Searches like "community centers greenwater, wa" will turn up some leads. Somebody like "the activities director" will handle art shows. She has probably torn her hair out over the antics of little old lady art leagues that want to hang almost identical pieces stacked 3 high and then forget to pick up their pieces at the end of the show. She will welcome the relative ease of inviting in a low-maintenance, professionally inclined, single artist with consistent looking, well framed, attractive art. Message...I will come in with a great looking show and hang it just the way you want and follow all the rules and then remember to take it away at the appointed time. And I will be very careful not to tear up your walls or behave boorishly on your premises. And no nudes or anything controversial. It will be love at first sight.
Begin by calling every community center and art gallery within 40 miles and telling them you can put up a professional quality show in no time at all. Even if they hate your work, you may be called at the last minute to fill in for a no-show.
Stay away from any show having to do with a group of amateur artists. I mean, really far away. Also stay away from shows with more than 4 other artists unless it is a very prestigious venue.
Galleries are over rated. Most galleries have very low foot traffic and charge 50% commission. It will take forever for you to get widespread recognition in most of the galleries out there, and you will go broke in the mean time. Prestigious galleries are an exception, good luck to all newbies with that one.
So I suppose what you want is to have your art up on the walls in a place with lots of rich people around who will be wowed by the type of photography you do. Hint...dramatic photographs of locally themed subjects will wow locally themed rich people. Almost anything else will put them to sleep. For me, best venues are restaurants, community centers, and the best local ART FAIRS. And hotels and institutions with lots of wall space to fill, but that's another story.
BTW I don't even have a portfolio or even a decent website, but I do occasionally pile a few big ol' honkin' framed photographs in the back of my pickup which just knock the socks off people when I drag them in. Pretty little portfolios can't even begin to convey the impressive weight of big old honkin' framed pieces, no sir. And when I drag those things in EVERYBODY in the damned building sees them and talks about them, not just the tyrant who plans the shows or buys the wall art.
But I ramble here. Get yourself known, get yourself seen, let people know what kind of pictures you take, that's the trick. And portfolios don't go very far in that direction, every clueless kid on the block has a portfolio and they all look about the same and not one of those kids has a clue about what it takes to put together a professional level show. You need shameless self promotion, and getting to know people who run the art scene in your town. You need to come off as a professional who can deliver the goods. And you need to present stuff that will be compelling to Joe average buyer. Avoid the trap of making pieces that will appeal to other photographers, that's mistake number one for every newbie photographer. Joe Art-buyer and Joe Other-photographer don't even begin to speak the same art language.
Does this help? I don't know. But portfolios aren't much use, IMHO. What that community center lady or that prestigious gallery owner or that ART FAIR organizer really wants to know is...does this dude have his act together enough to deliver the goods and come in looking good with the right kind of stuff, or will he get me in trouble for letting some clueless schmuck in the door? That's more important to him than exactly what your photos are like. And what YOU want to know is...can this venue deliver lots of viewers who might be inclined to buy my work.