Photographic Center Northwest
Facilitates creation, conversations, and experiences of significant photography.
History
The Organization was founded in the early 1980s and was originally named the Exposure School of Photography, then later called the Northwest Center for Photography.
A.K. Shethar purchased the organization in 1988, renamed it Photographic Center Northwest, and served as President of the organization from 1988 until 1999. During this period, Ms. Shethar and board leaders at that time oversaw the transformation of the organization into the non-profit it is today. The Center became an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design in 1996. In 1997, the Center relocated from its downtown and Greenlake locations into a 1920’s ambulance building located in the heart of the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Seattle which has been renovated to meet the needs of contemporary photographers.
Future
Over the past 30 years, PCNW has evolved from a small photography school into a vibrant educational institution.
We will continue to be a beacon for the photographic arts in the Pacific Northwest, drawing students and artists from across the region to participate in classes, workshops and exhibitions. Our strategic goals in the coming years are to build our visibility and involvement in the local arts community while broadening our programs to reach the global photographic community. As we continue to cultivate regional partnerships and community connections, we serve our neighbors in Seattle by providing access to regional, national, and international perspectives through photography. You can play a part in this future. The Photo Center actively seeks photographers, curators, educators, and partner organizations to help shape our future while providing access to education in the photographic arts.
Our Mission and Vision
Photographic Center Northwest (PCNW) is an educational institution dedicated to facilitating creation, conversations, and experiences of significant photography. Through our Certificate Program in Fine Art Photography, exhibitions, and an array of public programming we foster dialogue in the region through the global language of today.
Our school serves students of all levels with a full range of coursework in film and digital media, and a rigorous certificate program encompassing theory, aesthetics, and technical mastery. The Photo Center provides its students and the community with resources that include gallery spaces, darkrooms, studios, a digital lab and library. Through exhibitions, lectures, scholarships, and outreach projects, the Photo Center provides access to the photographic arts, to professional and amateur photographers, and to the public at large.
Staff
 Michelle Dunn Marsh Executive Director mdunnmarsh@pcnw.org |
Over the last two decades, Michelle served in executive and creative roles in the fields of art photography and publishing. Her commitment to education, collaboration, and achievement of excellence have defined her career and gained her national recognition. Michelle’s professional experience includes fifteen years with Aperture Foundation in New York City, first as a designer and later as deputy director for the organization, and as Co-Publisher of Aperture magazine. She was senior editor of art and design at Chronicle Books, San Francisco, and was a tenured professor in graphic design at Seattle Central Community College. She has recently launched Minor Matters Books, a community publishing platform for contemporary art. Image credit: Sylvia Plachy |
| Eirik Johnson Programs Chair ejohnson@pcnw.org |
Eirik contributes to our vision as explored through our certificate program, continuing education, and public programs. Eirik is an accomplished artist and has exhibited his work nationally at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, and the Aperture Foundation in New York among others. He has received numerous awards, including the 2012 Neddy at Cornish Award in Open Medium. His work is in the permanent collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Seattle Art Museum, and the George Eastman House, Rochester, NY; two monographs of his work have been published and he is represented locally by the G. Gibson Gallery. |
| Jennifer Brendicke Registrar jbrendicke@pcnw.org |
Jennifer Brendicke is that helpful voice on the line, counseling students and overseeing administration of our certificate and continuing education programs. She has been a part of our community since 2006, and received her Certificate in Fine Art Photography at PCNW in 2009. She continues to explore her interest in combining digital and analog media, working with alternative processes, and creating images that push photography beyond traditional modes of representation. |
| Terry Novak Development Manager tnovak@pcnw.org |
Terry works with the development team to support the foundation of PCNW by leveraging resources, writing grants, cultivating donors, engaging new audiences, and through corporate sponsorship; she is program manager of our annual major benefit fundraiser. She serves on the steering committee for the Capitol Hill Arts District and is an advocate for artists’ professional development through affordable housing and access to space and resources. Terry received her BFA in Photography at Columbia College Chicago in 2005 and her MFA at Seattle University in 2012. Terry is passionate about film photography and alternative photographic processes. |
| Ann Pallesen Partnerships Manager apallesen@pcnw.org |
Ann served as the Gallery Director of PCNW for nearly two decades and has transitioned into the role of Partnerships Manager leading the membership and volunteer programs. She works within the development department connecting PCNW to partnerships in the community. She received her BFA from Colorado State University, Ft. Collins in 1993. She is a fine art photographer and explores analog processes and has exhibited her work nationally. She teaches workshops and mentors photographers on occasion. |
