Mary Virginia Swanson is an author and educator who helps artists find the strengths in their work, identify appreciative audiences and present their work in an informed, professional manner.  Her seminars and lectures on marketing opportunities have proven to aid photographers in moving their careers to the next level.   

During the course of her career Swanson has worked in the fine art, documentary and commercial markets as well as heading her innovative licensing agency for artists,"Swanstock."  She served as the Executive Director of the 2016 LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph in Charlottesville, Virginia and has returned to her consulting practice, working with emerging and established artists and arts organizations.  Swanson is the recipient of the 2015 Honored Educator from the Society for Photographic Education, the 2013 Lifetime Achievement FOCUS Award from the Griffin Museum of Photograph and the 2014 Susan Carr Award for Education from the American Society for Media Photographers (ASMP). Swanson contributes time to BEA project photographers upon receipt their award to help strategize their fundraising efforts.

Swanson co-authored with Darius Himes the acclaimed Publish Your Photography Book: Revised & Updated (2014). Her current book project is Finding Your Audience: An Introduction to Marketing Your Photographs (2017).” Mary Virginia’s web site is www.mvswanson.com Instagram feed is @maryvirginiaswanson.  She lives and works in Tucson, Arizona & NYC.