We are excited to welcome more new-to-us jurors to the 2019 Critical Mass Jury panel! See the full list of 200 jurors here!
Savannah Sakry – Book Division Manager, Photo-Eye
Savannah Sakry is currently the Book Division Manager for Photo-Eye Books and Gallery. Originally from Evergreen, CO, Savannah Sakry moved to New York City where she received a BFA in Photography from the School of Visual Arts. Relocating to Santa Fe, NM in 2015, she began her experience with fine art sales working for the internationally acclaimed photo bookstore and contemporary photography gallery, photo-eye. While photography is Savannah’s first love she is just as enthusiastic about other mediums, and shares form & concept’s mission to challenge traditional distinctions between art, craft, and design. She believes these disciplines are intrinsically connected, and that no matter the medium, it’s all about the concept, execution, and storytelling.
Susan Laney – Director, Laney Contemporary
Susan Laney is an independent curator and director of Laney Contemporary Fine Art with more than 20 years experience in the fine art market. Laney specializes in photography and contemporary art from both emerging and established artists with a focus on the South.
Her passion for working in support of the arts began with a part-time job at the Jack Leigh Gallery while attending the Savannah College of Art and Design. Laney graduated from SCAD with a BFA in photography and began her career as an exhibition designer and collections manager for SCAD’s permanent collection. In 1998, she returned to the Jack Leigh Gallery as the director, where she worked for 13 years. She has since served on the Alumni Executive Board of SCAD and co-founded the non-profit organization, ARC Savannah. She is the director of the Jack Leigh Estate and manages the legacy of the internationally- heralded photographer. Laney’s expertise is often requested for collaboration with private and corporate clients in developing or enhancing art collections.
Xavier Soule – Curator, Galerie Vu
Xavier Soule, is the CEO of Abvent Group, which includes VU’ Gallery, the largest photography gallery in Paris and the internationally acclaimed VU’ Agency representing photojournalists all over the globe, and Abvent, a leading provider of digital technologies for architecture, image and design in over 108 countries. Abvent Group (and VU’ Gallery) are located in the historic Hotel Paul Delaroche in Paris.
Xavier began his career as an architect and his interest in digital solutions grew from his architectural work. After creating Abvent in 1985 and working to expand its global reach, in 1998 he decided to pursue his long standing interests in photography by opening VU’ Gallery and incorporating the famous VU’ Agency in Abvent Group. A collector himself, Xavier is interested in seeing a wide array of photography. He is particularly interested in cutting edge photojournalism and contemporary work which offers an innovative approach to expanding our visual understanding of the world, the people and the light.
Erin Miller – Exhibitions and Programs Manager, Houston Center for Photography
Erin Miller received a BFA in Studio Art at the University of Texas at Austin in 2016. There, she co-founded The Mom Gallery, an artist run space exhibiting national and international emerging artists including Jesse Morgan Barnett, Erin Stafford, and Gracelee Lawrence. Miller has participated in many group exhibitions both locally and nationally, most recently including Paper at Gallery Sonja Roesch (Houston, TX), Collective Pulse at the Galveston Arts Center (Galveston, TX) in 2017 and Routinely at Box 13 Art Space (Houston, TX). In 2016, she mounted a solo exhibition of drawings at Bass Concert Hall (Austin, Texas). She has been the recipient of the Marshall F. Wells Scholarship and Fellowship Endowment (Oxbow School of Art Residency, 2015) and the University of Texas College of Fine Arts Student Residency and Scholarship Award in collaboration with Fieldwork Marfa (2015). Miller is currently living and working in Houston, TX and is the Exhibitions and Programs Coordinator and Guest Editor of spot magazine at Houston Center for Photography.
Whitney Tressel – Curator, The Print Swap
Whitney Tressel is the Curator for The Print Swap – a global photo-sharing project launched in 2016 by the editors of the Feature Shoot. Whitney was a freelance Photo Editor at Google working on the Content & Community team within Google Maps. She contributed to the new Local Guides travel photography program, helped shape the visual identity of third party brand Zagat, and also helped develop new tools and products on a macro scale for Google’s Geo team. Each summer, Whitney spends about a month with National Geographic Student Expeditions as a photography Trip Leader, so far leading high schoolers in Australia, Costa Rica, Paris, Barcelona, Iceland, Prague, and Bali. In summer 2018, she lead The New York Times Student Journeys group concentrating on social justice in the American South. She is based out of New York City
Judith Pishnery – Executive Director, Atlanta Photography Group
After many years of teaching and working as a professional photographer, she completed M.A and M.F.A. graduate degrees from the Savannah College of Art and Design. As the Executive Director at the Atlanta Photography Group, Judith serves as the chief operating officer of Atlanta’s oldest photography art center, she works closely with the Board of Directors to direct and administer all programs, operations and policies in addition to supervising professional staff and volunteers.
In addition, she has served on the board of APA/Atlanta (American Photographic Artists) and the Advisory Board of Atlanta Celebrates Photography (an annual photography festival). She has been involved on the Board of Directors of ACP since the early planning sessions in 1998.
She currently resides in a small town outside Atlanta, not unlike where she grew up in Pennsylvania, with her husband and two dogs.
