2020 Annual Report
I am wholeheartedly grateful for all your support throughout the year—
being a part of CENTER has most definitely been the highlight not only of my year but of my career.
– Brandy Trigueros, 2020 Curator’s Choice Award Left Page: © Brandy Trigueros, 2020 Curator’s Choice Award Winner Facial Unrecognition, from the series “The Databyte Theater”
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Mission CENTER supports socially and environmentally engaged lens–based projects through education, public platforms, funding, and partnerships. For over 25 years, CENTER has advanced lens-based artists while deepening public appreciation of photography’s history and ongoing cultural significance.
Numbers 14
Awards provided
4
Grants provided
62 373 $22,000
Photographers served (Winners, Mentorship, Sponsorship) Program Attendees Direct Financial Support to Photographers
Table of Contents 5 8 9 12 18 19 21 Left:
Letter from Executive Director Impact on the Photographic Community Annual Awards & Grants Digital Programs Meet the CENTER Team Financial Position Thank You to Our Donors © Brandy Trigueros, 2020 Curator’s Choice Award 1st Place Facial Unrecognition, from the series “The Databyte Theater”
2020 Annual Report Dear Members, Donors and Friends: It is with pride that we present the Annual Report for 2020. It was a year that proved there are benefits to being a small and agile organization because faced with unforeseen hurdles, including the cancellation of the flagship Review Santa Fe photo festival, we created exciting new initiatives and a new mission for CENTER. The work that has been accomplished is due to the significant efforts of the staff, board, photographers, members, collaborators, and donors. Thank you to everyone who made this year’s goals a reality and to those who donated to the end of year Charidy campaign, we are truly grateful for your support, which makes our work possible. We began the year with our Calls for Entry campaign for the Awards, Grants, and Review Santa Fe photo festival and conference reaching over 100,000 internationally. Tens of thousands come to the VisitCenter.org website to apply or to view the work of previous winners. Over the year, we welcomed 45,000 to our website. We launched a new website and initiative, Photography2020.org, thanks to the largest grant in our history from the National Endowment for the Humanities. In 2020 CENTER also received government support from the New Mexico Council for the Humanities and New Mexico Arts. In addition to the government grants, the individual contributions were amongst the highest in our history. We received a gift toward the significant increase of the Callanan Excellence in Teaching Award endowment from a long time friend and initiator of the award. We extend our sincere thanks to this donor who allows us to honor a photographic educator during this challenging time for teachers—allowing the endowment to continue providing the annual award for many years to come. In July 2020, the board and staff conducted a strategic planning session led by a facilitator who helps organizations align strategy, culture, and outcomes for maximum impact, with an approach that emphasizes equity, inclusion, and building intercultural competency in individuals and organizations. The result was a strategic plan and new mission to usher us into our next decade: CENTER supports socially and environmentally engaged lens-based projects through education, public platforms, funding, and partnerships. We clarified that CENTER serves to deepen public understandings of lens-based media’s complex history and ongoing cultural significance through our advancement of artists and their work. We are looking forward to another year of amplifying the work of lens-based artists, storytellers, and educators through honoring our role in advancing projects that respect all people, open minds, and engage our shared humanity. Sincerely, Laura Wzorek Pressley Executive Director
Everything CENTER does is so wonderful and I can’t thank you enough for the opportunities you give to photographers.
– Catherine Panebianco, Project Launch Grant Recipient Right Page: © Catherine Panebianco 2020 Project Launch Grant Recipient, Suspended Summer, from the series “No Memoriy is Ever Alone”
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Impact on the Photographic Community
$22k
373
funds provided
program attendees
Marketing Reach New grant funding from the National Endowment for the Arts allowed us to utilize new platforms. Facebook: 11,967 Twitter: 6,273
New users to Photography2020.org: 2,982 New users to VisitCenter.org: 45,217
Instagram: 5,328
Fiscal Sponsorships & Commissioned Projects 4 projects // $36,870 provided Tony Chirinos, “Farewell” Eric Cousineau, “Essential Worker” Deborah Espinosa, “Living with Conviction” Barry Lopez Foundation for Art & Environment
2020 Annual Report Annual Awards & Grants
$22k
17
Awards 14
opportunities & recipients 2 with funding: $10,000
in financial support
Grants 4
grants provided $12,000 in financial support
Curator’s Choice Award: 3 winners
Project Development Grant: One $5k winner
Director’s Choice Award: 3 winners
Project Launch Grant: One $5k winner Two $1k Honorable Mentions
Editor’s Choice Award: 3 winners Excellence in Multimedia Award: 3 winners Callanan Excellence in Teaching Award: One $5k winner me&EVE Award: One $5k winner
CENTER has been invaluable to me over the last decade, providing a source for talent, for building professional relationships, and now with their constructive nurturing of photographers in this year’s awards. CENTER is a great, generous, intelligent, and indispensable organization.
