At the Photo Center
We Are
Here…
to serve our students. Our staff and board work hard to find new ways of making art, seeing the world, and connecting our communities.
Staff
 Annie Van Avery Executive Director avanavery@pcnw.org |
Core to Annie’s work is advocating for the arts and arts education in the belief that the arts provide a powerful tool for communication, community building, understanding, debate, and personal development. She brings experience as a photographer, educator, and extensive non-profit management experience to her leadership role at the Center. Annie holds a Master of Fine Arts from Maryland Institute College of Art and has held leadership roles for arts, education, and non-profit institutions nationally and is a member of the Society for Photographic Education and Northwest Development Officer’s Association. A long time advocate for underserved communities, Annie has volunteered with outreach programs through the International Center of Photography Community Programs, Childhaven, Pride Foundation, and Treehouse to name a few. She brings this commitment to her role at the Photo Center and has initiated community engagement, development of outreach programs, and collaborative partnerships. |
 Ann Pallesen Gallery Director apallesen@pcnw.org |
Ann has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading experts in recognizing emerging talent, and has brought exceptional exhibitions and public programs to Seattle since 1996, when she became Gallery Director. She received her BFA from Colorado State University, Ft. Collins in 1993. Pallesen has curated and installed over 150 exhibitions including the work of Julie Blackmon, Camille Seaman, Elliott Erwitt, Graciela Iturbide, Chris Jordan, Mary Ellen Mark, Ken Rosenthal & Hiroshi Watanabe. She has coordinated dozens of lectures with artists and curators, and regularly appears at portfolio review events, on panel discussions and has served as a juror for several non-Photo Center NW exhibitions. She is an active photographer herself and has exhibited her work around the Pacific Northwest. |
 Ashley Siple Education Director education@pcnw.org |
Ashley Siple manages the development of our curriculum, oversees faculty, and mentors Certificate students during their graduating thesis year. She has an MA from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London and a BA from the University of Chicago. Among other places, she has worked for the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College, Chicago and has contributed to projects in the Architecture Department at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Art Department of the Imperial War Museum and the Photographs section at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Her background in photography encompasses the theory and history of the medium, as well as its dissemination and display in museums, publications, and now, the web. |
 Patricia SnavelyDevelopment Manager psnavely@pcnw.org |
As an experienced arts administrator in both non-profit and corporate arenas, Patricia has contributed to national and international photography exhibitions and related successful fundraising efforts for the Southeast Museum of Photography (Daytona Beach), VIART Corporation, and Winston Wächter Fine Art (New York). In her most recent positions as Administrative Director and Adjunct Professor at the Department of Photography & Imaging, NYU / Tisch School of the Arts, Patricia presented exhibitions and public programs, produced catalog publications, and worked on grant writing, development, and alumni relations. Patricia holds a BA in Art History and Museum Studies from Long Island University and has received advanced training and coursework from Rollins College and New York University. |
 Juan Aguilera Facilities Director jaguilera@pcnw.org |
Juan G. Aguilera has a reputation for excellence: as one of the region’s experts in digital imaging, Juan keeps our state-of-the-art lab and printing facilities running smoothly. Students and clients 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. |
 Jennifer Brendicke Education and Outreach Coordinator jbrendicke@pcnw.org |
Jennifer Brendicke is that helpful voice on the line, counseling students and connecting with members and donors at the Photo Center. She has been a part of our community since 2006, and received her Certificate in Fine Art Photography 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. |
 Rafael Soldi Outreach Associate rsoldi@pcnw.org |
Rafael helps our collectors and members stay connected to the Center through programs and collection development opportunities. He also helps us keep exciting partnerships and community outreach programs alive. Rafael is originally from Lima, Peru. He received a BFA in Photography & Curatorial Studies from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2009. Rafael relocated to New York City to pursue his career as a photographer and independent curator while working in a prominent photography gallery. He moved to Seattle in June 2010 to join the Photo Center NW staff. In addition to his curatorial projects in NYC, Soldi’s work has been published and exhibited nationally and internationally. |
 Erin Spencer Gallery and Program Coordinator espencer@pcnw.org |
Erin will greet you as you enter our front doors and is here to guide you through the current exhibition, assist you with a print procurement, or help you navigate registering for a class or facilities rentals. Originally from San Diego, California, Erin moved to Seattle in 1994. She has been taking pictures for over 20 years and her fine art photographs have been exhibited in solo and group shows in the Pacific Northwest, Los Angeles, and Prague, Czech Republic. She was Director at Benham Gallery, a fine art photography gallery in Seattle, for 7 years. Erin joined the staff at Photo Center NW in 2008. |
 John Blalock Facilities Coordinator jblalock@pcnw.org |
John Blalock works to keep our analog darkrooms and equipment in excellent working condition. He is also an instructor at the center and teaches digital imaging courses, alternative practice, and studio courses. John has been exhibiting his photographs and working as a photographer in the Northwest for the last five years. His work often stretches the notions of what it takes to make a photograph, while drawing from traditional western art. Whether its unconventional pinhole cameras creating images reminiscent of watercolors or charcoal sketches–or pastiches of the painting masters set to contemporary themes. |
Volunteers
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.
