Staff
Executive
Chris Boot became executive director of Aperture Foundation in 2010. Previously he was director of London’s Photo Co-op (since renamed Photofusion), an independent photography education center; director of Magnum Photos, first in London, and then in New York; and editorial director at Phaidon Press. His company Chris Boot Ltd., launched in 2001, published the award-winning photobooks Lodz Ghetto Album (2004) and Things as They Are: Photojournalism in Context Since 1955 (2005). He is the author and editor of Magnum Stories (Phaidon, 2004).
Sarah Anne McNear, deputy director, has thirty years of experience in museums and cultural non-profits, with a specialization in photography. She has organized over forty exhibitions, and has held positions at The Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Allentown Art Museum, the LaSalle Bank Photography Collection, and the Museum of Modern Art, where she was the Beaumont and Nancy Newhall Fellow in Photography. Most recently, McNear served as the deputy director of the 92nd Street YMHA’s School of the Arts, as well as the director of its Art Center. Prior to these roles, she was director of the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Columbia College Chicago, after which she became director at the Larchmont/Mamaroneck Center for Continuing Education. She is also the author of several books on photography and has contributed to numerous exhibition catalogs.
Katie Clifford is Aperture’s executive assistant. Prior to working at Aperture, she was a studio assistant for photographer Elliott Erwitt in New York, and assistant editor at HotShoe International magazine in London.
Books
Lesley A. Martin is publisher of the Aperture book program and of The PhotoBook Review, a newsprint journal dedicated to the evolving conversation surrounding the photobook.
Melissa Harris is editor-in-chief of special projects for Aperture Foundation. She has curated photography exhibits at numerous venues, including Aperture Gallery; Visa Pour l’Image, Perpignan, France; Philadelphia Museum of Art; ICA and DiverseWorks, Houston; Villa Pignatelli, Naples; Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice; and Milano Triennale. A contributing editor of Interview, Harris teaches at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, Yale University, and New York University’s Tisch Photography and Imaging department. She served on New York City’s Community Board 5, is currently on the boards of LOOK3 and the Domestic Abuse Awareness Project, and is a trustee of the John Cage Trust.
Denise Wolff is a photobook editor at Aperture, and is known for her work with both contemporary and historic photography. Prior to Aperture, she was the commissioning editor for photography at Phaidon Press. Throughout her career, she has had the opportunity to work on many beautiful books, including monographs with such established photographers as Roger Ballen, Mary Ellen Mark, Martin Parr, and Stephen Shore, as well as first books, retrospectives, and large survey anthologies on a variety of subjects—from portraiture to photographic albums.
Susan Ciccotti is Aperture’s senior text editor, books. Previously, she was an associate editor for Museums magazine, and a senior editor for the American Association of Museums. She began her career in the arts at the historic Octagon Museum in Washington, D.C.
Brian Sholis, associate editor, works on Aperture Foundation's books, Aperture magazine, and Aperture.org. He writes on photography, landscapes, and American history.
Amelia Lang, managing editor in the book program, lived and worked in San Francisco before moving to New York in 2011 for a master’s in American studies at Columbia and an internship at Aperture. She has worked on several publications, including the first and second issues of The PhotoBook Review.
Magazine
Dana Triwish, publisher, Aperture magazine, joined Aperture Foundation in 2004. Previously, she was circulation manager at Lifestyle Media, Inc.
Michael Famighetti is editor of Aperture magazine. He has edited numerous photography books, including volumes by William Christenberry, Robert Adams, John Divola, Jonas Bendiksen, and a series based on the website Tiny Vices. His writing has appeared in Frieze, Bookforum, Aperture, and OjodePez, among other publications. Famighetti has degrees from Bard College and Columbia University, where he has also taught. He has served as a judge for the American Society of Magazine Editors National Magazine Awards and has been a guest reviewer and speaker at many international photography festivals and institutions, including the Bamako Biennial, Mali; Krakow PhotoMonth, Poland; GuatePhoto. Guatemala; Rhubarb Rhubarb, Birmingham, U.K.; Festival de la Luz, Buenos Aires; Museet for Fotokunst, Odense, Denmark; and Fotografiska, Stockholm.
