DaVinci Artists Gallery, located in Tomball, has been selected as an exhibition site for FotoFest 2020, representatives of the gallery said.

FotoFest is an international biennial photography and new art exhibition that takes place in Houston, with this year’s exhibition lasting from March 8 to April 19, according to the FotoFest website.

This is the first year DaVinci Artists Gallery applied to be a part of the exhibition, said Melissa Farrell, the assistant director of the gallery. She said it is a great honor to be chosen to participate in the event.

“We were very excited to get accepted,” she said.

There are 81 galleries participating in FotoFest this year, according to FotoFest Communications Director Vinod Hopson. Hopson also said the selection process allows venues to participate in the event if they have any programming related to photography.

Farrell said she also believes being a part of FotoFest will help attract people to Tomball from downtown Houston.

“When they come out and see the gallery, they will be interested in what we have,” she said.

The exposure FotoFest yields could not only help get people to the gallery, but also encourage people to come back to Tomball, Farrell said.

This year’s FotoFest theme is African Cosmologies, which examines the relationship between life in Africa, the African diaspora and global histories of colonialism, according to the FotoFest website.

Within the festival dates, DaVinci’s exhibit will be open from March 13 to April 4 and include a feature on Darren Edwards’ family, who were early black settlers to the Tomball area, according to a press release from the gallery. The exhibit will include photographs of the family’s life in Tomball and items the family has used, including glassware, tables and buffets.

Over 100 galleries in and around Houston are participating in the photography exhibition.

The opening reception for the DaVinci exhibit will be 5-8 p.m. March 14 and is free to the public.

The gallery hours are 12:30-5 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday to Saturday.