Jeremy Howell: You began your career as a graphic designer and art director, then became a gallerist, and now you are the President of AIPAD. Tell us about your journey. Do you remember the moment that you knew photography would be your lifetime career?
Richard Moore: When I made a commitment to being a full-time photography dealer in 2000 (after a 15-year career in design), photography had been an important part of my life since my first year of college in 1973. That year at the University of Oregon in Eugene was the first time I picked up a real camera and was also where I had any real exposure to the great art being produced by photographers. I enrolled in a class on the history of photography taught by Oregon photographer Bernard Freemesser. His class, with Edward Weston’s Daybooks as required reading, opened my eyes to the significance of photography as an artistic medium.
I started buying photographs and attended my first AIPAD show in 1991. I soon was friendly with a few AIPAD dealers of vintage photographs and quickly became envious of their ability to surround themselves with so many wonderful photographs that were constantly changing as they bought and sold inventory. So, I found a way to join them by way of the shallow end of the pool. Once I made it to the deep end, I knew that I had to sink or swim and here I am.
JH: How have the AIPAD and The Photography Show changed under your leadership?
RM: This year’s Photography Show will be our third edition at Pier 94, and I feel that I have used the experience of the first two years to refine and fine-tune the show in ways that will further enhance the overall experience of attendees and exhibitors. The Photography Show is one of the few art fairs stewarded by its member exhibitors, and I am lucky to have an amazing group of board and committee members who continue to bring innovation and creative ideas to AIPAD and the Show. I expect more great things to come, so please stay tuned.