| Chieko Phillips Public Programs Curator cphillips@pcnw.org |
Chieko Phillips joins PCNW in a new position as Public Programs Curator. Chieko brings five plus years of museum experience, most recently as the Northwest African American Museum, and will be managing exhibitions, lectures, and panels that focus on the conversations around and experiences with photography, while working closely with the Programs Chair and Executive Director on big-picture strategies related to the history and future of significant photography. Chieko received her MA in Museum Studies from the University of Washington, and her BA in History from Davidson College. She currently chairs the 4Culture Heritage Advisory Committee and enjoys exploring the city with her Holga. |
| Joseph Panizzo Facilities Manager jpanizzo@pcnw.org |
Facilities Manager Joseph Panizzo worked in the PCNW digital labs as a monitor for two years before joining the PCNW team full-time. Prior to moving to Seattle, Joe ran the darkroom and labs at Columbia College in Chicago, where he received his BFA in photography in 2007. When he is not in the darkroom, Joe plays bike polo, a sport for which he has traveled the world, twice-over. Joe is currently at work on a series of landscapes. |
| Juan Aguilera Printing Production & IT Specialist jaguilera@pcnw.org |
Juan G. Aguilera has a reputation for excellence: as one of the region’s experts in digital imaging, Juan keeps our media lab and printing facilities running smoothly. Students and professionals come from near and far to learn imaging and editing software from Juan, whose background is in industrial design, and pre-press engineering. A self proclaimed color nut, he believes color is an independent language, with a specific grammar, spelling and intonation. Juan is a teacher at heart, having taught geometry and design with students ranging from middle school to adults, he currently teaches Photoshop, color correction, camera raw and digital photography workflow in the Northwest. He is a member of NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) and has attended several Photoshop World events. Juan received his degree in Industrial Design from the University Autonoma Metropolitana in Mexico City. |
| Monica Williams Accountant accountant@pcnw.org |
Monica is a born-and-raised Seattlelite and proud owner of a black lab puppy named Bella. Monica keeps our books straight and makes sure that all of our faculty and visiting artists get paid on time. She is also an integral part of our fundraising team as we project into the future and manage incoming grants and donations. |
| Susan Hood Marketing Manager shood@pcnw.org |
With writing, editing, and teaching experience, Susan Hood brings a great skill set to raising awareness of PCNW’s classes and public programs. Prior to joining the team at PCNW, Susan taught writing at Seattle Central; wrote for several nonprofit organizations, including KEXP; and edited publications, such as The Harvard Review. A self-proclaimed perpetual student, Susan has taken classes at PCNW for years; she holds a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University, where she was a fellow, and a BA from Bard College. She collects vinyl and posts pictures of her finds on Instagram. [photo pending] |
| Julianne Duncan Administrative Assistant jduncan@pcnw.org |
Administrative Assistant Julianne Duncan is the latest addition to PCNW’s staff, a welcome addition, welcoming visitors to the gallery and students to the classrooms and labs. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Julianne received a degree in commercial photography, with an emphasis in fine art and alternative process photography, from The Art Institute. Julianne’s current photography projects include toy cameras and pinhole cameras. [photo pending] |
Also an integral part of our community are our faculty and alumni.
We are grateful to the dozens of volunteers and interns that support our programs throughout the year. Interested in becoming a volunteer? Check our volunteer roles and opportunities.
Honorary Board Members
Alin Shethar, Founder
Rose Tatlow
Chase Jarvis
Board of Trustees
Samantha Bailey, Board Member
Joined April 2013
Samantha has been making and taking photos since her father introduced her to a camera as a child. The prospect of capturing and curating images, still and moving, has been a passion both personally and professionally in roles at image processing service providers and printing companies in the Tampa area, at the St. Petersburg Times and now Adobe Systems, Inc. She studies photography at the Photo Center shooting film and digital, still and moving, with a goal of combining the camera, lens and the subject to, hopefully, capture the details we forget we see. Samantha lives in Seattle and Chicago.
Jody Fuentes, Treasurer
Joined December 2013
Jody Fuentes is an accountant at the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority. Prior to rejoining the paid workforce she spent ten years raising her daughters full-time and volunteering as a treasurer for various preschools and PTAs. Seven years later, and with more time on her hands as both her daughters are soon to be in high school, she is currently training to be a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children and is excited to join the PCNW Board.
William Holderman, Board Member
Joined January 2014
William Holderman is Gastroenterologist and Senior Partner with Digestive Health Specialists based in Tacoma, Washington. His interest in photography began in high school where he served as staff photographer and editor of his high school yearbook. He deeply appreciates the art and craft of photography having spent many hours in his home darkroom developing and printing images from his Nikon F. He and his wife, Lisa collect 20th Century vintage and contemporary photography, photographic monographs, and ephemera. He is dedicated to the art and artists of the Northwest having served on the Board of Trustees of the Tacoma Art Museum and co-chair of its collection committee. They live in Seattle with their two teenage daughters.