– Kathleen Clark, Project Launch Grant Honorable Mention Left Page: © Kathleen Clark 2020 Project Launch Grant Honorable Mention, George W. Bush, from the series “The White House China”
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Digital Programs Photography 2020 Compendium | Visit Photography2020.org The 21st Century paradigm shift will forever be underscored by the COVID-19 global pandemic and the sociopolitical tensions fueling civil unrest throughout the world. We are witnessing the negotiation of a new era and are examining photography’s role in this historical moment. In order to know where we are headed, we are first reflecting on where we have been, and where we are now. CENTER has partnered with scholars, artists, curators, social theorists, activists, journalists, and others to explore how the function, theoretical framework, and lens-based media practices have evolved in the 21st century. Made possible with the generous funding provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Photography 20/20 Compendium investigates the past 20 years of photography in interviews, panel discussions, critical essays, the annual Photographer Presentations, Review Santa Fe Photographer Archive, the ongoing Resource platform and more.
As an initial point of departure, the frame for the Photography 20/20 Compendium programs have three primary lines of inquiry: 1.
How has photography and lens-based media evolved in the past 20 years?
2.
What conditions, social, economic, and political have influenced the field in the past 20 years?
3.
Given what has already occurred in the 21st Century, what possible futures are there for lens-based media in the next 20 years?
2020 Annual Report Virtual Presentations Photographer Presentations: 126 attendees from 20 countries CENTER presented the Annual Photographer Presentations featuring select 2020 Grant and Award recipients. Each artists shared an intimate view of their project, followed by a moderated discussion and audience Q&A with moderator Mary Statzer, Ph.D., Curator of Prints and Photographs at the University of New Mexico Art Museum. Panel Discussion: 145 attendees from 8 countries “Post-2020: Forays into the future of art and lens-based media” explores the current state of contemporary art in 2020 and offers aspirations for the field and application of lens-based media. Join us as Photographer and Educator Will Wilson, investigates the trajectory of lens-based media practices and speculates on the future with presentations by Candice Hopkins, Whitney Johnson, and Gregory Sholette Ph.D.
Podcasts Tune-in and connect with diverse voices working with lens-based media through the CENTER podcast and interview series that provides insights on contemporary image makers and industry leaders. Podcast listeners & readers from eight countries. | Listen here. Four Podcasts: Laura Pressley in conversation with: Rubén Esparza, Independent Curator, Artist, Founder + Director, Queer Biennial, on the genesis of the Queer Biennial; Ann Thomas, Senior Curator of Photographs at the National Gallery of Canada, on the themes in her critical essay “A Curatorial Perspective”; Nicole Werbeck, Senior Supervising Editor for Visuals & Engagement, NPR, on service journalism, the empathetic response and Nicole’s experience with the pandemic and photographers documenting these stories; and Eric Cousineau, CENTER Alum, discussing his project honoring the essential workers risking their health to keep our country intact.
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Written Interviews & Critical Essays Four written interviews: Matthew Contos held conversations with select 2020 winners about their award projects. Hear from Rafael Soldi, Virgil DiBiase, Catherine Hyland, and Cody Bratt. | Read here. Three critical essays: A collection of essays provide critical analyses on the past, present and future of lens-based media. Contributions from a curator, an editor, and a scholar offer research-based perspectives on the field, its relation to sociopolitical movements and the evolution of lens-based media. Ann Thomas “A Curatorial Perspective”, Keith Jenkins “A Look Ahead”, and Dr. Kymberly Pinder “These are not recent events…”. | Read here.
Archive | 1,841
total Review Santa Fe Alumni from 2019-2001
CENTER has served over 2,000 photographers through our programs in the past 20 years. The Photographer Archive provides a comprehensive survey of exceptional photographers who have contributed to the evolution of the field. Our alumni are selected through a new blind-jury each year led by curators, editors, and other industry leaders.
Visitors to the Photography 20/20 Compendium website can view and interact with the archive, featuring live links to the featured participant’s websites.
View Here.
2020 Annual Report New Initiatives Review Santa Fe Mentorship: 40 total photographers CENTER is committed to supporting your professional development, industry networking, and taking your practice to the next level. Having face-time with the esteemed reviewers, connecting with peers from around the world, and sharing your work with diverse audiences can be a daunting experience. The Mentorship Program offers a one-on-one session conducted online to connect newcomers with a seasoned Review Santa Fe alum to help answer any questions, share pro-tips, etc., specific to you.
