Oh, how great things happen when creative minds collide. In January, Alan Fitzgerald, with the help of local artists Carol Panaro-Smith and James Hajicek, transformed an enormous dance studio into a gallery/workspace in Gilbert. Yes, Gilbert.

They founded the 7,000-square-foot space on photography education and built a number of classrooms for creative workshops and public lab space for alternative and digital processes. And then they put artwork on the walls. Since its January opening, Panaro-Smith has curated shows that include daguerreotypes, platinum/palladium prints, photogravures, and gelatin silver prints from local emerging and established photographers. She?s also secured loans of heavy-hitting historic photography collections from around the state.

The space provides accessible explanations of the art form?s history and process, though you?d be hardpressed to not bump into an employee, artist, or photography nerd (or ?pherd,? as Panaro-Smith says) who wouldn?t mind giving you a tour.

Editor's note: The content of this Best of Phoenix award has changed since its original version.