Visual Studies Workshop

Collection Type: Institution

Phone Number: 5852040077

Website: http://vsw.org/

Contact Email: marylewandowski@vsw.org

Collection Policy: VSW was founded in 1969 in Rochester, New York by photographer, educator and curator Nathan Lyons (1930–2016). Rooted in Lyons’ progressive vision of the “workshop idea,” VSW became one of the earliest independent, not-for-profit, artist-run spaces in the country. Since its inception, VSW has provided residencies to over 500 artists, produced more than 500 exhibitions, screened over 1,000 films and videos, and published more than 500 artists’ books through VSW Press. Additionally, we have educated over 1,000 students through workshops and our MA and MFA programs (1969–2022), and founded and published the periodical Afterimage: The Journal of Media Arts and Cultural Criticism (1972-2018). Our media collections include over a million photography and film-related objects, making our small organization unique in the field.