Announcing the Jeff Curto MFA '83 Fund for Faculty and Curricular Support in Photography
Jeff Curto MFA '83 was one of Bennington's first MFA students and the only one in photography when he came to Bennington, graduating in 1983. He studied with Neil Rappaport, a documentary photographer who taught at Bennington for 27 years.
Then, as now, interest in photography was very high, and Neil suggested that Jeff start a photography club on campus to handle the overflow students. In true Bennington fashion, Neil found space and funding, and Jeff designed and built a small darkroom and classroom space in VAPA, wrote curriculum, reviewed and selected a textbook and began teaching students who could not take one of the credit photo courses. Jeff credits that—and his whole Bennington experience—with launching his 40-year career as a professor and department chair in photography.
Wanting to give back in a meaningful way, and learning that the demand for photography classes had grown so much, he recently established the Jeff Curto MFA '83 Fund for Faculty and Curricular Support in Photography. Beginning this semester and over the next three years, this fund will underwrite visiting faculty member in photography Luiza Foligatti, a Brazilian multi-disciplinary artist who integrates teaching photography, social advocacy and immigrants rights.