Visual Studies Workshop

Visual Studies Workshop (VSW) is a non-profit organization dedicated to art education based in Rochester, New York, in the Neighborhood of the Arts. VSW supports makers and interpreters of images through education, publications, exhibitions, and collections. VSW houses a bookstore, microcinema, exhibition gallery, and research center, and hosts artists-in-residence.

VSW was founded in 1969 by photographer, writer, curator and educator, Nathan Lyons. VSW is an artist-run educational and support center for photography, artist books, media arts, and experimental games. VSW ran a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program through SUNY Buffalo until 1981, and then through State University of New York at Brockport until 2022. Since its inception, VSW has had connections with regional artists and communities involved with early experimental video and media access, including Experimental Television Center, Steina and Woody Vasulka, the Videofreex, and in particular, Rochester's grassroots media access organization, Portable Channel. Provided by Wikipedia