Board of Trustees
Lisa Ahlberg, Board Member
lisa@pcnw.org
Joined February 2009
Lisa Ahlberg is an alumna of Photo Center NW graduating from the Certificate Program in 2005. She continues to be active at Photo Center NW as a portrait photographer and has also helped to lead the Photo Center’s fund raising efforts over the past few years. Her photography is informed by her experiences outside photography, having spent most of her working life in factories across the U.S. with people from all over the world, in garment and textile shops and truck and aircraft assembly plants. She currently works for the Boeing Company as a quality inspector and instructor on the 737 and is a member of the International Association of Machinists.
Ann Bergquist, Board Member
ann@pcnw.org
Joined March 2010
Ann Bergquist currently works for the Boeing Company as an employee benefits specialist focusing on pension plan research and analysis. Prior to Boeing, Ann has had a varied career and worked in graphic arts at Hallmark and Walter Dorwin Teague. In addition to a BA degree in accounting from Seattle University, she has a BFA (art/painting) from the University of Washington and a BFA (art/education) from Webster University. Ann has been involved in fund raising for the Puget Sound arts through ArtsFund. She is currently a Certificate student at Photographic Center Northwest and has had the opportunity to enjoy a full range of classes and workshops the facility has to offer. Her passion of the arts is centered in visual arts of all media.
Anna Mia Davidson, Board Member
Joined September 2011
Anna Mia Davidson is a freelance photographer based in Seattle, Washington. She believes strongly in the power of images to influence, inspire, and impact the way we see the world around us. Anna Mia Davidson has photographed and exhibited her work worldwide. She has been documenting the positive aspects of Cuban society since 1999 and was awarded sponsorship by the Blue Earth Alliance. Her photographic work has been awarded several honors from juried exhibitions and publication competitions including the Talent and Creativity Award for Photojournalism, the Cesar Chavez Certificate for Commitment to Justice, Diversity, and Nonviolence from the University of Colorado, and the Golden Light Top Photographers Award for Documentary photography. When she is not working on her own photographic projects, Anna Mia Davidson works for many different international news and magazine publications such as Vanity Fair, The New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, Associated Press, Reader’s Digest, AARP and The International Herald Tribune as well as various commercial clients.
Daniel Gregory, Board Member
daniel@pcnw.org
Joined July 2009
Daniel Gregory is a recent graduate of Photo Center NW’s Certificate Program. He has been actively involved with the center since 2005. He joined the board upon completion of his Photo Center NW thesis program in the summer 2009. He continues to develop his photography focusing mostly on fine-art photography. He is currently working as the Director of Information Systems for Merriman, Inc. a Registered Investment Advisory firm in Seattle. Prior to working at Merriman, he worked for a variety of IT/software based companies in the Pacific Northwest. He holds a Master’s degree in Communications Studies with a research emphasis in organizational development and computer mediated communication systems.
Steve Hoedemaker, President
steve@pcnw.org
Joined May 2010
Steve Hoedemaker is a third-generation Northwest native from a family with a deep tradition in building, art and architecture. After working in the construction and environmental consulting industries, he went on to receive his Master of Architecture from the University of Washington. Steve is the owner of Bosworth Hoedemaker, an internationally-recognized architecture firm that specializes in residential and small commercial projects. In his professional career, he focuses on enduring contemporary architecture and sustainable design. His work has won prestigious awards from the American Institute of Architects, has been featured in numerous local and national publications, and has achieved LEED certification for environmental sustainability in design and construction.
Marilynn Kreft, Treasurer
marilynn@pcnw.org
Joined November 2008
Marilynn Kreft is currently the Accounting Manager for the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda), the major property development and community development organization in the Chinatown International District. She has over 25 years of experience in non-profit, corporate, academic and public accounting. In addition to a BA in Accounting from Griffin Business College, she has a BFA (Printmaking concentration) from the University of Denver.