Marilyn Mason, Board Member
Joined in 2014
Years ago Marilyn worked as a photojournalist in Washington DC. Later she became Director of Libraries for the cities of Atlanta and Cleveland and founded a not-for-profit service called WebJunction to provide online training for library staff. During that period she continued to shoot but became more a collector than a creator of photography. About ten years ago Marilyn rediscovered her passion for creating photographic art and began updating her skills with workshops like those offered by PCNW. She is a strong believer in the power of photography to shape the way we experience the world. Her work can be viewed on her website: www.mgmasonphotography.com
Martin Morfeld, Secretary
Joined August 2011
Martin Morfeld was a partner with the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, where he practiced in taxation, including working extensively with tax-exempt organizations. He received his B.S. from the University of Southern California, his J.D. from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, and a Master of Laws in Taxation from New York University School of Law. He is also a CPA, having spent several years with Price Waterhouse Coopers. His interest in photography goes back many years to his backpacking days doing landscape photography in the Sierra Nevada (initially with his trusty Kodak Instamatic), and he has taken photography workshops with a variety of organizations in the western U.S. In more recent years he has developed a photography collection, and his personal photography has gravitated to more human-oriented subject matter, in particular street photography. He has been working his way through the Photo Center’s black and white, traditional darkroom program, and a variety of other courses and workshops.
Sally Poliak, Board Member
Joined April 2010
Sally Poliak is Founder and Mobilizer at Crowdverb, a digital mobilization company. Prior to Crowdverb Sally served as chief operating officer at Nyhus Communications and spent 10 years at Microsoft running public affairs and marketing programs including the global Government Leaders Forum program, a series of policy events for heads of state and ministers from around the world. Sally began her career spending 14 years in public affairs, including operating her own consulting firm and was named Best Executive in the 2010 Stevie Award for Women in Business. In addition PCNW, she currently serves on the boards of the the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle and Seafair. Sally is a Washington native and received a bachelor’s degree from Lewis & Clark College. She is an avid photographer who spent all of her savings in 8th grade to buy her first Nikkormat FT camera.
Matt Ragen, Chair
Joined January 2014
In a 20+ year career at Microsoft, Matt has held a number of roles in marketing and business management. His previous board experience includes The Bush School as well as Bridges To Understanding. Matt’s grandfather gave him his first real camera (a Rollei 35s) in high school when he learned how to print in a darkroom. Over the last ten years, he rekindled that passion with digital technology and, recently, he has become reacquainted with film. With his rangefinder cameras, Matt documents family adventures and travels as well as the occasional dark side of the lens cap. He has taken one class at PCNW so far and is planning to hone his skills further in coming years.
Erica Schisler, Board Member
erica@pcnw.org
Joined April 2013
Erica is a producer, filmmaker and co-owner of Carnage & Rouge, a Seattle based film production company. Prior to starting her own company she was the Director of Advance Product Development in Digital Video at Adobe Systems. She has 20 years experience as accomplished software technologist and entrepreneur. She developed many new products, including Adobe Story and Adobe Collage. She received her BA in filmmaking from The Evergreen State College and an MA of Communications in Digital Media from the University of Washington. Erica has a passion for storytelling through all media and is particularly interested in the experimental animation. In her spare time she is learning printmaking.
Kevin Schroer, Board Member
kevin@pcnw.org
Joined May 2011
Kevin is currently the Creative Director at the Seattle Art Museum. Prior to SAM, he was the Creative Director for REI, where he lead the development of all customer-facing content across all mediums, supporting REI in it’s growth to become a two billion dollar retailer. His earlier career was spent working at agencies on both coasts and in between, with the full range of projects for both business and consumer audiences. He grew up in the mid-west, has lived on both coasts, and is happy to call Seattle home. In addition to his appreciation of photography, he spends hours at the piano and enjoys a variety of muscle-powered activities.
Adam L. Weintraub, Vice-Chair
Joined December 2013
Adam L. Weintraub is a professional photographer and serial entrepreneur who proudly hails from Seattle. For more than 10 years, his PhotoExperience.net workshops and photo tours have been offering insight and creative collaboration in an intimate setting throughout South America. He has coordinated efforts to create a permanent archive of the famed Peruvian indigenous photographer, Martin Chambi. Adam is a past three-term President and 8 term Director of Blue Earth Alliance; he is widely published, collected, hired and admired for his personal work. His book, Vista Andina, offers a contemporary photographic perspective on the Andean region of Peru. Adam’s current pet-project is the Museo del Pisco in Cusco, bringing this magical elixir to the masses.