PRESS RELEASE
Former ICP Chief Curator to Head Center for Photography at Woodstock
Thursday, June 9, 2022
Kingston, NY — The Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW) announces the appointment of noted photography curator Brian Wallis as its new Executive Director. The move signals an important transition for the longstanding arts organization, which recently relocated from Woodstock to Kingston. Wallis, who begins June 13, will oversee the expansion of CPW in its new location, bringing decades of institutional experience to the establishment. “I believe Brian Wallis will bring a fresh new vision and vitality to the Center at a time of transition, when a strong, experienced leader is required,” said CPW Founder and Board Chair Howard Greenberg. “He will lead the center to a great new chapter in its 45-year history of excellence in the world of photography.”
Emphasizing the importance of this appointment for the region, Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado stated, “The Hudson Valley has for a long time hosted some of the most beloved artistic communities in New York State, so it’s no surprise that nationally-renowned curator Brian Wallis has decided to bring his vision and talent to the Center for Photography. It is incumbent upon us as New Yorkers to ensure that our arts and culture remain intact and that we continue to be at the forefront of the national art scene, fostering the artists of tomorrow, and Brian will help ensure that New York remains a hub of artistic and photographic excellence.” Kingston Mayor Steve Noble said, “We welcome CPW’s new Executive Director Brian Wallis and look forward to working with the Center as the City of Kingston executes our Arts & Culture Master Plan and as we work to foster Kingston’s wonderful creative community.”
From 2000 to 2015, Wallis served as Deputy Director and Chief Curator at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York. Under his leadership, ICP presented more than 150 exhibitions and installations and acquired more than 20,000 photographs for the collection. Among the notable exhibitions Wallis organized or co-organized were “Only Skin Deep: Visions of the American Self”; “African American Vernacular Photography”; “Strangers: The First ICP Triennial of Photography and Video”; and “Weegee: Murder Is My Business.” Before joining ICP, Wallis worked at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the New Museum of Contemporary Art. More recently, Wallis has worked as curator for The Walther Collection, a museum of photography with galleries in New York and Neu Ulm, Germany, where he oversaw numerous exhibitions including “Imagining Everyday Life: Encounters with Vernacular Photography,” which was awarded the Paris Photo-Aperture Foundation prize for Photography Catalogue of the Year in 2020. Throughout his curatorial career, Wallis has written extensively on contemporary art and photography and is the author or editor of over a dozen publications.
“Brian Wallis is one of our great photography curators,” notes Clément Chéroux, the Joel and Anne Ehrenkranz Chief Curator of Photography at The Museum of Modern Art. “In his previous positions he demonstrated a great understanding of the complexity of photography: between historical and contemporary, vernacular and fine-art, local and global. I am delighted to hear that he has been appointed at the Center for Photography at Woodstock.” Artist Barbara Kruger adds, “Brian Wallis is a brilliantly close reader of pictures and the meanings they suggest. His work on the fluency of images and the ways they thread through culture has helped define the curatorial field, suggested new notions of histories, and rigorously re-examined the conventions of display and reception.”
Wallis succeeds Hannah Frieser, a tireless advocate for nonprofit arts centers, who led the Center for six years, from 2015 to 2022. During her tenure, Frieser curated many engaging photography exhibitions at CPW; launched important new programs, including the highly successful Professional Practices Artist Network; established significant partnerships with other arts organizations; and organized a memorable social justice symposium with photographer Carrie Mae Weems. Over the past two years, Frieser deftly steered CPW through the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Given the effects of the current pandemic and recent shifts in the political climate, all museums and arts-based organizations face significant challenges and opportunities,” Wallis notes. “But the most dynamic and innovative responses to this variable environment will come from small and mid-sized cultural institutions like Center for Photography at Woodstock that have the flexibility to respond to diverse community needs and the vision to encourage emerging artists, engaging programs, and experimental ideas. I look forward to collaborating in this effort with the many extraordinary artists, arts organizations, activist groups, and audiences in Kingston and beyond.”
Center for Photography at Woodstock
Founded in 1977, the Center for Photography at Woodstock is a not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to supporting artists working in photography and related media and engaging audiences through opportunities in which creation, discovery, and learning are made possible. The Center relocated to Kingston earlier this year, while its widely known artist residency program, Woodstock A-I-R, continues in Woodstock. The current exhibition “Wild Place: People of Kingston,” featuring the photography of Doug Menuez, is on view at 474 Broadway, Kingston, through July 17.
Press Images and Interview Requests
To request high-resolution images for press reproduction and interviews, please contact CPW by clicking here.