Diversity

Paula Tognarelli recently retired as a cultural administrator, working as the Executive Director of the Griffin Museum of Photography since 2007, producing on average 54 exhibitions a year at the museum. She frequently reviewed at national and local portfolio events and jumpstarted hundreds of photographers’ careers.

She holds an M.S. in Arts Administration from Boston University, BA from Regis College, is a graduate of the New England School of Photography and was on a journey for her Masters in Education from Lesley University. She has juried and curated well over 100 exhibitions and awards for other institutions nationally and internationally including the Congressional Institute’s national visual art competition for high school students, American Photo’s Image of the Year, The Clarence John Laughlin Award/New Orleans Photo Alliance, SohoPhotoGallery National Competition, NYC, PDN’s Photo Annual, PDN’s Curator Awards and so many other juried opportunities too numerous to name.

She’s been a panelist and featured speaker at photography events and conferences including MacWorld, Seybold and Color Connections. She has been a panelist for the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Photography Fellowships more than once, as well as for the Danforth Art Museum and Arts Worcester, a juror for the Cambridge Art Council’s Community Supported Art Initiative, and many photography art associations, photography organizations, camera clubs and art councils locally and nationwide.

She is a yearly nominator for the Prix Pictet in Geneva, Switzerland, a nominator for the Heinz Prize in Pennsylvania, the Robert Gardner Fellowship at Harvard University, St. Botolph Club Foundation, MOPA Triennial, Kyoto Prize and the Rappaport Prize in Massachusetts and the JFK Library Foundation Profiles in Courage Award. Ms. Tognarelli was recognized by “Printing Impressions Magazine” as one of twelve women in the United States who contributed to major digital advances and workflows in the printing and graphic arts industries. Ms. Tognarelli has taught classes at the Griffin Museum of Photography, Maine Media Workshops and College and Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She’s also given talks and lectures at many camera clubs and photo institutions nationally.

She is a past member of the Xerox Technical Advisory Board, Winchester Rotary International, John Brook Archive and the board of the Network for Social Justice. She was on the advisory committee for the New England School of Photography and Mount Ida College as well as the advisory committee for the Arnold Newman Prize facilitated by Maine Media Workshops and College. Tognarelli is a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow. This award is given in recognition to members of Rotary who have lived Rotary’s motto of Service Above Self in tangible ways. Paula is an avid collector of photography. One hundred and three pieces from her collection of artwork was exhibited at the Maine Museum of Photographic Arts in Portland Maine from April 12, 2024 to May 25, 2024. Another exhibition from her collection will take place in Rhode Island in 2026.