Photography & New Media
Portraiture and Figuration
with Catherine Opie, Christina Quarles, Helen Molesworth
| Advanced
Catherine Opie, Pig Pen
Catherine Opie, Pig Pen
Code: P0713-21
Jul 19 - 23, 2021Past
9AM-5PM
Upcoming Workshops in Photography & New Media
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What Remains: Photography, Painting, and the Archive
Jan 4 - 15, 2027
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January Studio Sessions: Photography & New Media
Jan 18 - 22, 2027
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January Studio Sessions: Photography & New Media
Jan 25 - 29, 2027
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Advanced Mentored Studies: Visual Storytelling and Documentary Photography Projects
Aug 16 - 20, 2027
Discover the Workshop
Engage in critical group dialogue and critiques to hone the fundamental aspects of your work and deepen your understanding of contemporary art practice. In this master workshop for advanced photographers and painters, students produce work at their own pace, pausing in the mornings for discussion with the instructors and peers. Topics are wide-ranging in both depth and breadth, including technique, concept, approach and context. Students are expected to work independently and to set their own studio goals for the week. The course strongly encourages a broad interpretation of painting and photography for this workshop, and welcomes artists working in installation and incorporating three-dimensional elements into their paintings.
Please note: Instructors teach mornings only from 9AM – noon. Afternoons are dedicated to independent studio time.
Portfolio Review Required:
Thank you for your interest in our Level IV photography workshops at Anderson Ranch Arts Center. Since a portfolio review is required, the instructions on how to submit your portfolio are provided here.
In order to conduct the required portfolio review, we will need to see digital images of your work in one single PDF (as opposed to individual JPG attachments) sent directly to Anderson Ranch Studio Coordinator, Esther Nooner, via email at [email protected]. Please include 10 images of 10 works. Additionally, please include an image identification list that includes: title, media, dimensions and year. While not required, it is helpful to see an artist statement addressing the images you send. Lastly, please provide a phone number where you can be reached and a link to your website. These materials must be submitted as a single PDF (less than 10 MB) to be considered.
Please include “Advanced Portfolio Review” in the subject line of your email, as well as the title of the workshop for which you are applying. Submissions that do not follow the requested directions will not be reviewed. To be considered, Esther Nooner must receive portfolios by 5 PM MST Friday, Feb. 5, 2021. We will email you regarding your status on or before Friday, Feb. 19, 2021. If you are accepted, a deposit of $500 will be required within one week of notification of acceptance to hold your place. Housing will be assigned on a space-available basis upon enrollment.
Please note, if we receive your materials after Feb. 5, you will be considered on a space-available basis.
Thank you for your interest in our advanced photography workshops. Please feel free to contact Andrea Jenkins Wallace with any questions at [email protected]
View All Photography & New Media Workshops
Media & Techniques
This workshop is available to painters and photographers; any materials needed to make your work.
Workshop sponsored by:
Meet Your Faculty
Catherine Opie
Summer Series Speaker
Catherine Opie (b. 1961) is one of the most important photographers of her generation. Her subjects have included early seminal portraits of the LGBTQ+ community, the architecture of Los Angeles’ freeway system, mansions in Beverly Hills, Midwestern icehouses, high school football players, California surfers, and abstract landscapes of National Parks, among others. She was a 2019 Guggenheim Fellow recipient and the Robert Mapplethorpe Resident in Photography at the American Academy in Rome for 2021. She has exhibited at international venues…
Christina Quarles
Christina Quarles (b. 1985) is a Los Angeles-based artist, whose practice works to dismantle assumptions and ingrained beliefs surrounding identity and the human figure. Quarles received her Bachelor’s from Hampshire College in 2007. In 2016 she received her MFA in painting from Yale School of Art and attended The Skowhegan Residency that same year. Quarles’ work has been featured in numerous institutional exhibition including “Christina Quarles,” at The MCA Chicago (2021), “Collapsed Time” at the Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin (2023),…
Helen Molesworth
Helen Molesworth is a writer, podcaster, and curator based in Los Angeles and Provincetown. In 2023, Phaidon published Open Questions, Thirty Years of Writing About Art, an anthology of her essays. Her podcasts include Death of an Artist, a 6-part podcast about the intertwined fates of Carl Andre and Ana Mendieta, and the inaugural season of Recording Artists with The Getty. She is also the host of DIALOGUES, a podcast that features interviews with artists, writers, fashion designers, and filmmakers…
For general information about studio access, shipping, and more, please visit our info page.
If you have any questions regarding your supplies for your workshop, please contact Jack Fox, .
Housing is limited and includes shared and private lodging options. Reservations will be managed on a first-come, first-served basis. The earlier you reserve housing, the better your chance of receiving your preferred option. Please note: Workshop costs do not include accommodations.
