Photographic Center Northwest

This year we are raising funds to expand our scholarship program. We make photographic education accessible through partial and full-tuition scholarships, free class materials, and free lab access for those with barriers. Help us open the classroom door to more students!  The first $7,500 in donations will be matched, so your support is doubled during GiveBIG! 

Mission

PCNW is a place for everyone to explore the photographic arts. We promote lifelong learning and creativity through resources and programs that inspire and empower. We believe in a world where visual storytelling and artistic expression are used as tools for positive change, community building, and greater empathy.  

This year we are raising funds to expand our scholarship program. We make photographic education accessible through partial and full-tuition scholarships, free class materials, and free lab access for those with barriers. Help us open the classroom door to more students!  The first $7,500 in donations will be matched, so your support is doubled during GiveBIG! 

Description

For over thirty years PCNW has championed and provided photographic education through our accredited 53-credit Certificate Program, classes and workshops; free exhibitions and public programs; and publicly-accessible facilities. Our goals to provide comprehensive, rigorous, and inclusive education; champion artists and the artform; and promote equitable access to photography create the framework for our projects and programs.

Through our programs and labs we serve an average of 5,000 individuals annually. Of those, nearly 1,000 are students enrolled in classes and workshops including summer teen workshops in partnership with Coyote Central, Youth in Focus, and the Seattle World School; BFA students through a partnership with Seattle University; and adults of all ages pursuing continued education. In an effort to provide low barrier access to photographic education, we award more than $25,000 annually in scholarships to BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and those with financial need. Our community also includes 250 members, 75 volunteers, 25 adjunct faculty, countless practitioners, donors, and collectors, and the general public. Complementary to our classes and workshops PCNW hosts 5-6 exhibitions annually and 20-25 free public programs such as artist lectures, panel discussions, and professional development workshops. This provides representation to an additional 500 artists every year.

Recognition

A very special thanks to our board, staff, faculty, students, members, donors, collectors, general lovers, and our many community-partners. We could not do all that we do without your unbridled passion, expertise, and dedication.

We also gratefully our sponsors, partners, and supporters: 4Culture; Hoedemaker-Pfeiffer; Glazer's; King County Metro; The Leonian Foundation; Names Family Foundation; Seattle Office of Arts & Culture; The Raynier Institute & Foundation; Seattle University; The Murdock Charitable Trust; Washington Gl; The Nesholm Foundation; The Norcliffe Foundation and others who help sustain our operations and programs.