Workshops
Hone skills essential to connect with galleries, curators, critics, and viewers.
There are no available registration dates at this time.
SOLD OUT! Email registrar@mainemedia.edu to be placed on a waitlist.
Note: This Class will be held in a live, online format using the Zoom platform.
We will meet for 2 consecutive Weekends. Feb 19th, 20th, 26th, 27th | 10am-1pm ET
Producing a strong photographic body of work is a tremendous accomplishment, but without strong writing and editing skills, photographers may face difficulty connecting with galleries, curators, critics, or even their own website visitors. In this fun and informative workshop, students will use creative writing techniques to enhance their professional practice and explore their photographic vision. Not your typical “how to” writing workshop, this class will focus on the development of written statements as unique as the images they will accompany.
Each student will hone their writing and editing skills to complete an artist statement, project statement(s), and a narrative biography. These writings will be the culmination of creative writing prompts, in-class critiques, and one-on-one editing. We will discuss the many ways that writing can enhance your photographic career, both practically and creatively. Discussion topics include the role of criticism, turning words into pictures, identifying your audience, and the importance of captions and titles. All writing will be short form. No previous writing experience is necessary. Students are encouraged to bring samples of their photography portfolios.
We will start with an online meeting from 10:00am to 1:00pm where we will get to know each other a little, discuss the purpose of writing about your art, and do in-class writing exercises. The afternoon will be spent writing, with review of student writing and class discussion the following morning from 10:00am to 1:00pm. The instructor will be available for one-on-one meetings in the afternoon. In between weekend sessions, students will have several small assignments to keep them engaged with the writing process without overwhelming their otherwise busy lives. The second weekend will also have two morning zoom sessions from 10:00am to 1:00pm where we will fine-tune student writing.
Share This

Instructor: Kat Kiernan
Kat Kiernan is a writer and photographer. She lives in Brooklyn where she is the Editor-in-Chief of Don’t Take Pictures. She curated numerous exhibitions as the Director of Panopticon Gallery in Boston and owner of The Kiernan Gallery in Lexington, Virginia. In 2015, she received the Griffin Museum’s Rising Star Award for her contributions to the photographic community. Kiernan’s writings on photography have been published in journals and blogs including Art New England Online, Feature Shoot, and Big, Red, and Shiny, as well as in books, including Agnieszka Sosnowska: Myth of a Woman (The National Museum of Iceland, 2019), and The Artist as Culture Producer: Living and Sustaining a Creative Life (Intellect, 2017). She holds a BFA in photography from Lesley University College of Art and Design.