Month of Photography Denver - Samantha Johnston Interview
Lost & Found exhibition at the Colorado Photographic Arts Center
There are innumerable photography and arts organizations in the U.S. and abroad, all aiming to support photographers and artists in their creative endeavors. They range from small camera clubs that do monthly photo walks all the way up to federally funded recipients of NEA grants and, indeed, everywhere in between. What many do not take the time to think about is the effort and passion for the arts that have to exist for these places to start and succeed over time. One such organization, which has been around for over 60 years, is the Colorado Photographic Arts Center in Denver, Colorado. We wanted to take a moment and inform our audience about them and the events happening every two years during the Month of Photography Denver (MOP), which is occurring this March.
To know even more, I thought it best to run a few questions about the organization and the MOP events by Samantha Johnston, Executive Director and Curator at the CPAC. In honor of transparency, two years ago, I showed up as a portfolio reviewer during MOP, and our venerable Founder, Michael Behlen, also showed up to press the flesh and inform participants about our humble magazine. We both learned so much from a first-person perspective and were blown away at this strong photographic community's amount of events and all-around camaraderie. So much so that we consider ourselves collaborators in what they do now. That's the backbone of how we conduct ourselves in this industry, and we do so with other groups, too, as many of you may have noticed over time. Our relationship has become formidable, and they entrusted us with putting together last year's analog exhibition, “Lost & Found,” in their beautiful gallery space. Hopefully, you saw that. Michael Behlen and I will be returning this year, and we would like you to meet us there to enjoy the festivities around the reviews and portfolio walk. So, with this, please take a few more minutes to find out some background and what's happening during MOP straight from Samantha Johnston herself.
INTERVIEW
Michael Kirchoff: Thanks for joining us Samantha, I appreciate the time when I know you are always quite busy with activities at the Colorado Photographic Arts Center. You became the Executive Director and Curator there in 2015, and since that time it appears that the Center has not just survived, but flourished. I should mention to our readers that CPAC has been around since 1963, going on an astonishing 62 years! What do you attribute the Center’s longevity to?
Samantha Johnston: Thank you Michael for reaching out and always a pleasure to connect. I took over as director in the fall of 2015. Since I came on, CPAC has had some location changes and lots of growth, I would agree we are flourishing. Our longevity can be connected to our founders and the many board members, volunteers, staff, and funders who believed in our mission and supported photography over the decades. They laid the groundwork for the thriving, talented photography community we see in Colorado today. Since 2015 I’ve worked to create programming that is sustainable and expand staff capacity and fundraising. Then in 2023, just in time for CPAC’s 60th anniversary, we achieved a long-held goal and moved to a beautiful new space in Denver’s Golden Triangle with a 20-year lease – introducing a new chapter of stability for the organization and our incredible community.
MK: What about you? Weren’t you an educator before moving into this current position? I’m also interested in what got you involved in photography in the first place.
SJ: I was an educator I taught high school and middle school art and photography for twelve years before taking on this role. I really came to appreciate my love for photography in high school. The darkroom was my escape, and I spent hours printing, developing and learning about new ways to manipulate images. I had a great photography teacher who gave me the freedom to be creative and discover the medium at my own pace. I attended Alfred University for undergrad and explored everything from photography to ceramics. I had been so inspired by my high school teacher that I minored in Education. While living in Boston and teaching I pursued an MFA through a low residency program at Lesley College of Art & Design.
MK: CPAC is located in Denver, but it’s reach is far broader that that. What steps are taken to reach out to the photographic community, both nationally and internationally, and bring them into the local fold? I do know that some of your workshops and events handle this quite adeptly. How about some insight into these efforts?
SJ: We are located in Denver and work to serve our local community in the metro area and throughout the state. I would say the steps I took to create a broader reach was to attend portfolio review events around the country to have conversations and think about how to expand the reach of the Center. Exhibiting a mix of local and national photographers has introduced CPAC to new audiences. Our education programming has also expanded through online courses and specialty courses we offer with instructors in Denver, and we have added new types of workshops including a summer course in the South of France with Aline Smithson.
MK: Not so long ago, the Center relocated to a new building, thereby growing the space and organization in new and better ways. How was this transition and what does it offer to your community of artists, students, and the public?
SJ: CPAC moved to our new space in July 2023 it was a lot of work but amazing to have the opportunity to really design our space to fit the needs of the community. We worked with Semple Brown on the architectural design, and they won two national interior design awards for the project.
CPAC is now the largest nonprofit institution dedicated to photography in Colorado.
Having a physical space designed with artists in mind is so important, and it has helped us better support our programming. As you know, in the local and national arts community there is a lack of professional exhibition space, particularly for early- to mid-career photographers who have not exhibited in a museum-quality setting. The new building allows us to present 10 exhibitions a year highlighting over 200 artists. And with two galleries that can be divided, we can show simultaneous exhibitions, which is something we couldn’t do before.
For students, the classroom is a game changer. Before we moved, we taught classes in the middle of the gallery, which limited us to teaching during off-hours so that visitors could explore our exhibitions. We now have a soundproofed, dedicated classroom with seats for 14 students, two computer workstations with printers, a big screen for presentations, and wall space to hang student work.
Researchers and the public can now access CPAC’s Permanent Collection, which is a treasure trove of 800 fine art prints collected over five decades, with works by masters like Ansel Adams to contemporary photographers on the cutting edge of the medium.
