Michelle Repiso

Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Northern Virginia, I graduated from the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design in Washington, D.C. with a BFA in Photography (2000) where I received a Dean’s Merit Scholarship and a Senior Photography Faculty Award for my thesis work in 16mm film.

In 2005 I was the chief staff photographer at The Washington Post Express and this allowed me the opportunity to cover a range of diverse assignments in the studio and on location. In 2007 I relocated to New York to pursue a photography career and I’ve worked with various commercial clients as a portrait, documentary, and still life photographer.

Teaching became an interest in my art and photography practice and I’ve taught with various organizations, including The Pablove Foundation and the International Center of Photography (ICP), Teen Academy. In 2016 I developed Create & Connect. My program is designed to provide incarcerated men, women, and late adolescents with a creative process of hands-on art projects to maintain communication with loved ones. Regardless of their skill level, participants express ideas and productively engage with one another at Rikers Island and juvenile detention centers.

In May of 2024, I started a photography class at Rikers Island, teaching technical skills related to camera use, writing artist statements, and other artistic techniques. The class introduces new career opportunities by providing practical skills that can be valuable upon release. By engaging in creative practices, participants discover latent talents or interests, encouraging a more positive outlook on their future and the community.

I am a certified M/WBE business based in New York City and I work in analog and digital formats while actively exhibiting work and collaborating with other artists.