Paula Kupfer is assistant editor and circulation coordinator for Aperture magazine. A German-Panamanian graduate of New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, she is also a food lover, dancer, and traveler.
Exhibitions
Annette Booth, exhibitions manager, began at Aperture as an intern. Every year she supervises six exhibitions at Aperture Gallery and fifteen on tour around the world.
Jake Gingert is the preparator for Aperture Foundation. He joined Aperture in 2005. Jake holds a degree in Philosophy and is an avid oil painter.
Development
Nancy Bless, institutional giving officer, has thirty years of experience in producing and funding arts programs. At the Ohio Arts Council, she developed and managed education programs including artists' residencies and community collaborations. Bless has curated numerous exhibitions of contemporary art, video, and film as the curator of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, as the gallery director of Women & Their Work, and as an independent curator. She has written catalogs and articles for national art and design publications. Bless was the executive producer, producer, or co-director for several PBS and NPR projects including Third Ward TX, The Big Squeeze, and Border Radio: The Big Jukebox in the Sky. Most recently, Bless held the position of executive director at Texas Folklife, a statewide cultural organization in Austin.
Emily Grillo, development officer, membership, individual giving, and special events, received her BA in art history from Kenyon College and has more than nine years of experience as an arts nonprofit professional. She began her career at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, followed by the Parrish Art Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art, where she focused on development, special events, membership, and board governance. Most recently, Grillo was at the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, working on arts-grantee initiatives, directing and producing mission-driven art exhibits and special commissions, and developing operational systems and special events.
Gabrielle Pasternak, development associate, a native of New Jersey, received her BA and MA from Quinnipiac University, started her career in development/special events at Yale University, and is now thrilled to finally consider herself urbanite-ish. After work one may find her balancing things on her nose, reading mystery novels, basking in the glory of an underappreciated musical, or attempting to play a musical instrument.
Sales and Marketing
Kellie McLaughlin is director of sales and marketing. Prior to joining Aperture she was director of photography and foreign syndication at a leading commercial photographic press agency.
Paul Colarusso, sales and rights manager, graduated from New York University with a BA in journalism and economics. He began selling advertising for Aperture magazine in 2006 and has worn many hats before settling down in the sales department managing foreign rights. A (photobook) bibliophile at heart, you can usually find him deep in the stacks at the Strand bookstore. His favorite photographer is Ralph Eugene Meatyard.
Publicity
Barbara Escobar, publicity and events manager, earned an MA in museum studies from Johns Hopkins University and a BA in art history and philosophy from Catholic University. Prior to Aperture, she worked in marketing for a leading international auction house. She also held positions in several arts nonprofits and galleries in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, where she was involved in public relations, marketing, and operations.
Finance
Mary Colman St. John is chief financial and administrative officer. Prior to joining Aperture, she worked for twelve years at The New Press and seven years at Berlitz International, Inc. She has an MBA from Georgetown University and a BA in French literature from Reed College.
Harry P. Bourne, accounting manager, has a BSBA from the Ohio State University. He’d rather be fishing.
The staff also includes:
Jason Bailey, digital media assistant, completed his BA at Wesleyan University with concentrations in architecture and curatorial studies. Prior to joining Aperture he managed the flagship studio of creative consultancy Aesthetic Movement and assisted in the design and editing of publications for Princeton Architectural Press and Rockport Publishers.
Susan Bauchner-Charlas is the registrar for Aperture Foundation and the Paul Strand Archive.
Mirek Goraj, Aperture’s technical and office administrator, is an eight-year veteran of the IT industry, mostly as an independent consultant. He holds a bachelor degree in computer information systems, and enjoys photography, biking, and travel.
Matthew Harvey is production manager for Aperture’s books and quarterly magazine. He especially enjoys home gardening and likes to think of himself as an avid hobbyist.
Emily Lessard,design director, oversees all things design-related, including Aperture’s 2012 brand refresh. Prior to joining Aperture she ran an independent design studio that produced projects for cultural clients, including the Jewish Museum, the New York Public Library, and Socrates Sculpture Park. She has an MFA in graphic design from Yale University and a BA in photography from the University of California at Santa Cruz.
