About Paula Tognarelli

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. She is a current member of the Advisory Board of Maine Museum of Photographic Arts in Portland, ME. 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.She is also a newly accepted member of Oracle Photo.

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.

Professional Profile prior to working as Executive Director Griffin Museum of Photography
Visual Arts Educator. Working toward initial license. Certification testing Communication and Literacy Skill Test and Visual Arts completed. Experienced Graphic Arts Professional. Knowledgeable in art history, contemporary art and cultural issues. Manager of large and small teams. Responsible financial management skills. Experience developing budgets and policy. Detail oriented organizational skills for implementing structure within an organization, for program management and developing short and long-term business plans. Excellent communication skills. Customer-service focus. Positive, goal-oriented, team approach to problem solving and strategic thinking. Successful at grant writing and soliciting funding. Computer literate, cross-platform, in database management, word processing, layout and design, image manipulation and Internet applications. Practicing artist/photographer, represented for many years by a gallery on the Outer Cape.

Experience:
Griffin Museum of Photography – Winchester, MA (2001-2007)
Deputy Director/Associate Curator
•Manage day to day operations and volunteer and docent staff for photography museum
•Member of Strategic Planning Process
•Write business action plans, timelines and budgets; create funding plan and grant proposals.
•Maintain all technical processes and equipment
•Teach workshops and classes as needed
•Curate, plan and execute all phases of museum exhibitions and programming
•Handle public relations, design and print collateral
•Document policies and procedures relating to all phases of museum operation
•Initiate the use of goal setting and benchmark data to monitor growth and performance at the museum

United Lithograph (a Mail-Well Company) – Somerville, MA (1999-2001)
Vice President of Operations
•Managed all phases of manufacturing in a print facility with annual sales of 22 million and 120 employees
•Brought United Lithograph from negative operating profits to 7% operating profitability
•Planned yearly budget and continuous improvement initiatives; responsible for the profit and loss statement
•Designed and documented United Lithograph operating standards, workflow and methodologies
•Initiated the use of benchmark indicators and metrics to monitor business performance
•Developed a safety awareness program that resulted in one year without a reportable accident; the previous record was one accident a month
•Promoted customer-focused service in all areas of manufacturing

United Lithograph (a Mail-Well Company) – Somerville, MA (1991-1999)
Director of Technology
•Transitioned organization in a changing technological environment
•Implemented a completely digital workflow
•Performed technology training of in-house personnel and customers
•Maintained 97% on-time delivery record for customer product and reduced spoilage to <3.5%
•Purchased an established photography studio and developed a digital photography studio
•Formulated departmental budgets and analysis of equipment justification
•Responsible for interim plant management

United Lithograph – Somerville, MA (1978 – 1991)
Film Assembly Crafts Person

Color Picture Publishers (1976 – 1978)
Film Assembly Crafts Person

Education:
Lesley University, Cambridge, MA – Candidate M.Ed., Visual Arts Teacher
Boston University, Boston, MA – M.S., Arts Administration (2003)
Regis College, Weston, MA – B.A., Studio Arts Major (1976)
New England School of Photography, Boston, MA – Applied Program (1997)
Lesley University Photography Atelier, Cambridge, MA – (2004 – 2008)

Other:
Student Teacher, Visual Arts, Boston Arts Academy 9-12, (2006 – 2007)
Teacher, Photography, Citizen Schools Middle School, (2007)
Member of Society of Photography Educators (2001- 2022)
Member of ASMP (2001 – 2022)
Jamaica Plain Open Studios Exhibition, Juror (2006)
Professional Artist Toolbox, Arts & Business Council, Urban Arts and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Reviewer (2006)
Marblehead Arts Festival, Photography Juror (2005)
Critical Mass Competion, portfolio reviews sponsored by Photolucida, Portland Oregon – Photography pre-screener (beginning 2005 to 2021)
Photolucida portfolio reviews (beginning 2005 to 2021)
Fotofest – Photography Reviewer Houston Texas (beginning 2005 to 2021)
Clik – Portfolio reviews – (2020 to 2022)
Filter Portfolio Reviews Chicago – (2007 forward)
LACP Portfolio Reviews – (2018 )
Center Portfolio Reviews Santa Fe – (2010 to 2021)
Professional Artist Toolbox, Arts & Business Council, Urban Arts and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts -Juror (2005/06) Cohasset High School – Photography lecturer (2005)
Winchester High School and Boston Arts Academy – Photography guest lecturer (2005 and 2006)
Seybold Conferences, Boston – lecturer on digital imaging and digital workflow (2000)
Asian International Graphic Arts Show (AIGAS), Japan – lecturer on digital imaging and digital workflow (1999)
Member of Xerox Technical Advisory Board (1997 – 2001)
Named in Printing Impressions as 1 of 12 women in U.S. to make a major impact on the digital imaging industry (1997)

If interested in all of the exhibitions I have produced outside of the Griffin please inquire and I will supply. They are too numerous to supply here.

If interested in all of the exhibitions I have juried outside of the Griffin please inquire and I will supply. They are too numerous to supply here.

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