The Weston Collective is where art, science, math, and technology meet through learning photography. Founded in 2004, the Weston Collective (TWC) – a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in Monterey County – teaches and exhibits photography and expands students’ analytic and creative thinking by putting cameras into their hands. TWC teaches elementary through high school photography classes, holds the annual Weston Scholarship, offers classes and open darkroom hours to adults, and hosts exhibitions and artist-in-residency programs. TWC is committed to teaching analog (film) and digital photography to students on the Central Coast of California (primarily Monterey County), regardless of age, disabilities, socioeconomics, demographics, race, or sexual identification. 

The Darkroom

The Weston Collective's Satellite Program at MLKSOA in Seaside, California offers the community a unique opportunity to practice traditional black and white film photography. The darkroom consists of 7 enlargers, two eight foot sinks, stocked chemistry, and drying racks. There is an additional developing room that is separate from the darkroom enabling the ability of printing and developing to occur simultaneously.

The Scholarship

The Weston Scholarship is a portfolio competition consisting of a submission of ten hand-printed black and white film photographs which are evaluated by our trusted judges. Since the scholarship was founded in 2004, over $130,000 have been awarded to photography students attending high school or community college in Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties.

The Youth

We uphold our organization's mission by engaging and mentoring the youth of our community through the arts. By establishing in-class and after school programs, we have the ability to provide a fun, safe, and creative environment for students to learn photography. We are thrilled to have such a space to work with students and show them the unlimited potential that photography has to offer.

Photo by Michelle Magdalena Maddox
“Through this photographic eye you will be able to look out on a new light-world, a world for the most part uncharted and unexplored, a world that lies waiting to be discovered and revealed.”
— Edward Weston

| COMMUNITY DARKROOM |

Hours of Operation via Online Booking

Monday
6:00pm - 9:00pm

Are you a photography student in Monterey or Santa Cruz County?

If you are a high school or college student in Monterey or Santa Cruz County who practices black and white photography, you've come to the right place. The Weston Scholarship is a portfolio competition that offers cash scholarships for photographic excellence ranging from $200-$1000. Scholarship recipients' photographs will be framed and displayed in a local museum or gallery for the world to see!

What is the Weston Scholarship?

The Weston Scholarship is a portfolio competition which requires you to submit: 10 hand-printed, spotted, mounted photographs, and a typed artist's statement

Click here for Rules and Guidelines.
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No Equipment? No problem.

The Weston Collective is committed to making sure you have the necessary tools to submit your portfolio to the Weston Scholarship. If you need a camera, mat board, tripod, or darkroom time, we are here to help.

Click here to contact us about setting you up with some new gear.

 
 
 
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Gina and Kim Weston

In 2004, Gina and Kim founded the Weston Scholarship which, when it begun, had four applicants. 15 years later, over $110,000 has been awarded to photography students attending high school or community college in Monterey County.

Kim Weston is the grandson of the late renowned photographer Edward Weston and son of photographer Cole Weston. Kim, a fine art photographer for over 40 years specializing in black & white analog photography, has also has been teaching photography for the past 15 years.

Businesswoman, mother, wife, model, philanthropist, friend, and mentor, Gina Weston wears quite a few hats and she has been the glue that holds this organization together from the beginning. Gina specializes in website development, selling fine art photography and teaching workshops at her home on Wildcat Hill in Carmel, CA. www.kimweston.com

Zach Weston - Executive Director

Zach Weston is a fourth generation fine art film photographer from one of the most influential and creative families in American photographic history. His great grandfather was Edward Weston, great uncle Brett Weston, grandfather Cole Weston, and his father is Kim Weston.

In 2016, The Weston Collective Board of Directors unanimously voted to appoint Zach to the position of executive director. He has since made it his mission to carry forth his family's legacy, expand the non-profit his parents founded, and be an active mentor to aspiring film photographers in Monterey County.

 

Jalena Jampolsky - Head Curator and Educator

Jalena Jampolsky is the Head Curator and Educator at the Weston Collective. Her passion for photography, art history, and educational outreach inspires her to volunteer at the Collective. Jampolsky grew up in Carmel Valley and is passionate about sharing photographic practices with her community.

From 2017-2019, she was the Henry Luce Foundation Research Associate of American Art at the Newark Museum. Additionally, Jampolsky was the Tiffany and Co. Foundation Curatorial Intern in American Decorative Arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (2016-2017). She received her M.A. in the History of Art and Archeology from New York University's Institute of Fine Arts; and received her B.A. with honors in the History of Art and Visual Culture from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

 
Nadia Gutierrez - Intern at The Weston Collective
 

Nadia Gutierrez - Educator

Nadia started her journey in photography about ten years ago; she recently graduated from Monterey Peninsula College receiving her AA in Fine Art Photography and Art History, currently working on getting her BA in Visual and Public Arts at California State University Monterey Bay. Through the years she grew a sincere love and passion for photography and anything related to art.

A beautiful light, people, places—the little things. All this has inspired and pushed her to make a commitment to pursue the art of photography. She has always been a follow-your-heart kind of person, so every photo has a little piece of her heart and soul. “This is a mixture of passion and obsession, keeping it simple”

 
 
 

Cassandra Meyers - Educator

Cassandra Meyers is a Monterey-based photographer known for her storied compositions and colorful detail as an landscape and portrait photographer.

Originally from Anacortes, WA, she moved to California in 2016 and received her BA at The University of Southern California in 2020. Upon completing her degree she moved to Monterey, CA, where she currently lives and works.

During her first two years on the Monterey Peninsula, Meyers has continued to develop her photography practice in tandem with her love for outdoor movement, like backpacking and climbing. Since 2022, her work has been shown at the juried exhibitions across Monterey County. Her work has also been published in The Erin Hanson Gallery’s premier magazine, “The Impressionist” and featured on Ultrarunning magazine’s website.

Her focus is working with people that look to produce, create, and shape new systems for health with an emphasis on healing from trauma. You can view some of her recent work and contact cassfranphoto.com for more.