International Center of Photography Expands Online One-Year Certificate Programs with Groundbreaking Writing and Curatorial Tracks in Photography

Photo Courtesy of ICP

The International Center of Photography (ICP) is pleased to announce new additions to its online, one-year certificate program. Building on the success of the existing Online Documentary Practices and Visual Storytelling program will, two new programs are both conceived by David Campany, Creative Director at ICP. Spanning the full calendar year and featuring an international cohort of faculty and lecturers, Curatorial Practices in Photography and Writing and the Photographic Image will expand ICP’s academic offering.

While ICP has traditionally educated practicing photographers, these new programs expand that scope to also welcome individuals working in photography as educators, publishers and organizers. Few programs exist that focus specifically on writing or curatorial practice within photography, yet these skills are essential to the medium’s impact. Both programs offer access to world-renowned faculty and culminate in an ICP certificate, widely recognized for the rigor of instruction and the exceptional caliber of its students.

David Campany, Creative Director of ICP said, “People working in photography tend to be strong visual communicators, but for the work to have impact, it demands strong curation to tell a story, and writing that engages and delivers.”

What are the possibilities and the challenges of making photographic exhibitions today? What are the key ideas and debates? What are the practicalities involved? These are some of the many questions that will be posed during Curatorial Practices in Photography, a program where participants will explore key debates in contemporary exhibition-making, learning both the theory and logistics of curating photographic work for diverse audiences and platforms.

Writing has accompanied the photographic image almost since the invention of photography in the 1820s. Much of what is thought of today as visual culture comprises word-image combinations of various kinds, from captions and commentary, to essays and scholarly studies. In Writing and the Photographic Image, participants will gain a deep understanding of the issues, practicalities and possibilities of writing as it relates to photography in all its forms through online classroom study with guided independent work focused on creating a body of writing suitable for publication.

These two new programs are open to emerging and established curators, writers, photographers and artists looking to further their understanding, expertise and networks.

“ICP is excited to bring together photographers and the communities that support them through these programs. We are proud to offer programs that inspire, challenge, and elevate the importance of photography,” said Per Gylfe, Director of Education at ICP.

Applications opened July 1, 2025 for the program start date of January 19, 2026.

About The International Center of Photography

The International Center of Photography (ICP) is the world’s leading institution dedicated to photography and visual culture. Cornell Capa founded ICP in 1974 to champion “concerned photography”—socially and politically minded images that can educate and change the world. Through exhibitions, education programs, community outreach, and public programs, ICP offers an open forum for dialogue about the power of the image. Since its inception, ICP has presented more than 700 exhibitions, provided thousands of classes, and hosted a wide variety of public programs. ICP launched its new integrated center at 84 Ludlow Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in January 2020. ICP pays respect to the original stewards of this land, the Lenape people, and other Indigenous communities. Visit icp.org to learn more about the museum and its programs.