CPW

MISSION

The Center for Photography at Woodstock is a gathering place for critical dialogue and creative discovery in photography and related media. Our mission is to effect social change through innovative and inspiring programs that explore photography as an adept medium for understanding our selves, our communities, and our society.

VISION

The Center for Photography at Woodstock is a community-based museum and school that encourages emerging artists, experimental ideas, and relevant debates about photography and visual culture. Through its exhibitions, educational programming, Digital Media Lab, research center, collections, community spaces, and artist residency program, CPW strives to promote a more equitable and diverse society by facilitating artistic inquiry, professional development, scholarly research, critical dialogue, and local engagement.

VALUES

EQUITY
Equity is the cornerstone of our commitment to social justice. We make our programs and resources available to individuals of all abilities, ages, identities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. We provide open access to all programs, equitable treatment, collaborative support, and fair wages for artists and art workers.

COLLABORATION
We aim to build community and well-being through our partnerships with individuals and organizations. By joining with others in a welcoming, safe, and supportive space, we work to generate new ideas and programs for established and new audiences, and to foster shared  appreciation of both differences and commonalities.

CREATIVITY
By inviting alternate perspectives in our programs, we cultivate an environment where creativity thrives through an open exchange of ideas. We aim to work with respect, accountability, and responsibility and to act ethically toward the people we work with and the environments in which we work.

ADVOCACY
We aim to address current social, political, environmental, and philosophical issues through community activism, public programs, and relevant messaging around visual culture. Our goal is to spark critical conversations among local, national, and international audiences.

INCLUSIVITY
We believe that a diverse range of voices enriches our artistic heritage. We actively support emerging artists and seek to elevate those voices that have been historically marginalized in the field of photography and related media. We are dedicated to providing opportunities for artists and communities that have been underrepresented, ensuring that their stories and perspectives are heard.