Expanding Creative Pathways with Education Programs in 2026