Maya Jackson
maya@mayajackson.art | http://www.mayajackson.art
Education
2026 University of Arizona, College of Fine Arts, Tucson, AZ
MFA in Photography, Video, and Imaging
2019 Virginia Commonwealth University, School of the Arts, Richmond, VA
BFA in Photography and Film (Graduated with Honors, magna cum laude)
2018 VCU Summer: Berlin: City and Studio Artist in Residence Program, Berlin, DE
Awards and Honors
2026 University Fellows Professional Development Award
2026 Anderson Ranch Arts Center 2026 Workshop Scholarship, in Photography and New Media
2025 University of Arizona College of Fine Arts Creative Achievement Award
2025 John Fredric Conaway Memorial Scholarship, based on academic merit
2025 Graduate and Professional Student Council Travel Grant, for attendance at the 2025 Society
for Photographic Education Annual Conference
2023 - 2024 University of Arizona’s University Fellows Award, professional development cohort meetings,
1 year tuition remission, and scholarship
2018 Finalist, Photographer’s Forum magazine, 38th annual College Photography Contest
Professional/Teaching Experience
Professional
2025 - 2026 Imaging Assistant, Center for Creative Photography, Tucson, AZ
Digitized fine art prints and archival materials in various formats using Phase One camera systems
and Capture One editing software. Handled delicate photographic prints and negatives to ensure
accurate, efficient digitization. Organized image files and metadata using digital asset management
systems (DAMs). Created transcripts from digitized AV material using Descript and entered them
into online repository, Aviary.
2024 - Assistant to Author/Educator Mary Virginia Swanson, Tucson, AZ
Conducting publishing industry research and updating shared resources, formatting and writing
copy for monthly newsletters, maintaining websites (mvswanson.com and publishyourphotography
book.com).
2020 - 2023 Studio Manager and Photographer, Richmond, VA
Managed a historic photographic archive with over one million negatives. Completed diverse
photographic projects and retouching requests while collaborating with clients in a professional
and timely matter. Executed in-studio and on-location lighting and photoshoots for business
headshots, family portraits, architectural and commercial projects. Performed proofing, color
correction, and retouching images using Adobe Camera Raw, Lightroom, and Phototshop.
Teaching
2023 - 2026 Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Courses taught: First Year Experience: Surface (Fall 2023), Introduction to Darkroom (instructor of
record, Fall 2024), Introduction to Photographic Practices and Visual Thinking (instructor of record,
Spring 2025, Fall 2025), Introduction to Photo Concepts (Spring 2026).
2021 - 2022 Adjunct Studio Instructor, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA
Designed and instructed photography courses integrating themes from the concurrent museum
exhibitions, including The Dirty South, Contemporary Art, Material Culture, and the Sonic Impulse,
Man Ray: The Paris Years, and Tsherin Sherpa: Spirits.
2017 - 2023 Lead Mentor and Program Instructor, Oakwood Arts, Richmond, VA
Facilitated a monthly workshop series titled Contemporary Art Professional Practice and designed
curriculum and instruction to help teens develop cohesive bodies of photographic work. Topics
covered included digital photography fundamentals, basic editing techniques in Adobe Photoshop,
and an introduction to various photography related careers.
Group Exhibitions
2026 Border as Network, El Museo de Arte de Sonora, Hermosillo, Son., México*
2025 Border as Network, Pidgin Palace Arts, Tucson, AZ
2025 Death of the Atom, Pidgin Palace Arts, Tucson, AZ
2024 SOUTHWEST, Decode Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2024 Art Bridging Borders, Virtual Exhibition, The Ubuntu Project
2024 Stories Untold, Tucson Jewish Community Center, Tucson, AZ
2024 Nice To Meet You, Rombach Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2022 Solo Exhibition, Visions, Rennolds Gallery, Turner Hall, Richmond, VA
2019 Colonial White, Great Force Participatory Project for The Racial Imaginary Institute, Institute for
Contemporary Art, Richmond, VA
2019 Solstice, Oakwood Arts Annual Summer Benefit Auction, Candela Gallery, Richmond, VA
2019 Photo Velvet, BFA Thesis Exhibition, Richmond, VA
2019 The Art of Freedom, juried exhibition, Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, Richmond, VA
2018 Sixty-Seven, GlogauAIR, Berlin, Germany
*denotes forthcoming exhibition
Publications
Gonzales, Victoria. Arizona Arts, “Meet Maya Jackson: A Landscape-Based, Conceptual Photographer,” March 2024.
The Commonwealth Times, The Spectrum: Art + Culture, “Student photographer addresses double consciousness in group exhibition”, February 2019.
Photographer’s Forum: Best of College and High School Photography 2018, “College Photography Contest Finalists”, vol. 38, July 2018.
Ink Magazine, Inside Cover, vol. 10, May 2018.
Ink Magazine, “Well Suited”, vol. 10, May 2018, pp. 54- 63
Geen, Georgia. The Commonwealth Times, “Exhibitions explore traditional and nontraditional spaces”, April 2018.
Willis, Samantha. Richmond Magazine, “Art by All”, May 2017.
Permanent Collections
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Dominion Energy
Numerous Private Collections