Carl Bower is a photographer based in Boulder, Colorado exploring intimate portrayals of private experience through documentary work and portraiture. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, his work has been exhibited at the Georgia Museum of Art, The Phoenix Art Museum, the Annenberg Space for Photography, and in the permanent collection of the Portland Art Museum.

carl@carlbower.com • 303 919 6181 • instagram

Editorial
The New York Times
Der Spiegel
Financial Times
Architect
The Sunday Times Magazine
The Georgia Review
Health
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Monitor on Psychology
Southwest Contemporary
Yahoo News
Afisha Mir
Cultured
Lenscratch
Fisheye
Float
L’OBS
Fraction
Helsingin Sanomat
Howler
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
Om Värden
Vice
Verve

Select Press
Capturing People As They Face Their Greatest Fears, American Photography,  February 2021
Private Fears, Fisheye, March 2019
Showing: Carl Bower, 2019
Chica Barbie, The Georgia Review, Fall 2014
Colombia’s Picture Perfect Beauty Queens, The New York Times, July, 2010
Chica Barbie, The Sunday Times Magazine, July 2010
Colombia’s Beauty Pageant Obsession from All Angles, Resolve, April 2010
Diane’s Story, Verve Photo, October 2010
Chica Barbie, Burn Magazine, October 2009
Chasing Cinderella, Lenscratch, 2009

Exhibitions
Colorado Photographic Arts Center, What Remains, Denver, CO, 2025
Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Small Talk, Denver, CO, 2023
Blue Sky Gallery, Private Fears, Portland, OR (solo), 2021
Colorado Photographic Arts Center x SaveArtSpace, In a Time of Change, Denver, CO, 2021
Center for Photographic Art, Future Past, Carmel, CA, 2021
Center for Fine Art Photography, Portfolio Showcase, Ft. Collins, CO, 2020
The Baldwin Photographic Gallery, Trust the Story, Murfreesboro, TN, 2020
Pingyao Photography Festival, The Relationship Show, Pingyao, China, 2019
Latitude, Too Tired Project, Chicago, IL, 2019
The Big Picture, Denver, CO, 2019
California State University Art Gallery, Showing, Turlock, CA, 2018
The Fence, Chica Barbie, Denver, CO, 2018
PhotoPlace Gallery, Intimate Portraits, Middlebury VT, 2017
Georgia Museum of Art, Storytelling, Athens, GA, 2016
Phoenix Art Museum, IN FOCUS: Self-Published Photobooks, Phoenix, AZ, 2014
Filter Photo Festival, Photobooks, Chicago, IL, 2014
Blue Sky Gallery, Chica Barbie, Portland, OR (solo), 2011
Kopeikin Gallery, Women’s Work, Los Angeles, CA, 2011
The Annenberg Space for Photography, Beauty Culture, Los Angeles, CA, 2011
Photo Center NW, PhotoLust, Seattle, WA, 2010
Farmani Gallery, Select Gender, New York, NY, 2010
Photo Center NW, Exposed: Critical Mass, Seattle, WA, 2009
505 Gallery, Diane’s Story, Washington DC (solo), 1998
Washington Project for the Arts, New Visions, Washington, DC, 1996
Ellipse Arts Center, Streetwise: The Documentary Aesthetic, Arlington, VA, 1995

Awards & Honors
The Silver List, Silver Eye Center for Photography, 2021
Portfolio Showcase Award, Center for Fine Art Photography, 2020
Director’s Choice Award, Colorado Photographic Arts Center, 2019
Critical Mass, finalist, 2019
Latin American Fotografía, selected, 2015
Review Santa Fe, 2014
FotoVisura Grant, third place, 2014
Review Santa Fe, 2010
Critical Mass, finalist, 2010
Photography Book Now, second place, editorial, 2010
New York Photo Awards, Photographic Book, finalist, 2010
LOOKbetween, presenting photographer, 2010
Photolucida Critical Mass Book Award, top-six finalist, 2009
Palm Springs Photo Festival, project award finalist, 2009
Blue Earth Alliance Prize for Best Project Photography, 2009
Individual Artist Award, Maryland State Arts Council, 1995
Clarion Award, 1995
Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography, finalist, 1995