CPW (Center for Photography at Woodstock), an arts non-profit dedicated to engaging audiences and fostering conversation around critical issues in photography, hosts the grand opening of its newly renovated building on January 18, 2025. Located in the midtown arts district of Kingston, a historic city in the heart of the Hudson Valley 90 miles north of New York City, the 47-year-old community-based museum and school has been undergoing a renaissance since relocating from Woodstock in 2022. The opening marks a pivotal moment for CPW as it unveils a state-of-the-art center dedicated to photography and related media.
The renovation, directed by the architectural firm Lopergolo + Bartling Architects, represents the first phase in a larger transformation of the 40,000 square foot former cigar factory. In this phase, the first two floors of the factory will now house 6,000 square feet of exhibition space, an expanded Digital Media Lab, a theater, workshop spaces, offices, meeting rooms, a visitors’ lounge, and CPW’s photo library.
The opening celebration will feature a grand party and the unveiling of four new exhibitions, each offering unique and powerful perspectives in contemporary photography. Three of these exhibitions will be on view from January 18 to May 4, 2025, while the fourth, showcasing works from an open call for submissions, will run from January 18 to February 16, 2025.
The opening exhibitions reflect CPW’s origins, explore important cultural and social issues, and highlight creativity within the Kingston community and region:
- Mary Ellen Mark: Ward 81. This iconic 1976 series captures the lives of women in a locked psychiatric ward, demonstrating Mark’s empathetic and unflinching approach to complex subjects. Curated by Gaëlle Morel and Kaitlin Booher and accompanied by the book Ward 81: Voicesby Mary Ellen Mark and Karen Folger Jacobs, edited by Martin Bell, Julia Bezgin, and Meredith Lue (Steidl, 2023).
- My Sister, My Self: Photographs by Colleen Kenyon and Kathleen Kenyon. A celebration of the photography and art of the Kenyon sisters, who co-directed CPW for nearly twenty-five years. Their work, shaped by their shared identity as twins, spans hand-colored photographs, collages, and collaborative projects. Curated by Tom Wolf and Laurie Dahlberg, and accompanied by a catalog of the same title, published by CPW.
- Keisha Scarville: Recess. The inaugural Saltzman Prize winner’s exhibition explores diaspora, loss, and the unfixing of identity and body through striking images and textiles. Curated by Marina Chao and accompanied by a limited run artist book produced by 1080PRESS in Kingston, New York.
- Free, For All: Featuring works submitted through an open call during the first two weeks of January 2025, this exhibition will be on view in CPW’s new Community Gallery.
“This is a thrilling step, transforming CPW from a one-room gallery in Woodstock nearly 50 years ago to a cultural anchor for midtown Kingston and the Hudson Valley region,” Brian Wallis, Executive Director of CPW, said. “The elegant rehabilitation of our historic building is the result of almost three years of hard work by our dedicated staff, our brilliant architects, our fantastic board and advisory board, and the whole Kingston community. Now, we can better serve our audiences, presenting exciting programs that are both community-focused and globally relevant.”
In its new building, CPW aims to create a model for a community-based, artist-oriented photography and visual arts organization. Founded in Woodstock in 1977, CPW moved to Kingston in 2022 to better serve artists and partner with cultural institutions. The organization purchased the building at 25 Dederick Street in February 2023 and enlisted esteemed architectural firm Lopergolo + Bartling in 2024 to direct the conversion of the historic, circa 1907 factory.
The final phase is set to open in 2027, CPW’s 50th anniversary, and will include a new welcome porch and public entry, additional exhibition and community spaces, storage for the collection, a bookstore, a darkroom, café, and a comprehensive building upgrade to meet sustainability goals.
The renovated space at 25 Dederick Street will become a significant cultural hub in Kingston’s evolving arts district, targeted for revitalization in the city’s 2022 Arts & Culture Master Plan. The project has already received over $2 million in New York State funding. The building is conveniently located near Kingston City Hall, Kingston High School, the Empire State Trail, and the recently redesigned Broadway-Grand Street intersection, a key part of Kingston’s business corridor improvements.
About CPW
Founded in 1977 as the Center for Photography at Woodstock, CPW is a not-for-profit arts organization with a dual mission: to support artists working in photography and related media, and to engage audiences through creation, discovery, and learning. At the heart of CPW’s mission is programming that is community-based, artist-centered, and collaborative. To foster public conversation around critical issues in photography, CPW offers exhibitions, workshops, artists’ residencies, and access to its Digital Media Lab.
In 2022, CPW relocated from Woodstock to Kingston, NY. In January 2025, CPW will open its newly renovated headquarters – including a photography museum, and an educational and community center– in a 40,000-square-foot factory building at 25 Dederick Street.
CPW Kingston
New address: 25 Dederick St, Kingston, NY 12401
Gallery Hours: Thursday to Sunday 11am – 5pm
Free admission
For more information about CPW Kingston programs, visit cpw.org