Instead of going for a large and expensive venue such as in NY or LA, why not consider a gallery is a smaller city? The best group exhibit in which I was included was
Triple Exposure at the Taube Museum of Art in Minot, ND last year. It included Bruce Barnbaum, Bob Herbst, Adam Jahiel, Tillman Crane, Kerik Kouklis, Sandy King, David Fokos, Michael Smith, Paula Chamlee, Dan Smith, Ray McSavaney, Don Kirby, and a couple others I forget. It was truly, except for my possibly myself, an amazing exhibit and a great selection of contemporary landscape photographers. And it was all done in lil ol' North Dakota.
Just a thought.