In 2024, PCNW has been proud to continue offering programming as part of our series Photography as an Agent for Change, an ongoing initiative that showcases photography’s capacity for transformative change in areas of social justice, racial equity, disability and access, environmental justice, visual literacy, and storytelling. In this third annual series, we presented workshops and public programming in partnership with three local cultural and community-based organizations; Tasveer Film Festival, the Frye Art Museum, and Cultivate South Park.
In April, we hosted an online panel conversation, Still Moving Frameworks. This collaboration with Tasveer Film Festival featured photographic artists Harini Krishnamurthy and Miraj Patel, filmmaker Nuhash Humayun, and was moderated by Natalia Di Pietriantonio, curator of the Crow Museum of Asian Art. During their conversation, the panel explored how their individual creative practices both engage and broaden our understanding of South Asian perspectives.
“It was an honor to be a part of the panel discussion Still Moving Frameworks that was organized by PCNW in collaboration with Tasveer. It was wonderful to be able to connect with other photographers and filmmakers and learn about the processes and motivations behind their work. Even though we shared similar geographic and cultural roots, it was so interesting to see how different our approaches are. I came away very inspired!”
– Harini Krishnamurthy, Panel Discussion Participant and PCNW Alumni
In August we partnered with the Frye Art Museum to offer a unique one-day workshop in conversation with the exhibition “After/Images”, a photographic and installation-based exhibition by noted Bay Area Filipino artist Stephanie Syjuco. Led by PCNW Certificate Program alumni Elisabeth Vazquez Hein and supported by PCNW staff member Twyla Sampaco, our workshop began with an inspirational tour of the exhibition with Frye Curator, Georgia Erger, before continuing at PCNW with conversation and studio time, culminating in the participants creating photo collage-based work of their own.
“As a Filipino-American, the After/Images workshop deeply resonated with me. Stephanie Syjuco’s exhibition sparked a personal connection, and the collage experience in the workshop broadened my approach to my own photography practice, especially in exploring themes of identity and historical narratives. Our instructor was incredible, offering inspiring and relevant examples that made the creative process feel both accessible and meaningful. It was truly impactful to connect with fellow artists in such an engaging environment.”
– Chris Maliwat, workshop participant
Finally, for our third Agent for Change initiative this year, PCNW partnered with the community-based organization Cultivate South Park, to offer a weekly photography and visual literacy workshop this summer to high school-age students from this South Seattle neighborhood. Led by experienced teaching artist Kelli Perletti, each weekly session not only introduced photographic and creative concepts, but also connected with broader themes including environmental and food justice, personal storytelling, and social justice.
“I have been part of the South Park community for about 10 years…South Park was considered violent and there used to be a lot of gun violence in this area… but now we are rebuilding and are striving…Photography is something I’ve always had an interest in, and thanks to my photography teacher, I now know the basics of using a camera”
– Alberto, Cultivate South Park Workshop Student
PCNW Would like to thank Panda Lab for the development and scanning of the negatives used in the analog portion of the Cultivate South Park workshop series.
Website: https://pandalab.com/
IG: @pandalabseattle
Stay connected with us as we plan for the 2025 series of Photography as an Agent For Change!
