What we do
Has an
impact
on our community.
Our outreach efforts are at the heart of the Photo Center’s mission. Over the years we have found photography to be a successful tool in addressing difficult issues that affect the community around us. We are committed to keeping our doors open to the community, providing a place for learning, access to the arts and culture, facilities for artists, and a community gathering space.
Club Photo
The Photo Center is in its seventh year of Club Photo, a partnership with the Seattle World School (formerly known as SBOC), a school for immigrant and refugee youth from around the world. This after school photography program is led by teaching artists Virginia Wilcox and Gazelle Samizay, and is partially supported by a Youth Arts grant from the City Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs. Club Photo combines the teaching of photography as an art form with a focus on literacy and language acquisition. The program serves immigrant and refugee youth who learn English as part of a general curriculum while acclimating to the American school system and daily life in a new culture. Club Photo is the only arts after-school program offered at the World School. Additionally, it is the only after-school program that includes students of multiple language backgrounds. Students employ the visual language of photography as a means for connecting to one another and to foster creative self-expression. The program has helped to build the self-confidence of its participants, which further supports their transition into middle and high schools or to community college.
Club Photo students are immigrant and refugee youth with little to no experience working with photography. 95% of SBOC students live below the poverty level and are students of color. Since 2006, Club Photo has served students from Somalia, Mexico, Ethiopia, Eritrea, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, Nepal, Benin, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Congo, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Yemen, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. The program has benefited from the help and support of many Photo Center volunteers and staff.
Club Photo is made possible through a Youth Arts Grant from the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs.
Student/School Group Access
In the past year, the Photo Center has hosted groups and classes from the University of Washington School of Architecture, Cleveland High School, the Northwest School, Heritage High School, Lake Washington Technical College, Seattle Academy, Seattle Central Community College, Lynnwood High School, and Olympic College, among others. In addition to giving gallery talks and Center tours, the Photo Center allows all school groups to rent facilities at discounted rates, ensuring that students from across the region have access to photo facilities. On our gallery walls, we have also exhibited the winning work from the Washington State HS Photo Competition, as well as work from the Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center’s Club Photo. Do you know a class or group that is interested in darkroom access or a gallery talk? Let us know!
Scholarship Program
The Photo Center continues its commitment to making photography accessible through a need-based scholarship program. The heart of the Photo Center is our community, made up from diverse walks of life with one unanimous interest in the art of photography. Our scholarship program allows low-income students to further their photographic education at the Photo Center. In 2011 the Photo Center awarded $10,000 in scholarships and $2,500 in alumni scholarships to graduates of the Youth In Focus program, to allow them to continue their studies.
Artist Support
In addition to providing affordable membership rates, the Photo Center offers several programs and benefits to artists. Our Print Sponsorship program offers 100 hours of free printing (digital or analog) for up to four artists a year. The Center offers employment opportunities for nearly 40 teaching artists a year, supporting national networking, professional development, and project support to many who teach.