Cynthia LaRowe, Board Member
cynthia@pcnw.org
Joined March 2010
Cynthia is a director with PeopleFirm LLC. She specializes in organization and people strategy, development, and innovation. A seasoned consultant, Cynthia has 20 years of experience across a range of industries. A trusted facilitator and coach, she has led complex organization transformation, improvement, and development initiatives– ranging from non-profit strategic planning to corporate identity and brand development. In addition to PeopleFirm, Cynthia works with a think-tank focused on adult learning and a consultancy focused on diversity and inclusion. She also maintains her own consulting practice. Previously, she led learning organizations at Starbucks Coffee Company and the Microsoft Corporation. Cynthia began her career directing non-governmental and non-profit organizations. Cynthia is also a photographer. In addition to the board, she assistant teaches workshops; assists with digital programs; and studies at Photo Center NW. She also mentors beginning photographers and shows and sells her own photography. Cynthia holds a degree in the humanities and is passionate about the arts.
Martin Morfeld, Board Member
martin@pcnw.org
Joined August 2011
Martin Morfeld is a partner with the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, where he practices 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 his photography has gravitated to more human-oriented subject matter, and has been working his way through the Photo Center’s black and white, traditional darkroom program.
Batur Oktay, Board Member
batur@pcnw.org
Joined May 2007
Batur Oktay is director and corporate counsel at Starbucks Coffee Company, where he manages worldwide patent and trademark portfolios, works on the company’s intellectual property litigation, drafts and advises on a variety of contracts, and works in the areas of copyright and trade secrets. Before Starbucks, Batur was Senior Corporate Counsel at the software company Adobe Systems and a litigator at the law firm Foster, Pepper & Shefelman. Batur has been passionate about photography ever since his father gave him a manual Konica in elementary school. That camera is long gone, but Batur continues to photograph his family and travels with both film and digital.
Brian Park, Board Member
BCPARK@stoel.com
Joined August 2011
Brian is a partner at the law firm Stoel Rives LLP, where his practice focuses on protecting clients’ most important assets, including their technologies, secrets, brands, creative work product, and business deals. A registered patent attorney, Brian handles contentious litigation to safeguard a wide range of intellectual property rights, business interests, and commercial agreements. Brian has helped artists, inventors, and innovators identify and preserve their rights in a wide variety of media through comprehensive patent, copyright, trademark, and contract strategies. An aspiring photographer, he has a distinct vision (if not yet the depth of technique).
Sally Poliak, Board Member
sally@pcnw.org
Joined April 2010
Sally Poliak serves as chief operating officer at Nyhus Communications. She directs the day-to-day management and operations of the company, and is the driving force behind Nyhus business and growth strategies. Before joining the Nyhus team, Sally 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. She was recently named a finalist for best executive in the 2009 Stevie Award for Women in Business. Sally began her career spending 14 years in public affairs, including operating her own consulting firm. She currently serves on the boards of the British American Business Council of the Pacific Northwest, the Women’s Bioethics Project and the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle. She is a Washington native and received a bachelor’s degree from Lewis & Clark College. Sally is an avid photographer who spent all of her savings in 8th grade to buy her first Nikkormat FT camera.
Kevin Schroer, Board Member
kevin@pcnw.org
Joined May 2011
Kevin Schroer is the Creative Director at REI, where he manages all aspects of the visual representation of the brand. Prior to REI, Kevin had a 20-year career in agencies and design firms working on a wide range of accounts and brands. 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.
Peggy Snyder, Board Member
peggy@pcnw.org
Joined March 2010
Peggy Snyder is Director, Education Sales at Adobe Systems Inc., responsible for software sales to the K12 and Higher Education markets in the United States and Canada. Peggy served four years on the board of The New Media Consortium, an international not-for-profit consortium of learning-focused organizations dedicated to the exploration and use of new media and new technologies. For Peggy, the most rewarding aspect of selling technology into schools is witnessing the impact photography has on students. The creativity and power of the students work is amazing, and the commitment and passion of the teachers/faculty is truly inspiring. Peggy credits her enthusiasm for photography to her mother who captured every moment on film. With three cameras, a Flip video camera and her iPhone, she continues in the tradition of her mother and rarely misses an opportunity to capture an image or video to share with friends and family.
Steve Utaski, Board Member
steveutaski@pcnw.org
Joined November 2009
After more than a decade of honing his skills as a writer at ad agencies on both coasts, Steve made a foray into directing from which he has yet to return. He is now working as a filmmaker and director in Seattle, Washington.
