BRATTLEBORO-In-Sight Photography Project recently announced the appointment of Jessica Iris as its new administrative and development director.
A self-proclaimed "townie" with deep roots in the region's arts community, Iris brings a wealth of experience in arts leadership and a lifelong passion for arts education.
Iris is a 2003 graduate of Brattleboro Union High School, and went on to earn a BFA in theater from Boston University in 2007. She worked at the New England Youth Theatre and with Music Together of Windham County before beginning her tenure as executive director of Arts Alive in Keene, New Hampshire, which she led for more than 11 years.
During her time with Arts Alive, she spearheaded major initiatives, including the Discover Monadnock cultural tourism project and the Arts and Loneliness study, and helped facilitate the celebrated Walldogs mural project and the founding of Ashuelot Concerts and MAXT Makerspace's Sharing Arts Ceramics Center in Dublin, New Hampshire.
She has also served on boards of arts organizations, produces arts events, has chaired the New Hampshire Creative Communities Network, served on the Brattleboro Planning Commission, and held office as a member and officer of the Brattleboro Selectboard for two years, "finding ways to organize and lead, share expertise, and give back to her community," wrote In-Sight leaders in a news release.
Her connection to photography is both personal and generational: Iris says she grew up with a home darkroom and a family that encouraged creativity as a way of life. Her father, Tim Callahan, volunteered as an instructor at In-Sight, often bringing his young child along to make playful "finger and toe" prints in the darkroom.
"My dad was an amateur photographer and I grew up with a darkroom in the basement and playing with cameras," Iris said in the news release. "There were always fun photography experiments happening." She explained this early exposure instilled in her both a love for the medium and an appreciation for the care and attention to process that photography demands.
In-Sight Board President David Erickson says, "We feel incredibly fortunate to have someone of Jessica's caliber join In-Sight as administrative and development director," adding that In-sight "blends teaching essential technical skills with encouraging students to grow and explore their creativity, all while building community connections with peers and partner organizations across the region." Iris's background, he says, makes her "exceptionally well-suited for this role."
Looking ahead, Iris said she is particularly excited to help build out and maximize the potential of In-Sight's Connecticut River-facing space, as well as expand staff capacity to better serve students and the wider community.
Over the next five years, she envisions In-Sight solidifying its role as a regional leader in arts education while staying true to its mission of making photography accessible to all young people, regardless of background or experience.
In-Sight is currently registering students for fall classes at insight-photography.org and offers a sliding scale pay-what-you-can model starting at $0 to ensure every student has access to programs.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.