We also expanded our onsite Black & White Darkroom to accommodate three photographers instead of one.
Everyone is welcome to browse the Library which houses over 600 photography-related books that can be viewed by guests and loaned by members.
The transition had its challenges with permitting, etc. but we had a great team helping us navigate through it.
MK: You’ll have to refresh me on when this took place, but not so long ago CPAC took on planning and executing the events surrounding the biennial Month of Photography Denver festival. These events include exhibitions and portfolio reviews and must take you and your team a considerable amount of time to organize. Can you provide us with more info on this? Also, how did this come about and how do you feel it’s going?
SJ: Yes, after the 2019 festival Mark Sink passed the leadership to Colorado Photographic Arts Center. The 2025 festival – happening March 1 – 31 – will be CPAC’s third time organizing the event. “MOP,” as the locals call it, has become one of the largest photo festivals in the U.S., with more than 100 exhibitions and events at over 75 spaces in Denver and beyond. And unlike most festivals that last for a week or two, it’s a whole month! So yes, it’s a massive undertaking – but it’s also a rare opportunity for photographers, especially emerging artists, to get their work seen and build relationships locally and nationally that can propel their artistic practice or career.
As the festival has grown, it has also become more expensive. Before CPAC took on MOP it was a volunteer operation. March 2021 was the first festival CPAC oversaw and we continue to see growth in participation since the pandemic. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, CPAC can apply for grants and other sources of funding that weren’t possible to pursue in the past.
For example, for MOP 2025, we partnered with The Indigo Oak Fund based in Colorado Springs to create a scholarship program for marginalized artists to attend MOP Portfolio Reviews. As a reviewer yourself, you know how important reviews are for photographers to attend if they wish to exhibit, sell, or publish their work at a professional level. These scholarships give four artists 8 reviews at no cost and cover travel and accommodations – removing financial barriers that would have prevented them from participating. To me that’s an important example of what CPAC brings to the table.
I love seeing the excitement around the festival and our community. My team does an amazing job getting all events, talks, and exhibitions on the festival website https://denvermop.org/ and promoting them in print and online.
Most importantly, MOP would not exist without Colorado’s incredible arts community—the artists, gallery owners, museum curators, educators at universities, directors of local art centers, and others who come together to plan events and submit them to the festival. This March we have 75 spaces presenting 130 exhibitions and events in Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, and beyond.
MK: One last question, and one that also comes with a sincere thank you to you and your team. CPAC and Analog Forever recently collaborated on a film and historical process exhibition entitled “Lost & Found.” This was the first truly curated exhibition from the magazine, culled from the artists we have highlighted in the past. I can say with all honesty that your guidance and support along the way was paramount in making this exhibition a success. I’m wondering what you feel warrants a great exhibition, and how do you make these determinations on behalf of the Center?
SJ: First off thank you Michael it was so great to work with you both on this exhibition and I appreciate those kind words. That’s a great question. I spend a lot of time thinking about who will be included in our exhibitions, how the work can provoke conversation. And it's a balance of highlighting local artists versus national and elevating voices that have been historically underrepresented. I seek out work that demonstrates artistic excellence; is culturally relevant; and that promotes dialogue about political, cultural, and economic issues that can broaden our understanding of the world around us.
ABOUT SAMANTHA JOHNSTON
Samantha Johnston has been the Executive Director and Curator at the Colorado Photographic Arts Center since 2015. She holds a certificate in Arts Development and Program Management from the University of Denver, an MFA from Lesley University College of Art & Design, and a BFA from Alfred University. Prior to joining CPAC, she taught photography and visual arts for 12 years at high schools in Boston and Denver.
She has curated exhibitions with contemporary artists such as Jess T. Dugan, Daniel Coburn, Barbara Ciurej & Lindsay Lochman, and Zora Murff. Samantha has served as a reviewer at Houston FotoFest, Review Santa Fe, PhotoPlus New York, Medium, Month of Photography (MoP), and Filter. She has juried several exhibitions including Critical Mass and The Fence.
She is a longtime member of the Society for Photographic Education, and served as Treasurer of the Southwest region from 2013-2016 and Co-Chair of SPE’s 2013 Southwest regional conference in Denver. She was named one of Colorado’s Top 100 Creatives 3.0 by Westword and has been featured in Lenscratch.
Connect with the Colorado Photographic Arts Center on their Website and Instagram, as well as MOP Denver on their Website and Instagram!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Kirchoff is a photographic artist, independent curator and juror, and advocate for the photographic arts. He has been a juror for Photolucida’s Critical Mass, and has reviewed portfolios for several fine art photographic organizations and non-profits in the U.S. and abroad. Michael has been a contributing writer for Lenscratch, Light Leaked, and Don’t Take Pictures magazine. In addition, he spent ten years (2006-2016) on the Board of the American Photographic Artists in Los Angeles (APA/LA), producing artist lectures, as well as business and inspirational events for the community. Currently, he is Editor-in-Chief at Analog Forever Magazine, Founding Editor for the photographer interview site, Catalyst: Interviews, Contributing Editor at One Twelve Publishing, and the Co-Host of The Diffusion Tapes podcast.
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Month of Photography Denver (MOP) returns in March with 130+ exhibitions, events, and portfolio reviews. Samantha Johnston from the Colorado Photographic Arts Center shares festival highlights, CPAC’s new home, and the power of community-based photography. Dive into our interview for MOP 2025 insights and photography’s evolving future.