Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine Siegwarth
Hi Katherine, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
One of my earliest art/museum memories was when I was about eight. Visiting the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, when I rounded the corner into a darkened room, I became face to face with an eerily quirky projection-based sculpture by Tony Oursler: I was completely transfixed. I continued showing an interest in art and museums, and while I took a circuitous route in college—changing my major every year—I eventually realized that I wanted to work in museums as a curator, focusing on the history of photography. I feel incredibly fortunate to have built a career in this field for the last 15 years.
Largely growing up in Arizona, I moved to Texas for a temporary fellowship following school. When the fellowship ended, I looked for jobs nationwide and accepted a position at the Dayton Art Institute. The decision to move to Ohio was serendipitous as my parents were from the area and I had many relatives in the region. Upon my arrival in Dayton in fall of 2014, many people encouraged me to meet FotoFocus, a Cincinnati-based nonprofit that celebrates photography and lens-based art. Visiting their exhibitions as part of that year’s biennial and attending their first annual symposia discussing the 1990 Robert Mapplethorpe exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Center the following year, I recognized how unique and remarkable this organization is. I was fortunate enough to serve as a Participating Venue curator for three of their following Biennials and did not hesitate to join the organization when the opportunity arose. In December of 2021, I joined FotoFocus as their Biennial Director and in January of 2023, became Executive Director of the organization, following the founding director’s retirement.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Construction on the FotoFocus Center began during the first week of my tenure as executive director in 2023: an exciting challenge! This is a remarkable moment in our organization’s history, but it is also uncharted territory. The new facility fundamentally shifts our day-to-day engagement with the region, allowing us to present year-round exhibitions and programming. This next chapter will test our abilities, but it is a challenge I know my colleagues welcome and I have every confidence that we will succeed. My goal is that this future home embodies the ethos of organization through its presentation of various artists to maintain that multitude of voices that is so important during our signature programs. I look forward to welcoming you all to the FotoFocus Center this year, where we can continue to have inspired conversations, together.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
FotoFocus was founded in 2010 to champion and celebrate photography and lens-based art. We have done this through several signature programs, most notably our Biennial, which just completed its seventh iteration last fall. Our Biennials are giant, regional collaborations and last year included 107 projects/exhibitions at 86 venues! Of those exhibitions, an incredible 875 artists from 30 countries were represented, and over 156,000 visitors experienced these exhibitions in the month of October. Additionally, as a granting organization, FotoFocus has awarded over 600 grants since its inception, helping to support regional organizations and creatives realize a variety of photographic-based projects.
The vision of FotoFocus is to inspire conversations about the world through the art of photography. This speaks to what I love about photography: its inherently interdisciplinary nature. Photography allows us to see and experience new ideas. As an accessible medium, people from various backgrounds and perspectives can engage, consider the image, and discuss a variety artistic, educational, and cultural topics, be it environmental, social, historical, etc. FotoFocus is excited to continue expanding upon this vision with the opening of our new building this year. Located in Mount Auburn at the corner of Liberty and Sycamore Streets, this nearly 15,000 square-foot facility will be our future home where we can present exhibitions and related programming year-round. Exhibitions will be open to the public, with free admission for many events.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Meet people. Regardless of what career you are interested in, ask to meet with people in the field to learn from their experiences. Asking to introduce yourself over a coffee is an easy way to seek advice and build a network that you may utilize for the rest of your career. You will be surprised by how many people will agree to a causal conversation, some of whom could remain colleagues for years to come.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fotofocus.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fotofocuscincinnati/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FotoFocusCincinnati/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fotofocus-cincinnati/
Image Credits
Photos by Jacob Drabik, courtesy of FotoFocus. Building rendering courtesy of Jose Garcia Design and Construction