NEW: Course fees includes a welcome dinner and lunches. In our effort to foster a stronger sense of community and accessibility at Anderson Ranch, we include the welcome dinner and all lunches as part of course fees for summer workshop students. Our hope is that this adjustment will encourage all students to come together to share meals and engage in meaningful conversations. The Ranch Café Meal Plan, which is included with Room and Board fees, strives to provide healthy, creative meals that will nourish your artistic creativity. Learn more.
We have established a Business Safety Plan with added layers of precaution that prioritize the health and safety of our staff, students, faculty and guests while continuing to provide you with the Anderson Ranch experience that you know and enjoy.
Getting to the Ranch, local transportation, and amenities in and around Snowmass Village.
Photography & New Media
Photography & New Media Studio in Aspen / Snowmass
The Photography & New Media Studio at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, located in Snowmass Village near Aspen, Colorado, is a professional studio environment designed to support immersive photographic and digital media practice. The facility provides dedicated workspaces, critique areas, and technical infrastructure for artists working in traditional photography, digital imaging, video, and experimental new media.
Interested in enrolling? Explore the full schedule of Photography & New Media workshops at Anderson Ranch.
Photography has always been a vital part of Anderson Ranch, one in which students explore visual storytelling through a variety of contexts and concepts. The program has uniquely evolved to focus on both traditional photography and new media— making it one of the only workshop settings of its kind. Three floors of the Fischer Photography Center house state-of-the-art equipment, including three photography studios, two Mac labs, a traditional darkroom, and a lighting studio with strobe and continuous lighting for photography and video.
All photography workshops are rooted in the same idea—powerful art requires rigorous inquiry of techniques and ideas. We focus on technical skills, content and critical dialog. Students have access to color-managed media labs equipped with 24-inch iMacs, flatbed and film scanners, Epson printers, and cutting-edge software including Adobe Creative Cloud. When appropriate, students utilize strobe and tungsten lighting equipment, seamless backdrops, green screen, audio and video recording equipment and Epson large-format printers.
The Ranch Photography and New Media team creates an inspiring environment, allowing artists of all levels to explore lens-based media and the journey of artistic discovery in the unparalleled setting of the Colorado Rockies.
Don’t know where to start? View the skill levels for Photography and New Media workshops.
Anderson Ranch Arts Center is a historic, rustic campus that features gravel pathways and uneven terrain that may pose challenges for individuals using wheelchairs or other mobility devices. We strive to provide accommodations to ensure all guests can access and enjoy our programs and facilities. With advance notice, our staff can offer personalized assistance and coordinate access to studios and campus spaces. For questions or to request an accommodation, please contact us at (970) 923-3181 or [email protected].
Anderson Ranch is happy to extend a 20% tuition discount for summer one- or two-week adult photography and new media workshops for SPE, the Center for Fine Art Photography, and Colorado Photographic Arts Center members at the student membership level or above. Please email [email protected] with your SPE or CFAP membership information prior to registering and we will send you a promo code to complete registration with your discount applied. You are also welcome to call 970-924-5089 to register after verifying your membership with us. **Please note, this discount must be approved prior to registering and cannot be applied retroactively. SPE and Center for Fine Art Photography discount does not apply to Advanced Mentored Studies programs or Destination Workshops, nor can it be combined with any other discount, scholarship or special offer.
Studio access, shipping, campus policies, and other information for workshop participants.
Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please read the workshop description carefully to make sure the workshop is appropriate for your skill level. You must be at least 18 years old to attend an adult workshop.
Payment: A deposit of $650 per workshop is required to reserve a space (with or without housing). The balance of tuition, studio and registration fees, and housing is due 60 days prior to the start of your first workshop and is automatically charged to the credit card used for the deposit.
Cancellations: With at least 60 days’ notice, we will refund your payments less a cancellation fee of $250 per workshop. Cancellations made within 60 days of the start of your workshop will result in a full forfeiture. Housing cancellations follow the same 60-day notice, less $200 per week of housing reserved.
Transfers to another workshop or housing option are possible, space permitting, with at least 60 days’ notice and a $25 transfer fee.
Photography & New Media
What Remains: Photography, Painting, and the Archive
with Kate Leonard
Jan 4 - 15, 2027 · 9AM - 5PM
Total: $2,150 · Open to All
Photography & New Media
January Studio Sessions: Photography & New Media
with Jack Fox
Jan 18 - 22, 2027 · 9AM - 5PM
Total: $1,000 · Intermediate - Advanced
Portfolio Review Required
Only 2 spaces left
Photography & New Media
January Studio Sessions: Photography & New Media
with Jack Fox
Jan 25 - 29, 2027 · 9AM - 5PM
Total: $1,000
Portfolio Review Required
Only 3 spaces left
Scholarships, College Credit & Discounts
Making Art Accessible
Applications for scholarship support are encouraged. Specific scholarships are funded by Ranch supporters, either through endowed funds or special gifts.
Many colleges and universities offer college credit for workshops taken at Anderson Ranch. Discounts are available for students and teachers.