Jonathan Pitts-Wiley

North Providence, RI, USA
jpw@jpittswiley.com | jpittswiley.com | IG: @jpittswiley

Practice

I am a portrait and documentary photographer working across editorial, institutional, and independent contexts. My work focuses on people within structured environments such as workplaces, cultural institutions, performance spaces, and community systems.

I work between commissioned assignments and long-term collaborations, producing photographic work for editorial, institutional, and cultural organizations.

I also occasionally lead workshops and educational sessions focused on portraiture, visual perception, and photographic practice.

Selected Professional Experience

Institutional Photographer / Visual Storytelling

Barr Foundation (2024–Present)
Produces staff portraiture, event photography, and grantee documentation across organizational contexts. Works with communications teams to support visual assets for print, web, and internal platforms.

Editorial Photographer

Rhode Island Monthly (2026)
Produced a multi-location photo essay for the April 2026 issue documenting overnight labor across healthcare, hospitality, transportation, and commercial fishing industries in Rhode Island.

Artistic Director / Theatre Director

Mixed Magic Theatre — Pawtucket, RI | 2010–Present
Leads artistic direction across productions integrating classical and contemporary works. Selected directing credits include Richard III (2025), Letter from Birmingham City Jail (2025), Notes From the Field (2024), The Motherfucker With the Hat (2018), Fences (2013), and King Lear (2011).

Workshops / Educational Practice

Leads workshops and educational sessions focused on portraiture, visual perception, and photographic practice in academic, institutional, and community settings.

Selected engagements include:
• Studio and portrait workshops in institutional and community settings
• Phone-based portrait and visual perception workshops for students and early-career professionals
• Film-based portrait and lighting workshops (small and medium format systems)
• Guest lectures and applied photography sessions in academic environments

Exhibitions

  • Growing the Networks — WaterFire Arts Center (2025)

  • Sonder — RISD Museum (2024)

  • Bat/on — Trinity Repertory Company (2024)

  • Members’ Exhibition — Art League Rhode Island (2024)

  • All the Worlds — World’s Fair Gallery (2023)

  • Momentum – Brown University (2023)

  • Five Alive — Curiosity Store (2023)

  • Who We Are Now — City of Providence Public Art Installation (2022)

  • All Together Now — RI Center for Photographic Arts (2021)

  • The Let-Out — WaterFire Arts Center (2020)

Recognition & Collections

  • Brown University — Public Collection

  •  IShootFujifilm.com — Spotlight (2022)

  • Providence Monthly — “Raising Black Voices” Cover Feature (2022)

Education

Yale University — BA, History (2007)

Technical Approach

  • Medium and large format film systems (Mamiya RZ67, Pentax 67)

  • Hybrid analog/digital workflow (Fuji GFX 50S II)

  • Instant film processes (Polaroid, Instax)

  • Traditional film development and digital scanning workflows