We are pleased to announce the return of the PGH Photo Fair Speaker Series. This free lecture series takes place once a month at the Ace Hotel, leading up to the PGH Photo Fair at the Carnegie Museum this spring on April 27th and 28th.

Whether you’re a collector, a photography enthusiast, or just a fan of Instagram – PGH Photo Fair Speaker Series will have something to offer that you won’t find anywhere else in town. The series features speakers who will focus on the nuts and bolts of collecting, the state of the art, and an insider’s view of the market.

March 20th Speakers: Panel Discussion featuring Nancy L. Lane, Joe Baio, and Ellen Kessler

Nancy Lane is the former Vice President of Johnson&Johnson and a collector of photography. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Boston University and an MPA from the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Her photography collection is comprised of work by notable artists, including Carrie Mae Weems, Adrian Piper, Lorna Simpson, Kara Walker, Rashid Johnson, Hank Willis Thomas, and many others. She has served as a board member at various institutions such as the International Center of Photography, the Harvard Art Museums, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. She also served as the co-chair of The Stieglitz Society, Metropolitan Museum of Art Photography department; is currently a member of the Board of Visitors of the Photography Department at the Met; and has been a board member at the Studio Museum in Harlem since 1973.

Joe Baio practices law in New York City.  He has been collecting photography since 1989 for the pure joy of it.

Ellen Kessler received a BA from Penn State University and an MA from the University of New Mexico with degrees in Communications.  During and after graduate school she worked briefly in television news as a reporter, and weekend sports anchor in Albuquerque, New Mexico before moving to Los Angeles where she worked in marketing and media.  She returned to Pittsburgh to become the Advertising and PR Director for Interstate Hotels Corp. Ellen has been a volunteer and leader at several local organizations and has served on many local boards including Winchester Thurston School, The Children’s Institute, The Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh and the Jewish Community Center of Pittsburgh.  Today in addition to being the Chair of the Board of the Carnegie Museum of Art and a Trustee of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, she is also on the board of Steeltown Entertainment and the Jewish Healthcare Foundation. Ellen is married to Jack Kessler, an attorney at Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney. They have two grown children and passionately enjoy collecting contemporary art and photography.