15
Mentors: CENTER Alumni
25
Mentees: Review Santa Fe 2020 Photographers
CENTER at PhotoPlus Expo: CENTER partnered with the PhotoPlus Expo team to showcase our recorded documentation of the Annual Photographer Presentation virtual program to a new audience. Shared in two parts, watch as each artists shares an intimate view of their project, followed by a moderated discussion and audience Q&A with moderator Mary Statzer, Ph.D., Curator of Prints and Photographs at the University of New Mexico Art Museum. 34 attendees | Dec. 7, Part I of Oct. 2020 Photographer Presentations 28 attendees | Dec. 14, Part II of Oct. 2020 Photographer Presentations CENTER Collaborations: Grant Writing Workshop with Photographer and Alum Sara Terry for the 2020 Award & Grant winners, “The Complete Guide to Successful Grant Writing” with Magnum Photos, “Defining and Presenting Your Personal Work” zoom webinar with CENTER Executive Director Laura Wzorek Pressley, ASMP, and Obscura Gallery Founder, Owner and Director, Jennifer Schlesinger.
I have been honored as the recent Callanan Excellence in Teaching Award winner and have seen an immediate impact upon my career. As an issues-based photographic program, we are tasked with sharing important details of personal and societal pressures with the community at large.
Sometimes these conversations can be difficult; however, having the recognition of CENTER has leant me a hand in pursuing these visual conversations with my students and community.
– Frank Lopez, 2020 Callanan Excellence in Teaching Award Winner
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Board of Directors 2020 Evan Anderman, Ph.D. Board President & Photographer // Colorado Nathan Benn Photographer; Trustee Emeritus George Eastman House, former Director, Magnum Photos Reid Callanan Director, Santa Fe Photographic Workshops // New Mexico Stuart Cohen Photographer & Author // New Mexico Peter Ogilvie Photographer // New Mexico Kymberly Pinder, Ph.D. Acting President, MassArt // New Mexico & Massachusetts Susanna Space Writer // New Mexico Dyanna Taylor Cinematographer // New Mexico Will Wilson Photographer & Program Head of Photography at the Santa Fe Community College // New Mexico
Meet the CENTER Team Matthew Contos JC Gonzo Whitney Wernick Laura Wzorek Pressley
Curator of Public Engagement // Belgium Communications Manager // New Mexico Social Media Manager // Texas Executive Director // New Mexico
2020 Annual Report Financial Position TOTAL REVENUE 2020
$314,449
Contributions Earned Income Government Grants Membership
$122,467 $94,475 $81,791 $15,766
ASSETS Operations Paypal
$78,327.52 $26,334.70
TOTAL
$104,662.22
LIABILITIES Payroll Protection Program
$24,850.00
NET ASSETS Donor Restricted Funds Ameritrade/Teaching Award Funds SF Community Foundation/SF Fellows Fiscal Sponsorship Funds Unrestricted Assets
$81,003.32 $62,865.35 $12,242.59 $92,419.63
TOTAL
$248,530.89
2020 Annual Report Thank you to Our Donors $5,000 + Anonymous, New Mexico Arts, New Mexico Humanities Council, and The Gumbo Foundation.
$2,500 - $5,000 Evan Anderman, Reid Callanan, Stuart Cohen, Joanna Hurley, Peter Ogilvie, and Benjamin & Alessandra Schulein.
$1,000 - $2,499 Anonymous, Nathan Benn, David & Kathryn Birnbaum, Gay Block, Marilyn Maxwell, Dave Rosetti & Jan Avent Philanthropic Fund, Susanna Space, and Mary Sloane & Andrew Wallerstein.
$100 - $999 Susan Barnett, Deborah Bay, Susan Bell, Devra Breslow, Mary Callanan, JoAnn Carney, Jesse Diamond, Virgil DiBiase, Jon Edwards, Carol Erb, Doris Francis, Jason Gulley, Joan Haseltine, Drew Hendrix, Bootsy Holler, Elizabeth Houston, Astrid Jahnsen, Selena Kearney, Arif Khan, Martha Kirby, Chikara Komura, Archy LaSalle, Frank Lopez, Beverly Martin, Rocky McCorkle, Elliot McDowell, Christopher Michel, Paul Anthony Guiles, Mary Anne Redding, Fred Roberts, Thomas Ropelewski, Janet Sanders, Evan Siegel, Amy Silverman, Morgan Smith, Norman Soong, Jamey Stillings, Martha Swanson, Evelyne Thomas, Brandy Trigueros, Eduardo Trigueros, Jay Tyrrell, Sandra Chen Weinstein, Autumn & Marty Wernick, Robin & Bonnie Wernick, Will Wilson, and Karen & George Wzorek.
Left:
© Leonard Suryajaya, 2020 Excellence in Multimedia Award 1st Place Two Bodies, from the series “False Idol”
PO BOX 2483, SANTA FE, NM, 87504 | 505.933.9146 | VISITCENTER.ORG CENTER, A 501C3 ORGANIZATION, SUPPORTS SOCIALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY ENGAGED LENS-BASED PROJECTS THROUGH EDUCATION, PUBLIC PLATFORMS, FUNDING, AND PARTNERSHIPS.