Curriculum Vitae / Abby Inpanbutr
Education :
Master of Architecture, University of Washington, Seattle, 2008
Master’s thesis focused on the preservation and adaptive re-use of the Nuclear Reactor Building on the University of Washington Campus, emphasis on the preservation of buildings from the Modern Movement.
Bachelor of Architecture, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2004
[Year Study Abroad at L'Ecole d’Architecture de Versailles, Versailles, France, 2002 / 2003]
Work history :
Currently employed as curator and archivist at the Bakke Coffee Museum in Ballard, Seattle, Washington. Responsibilities at the museum include curation of exhibits, cataloging of artifacts and resources, photography, graphic design, research, writing, and event planning and coordination.
For the past 15 years — working as a freelance large-format documentary photographer, writer, researcher and artist, focusing on the maritime landscape and heritage of Washington State.
Other professional responsibilities include serving on the board of Docomomo WeWa (Documentation and Conservation of the Modern Movement, Western Washington).
2013 - 2021 : Artist specializing in photography of artwork and fine art printing, Art & Soul Studio, Seattle, Washington.
2014 - 2015 : Teacher of Architectural Photography at the University of Washington College of Built Environments.
2009 - 2013 : Designer / Historic Preservation Intern, BOLA architecture + planning, Seattle, Washington.
2009 : Architectural Intern, National Park Service Historic American Engineering Record [HAER], Washington DC.
2007 : Rendering Artist, Lorna Jordan Studios, Seattle, Washington.
2005 - 2006 : Artist, Daprato Rigali Studios, Chicago, Illinois.
Independent work history (freelance) :
Historic American Engineering Record [HAER] documentation of historic vessels for the National Park Service, 2014 to present.
Exhibit Designer and Curator, contracted by The Center for Wooden Boats, Seattle, Washington, 2012-2014.
Documentary photography of Seattle’s historic halibut schooner fleet, in collaboration with The Center for Wooden Boats, Seattle, Longline Centennials Project, 2013 - 2014.
Documentary photography of Seattle’s working waterfront, in collaboration with The Center for Wooden Boats, Seattle,
Persistent Work: Images of History and Industry on Salmon Bay and Lake Union, 2010-2014.
Archival and documentary photography of historic modern homes for Documentation and Conservation of the Modern Movement, Western Washington [DocomomoWewa], 2011-2014.
Historic American Engineering Record [HAER] documentation of historic vessels for The Center for Wooden Boats, Seattle, 2011-2014.
Published and presented work :
The Secret History of Marine Fluid Systems, essay and photographs published in the Maritime Washington Working Waterfronts series, 2024, https://maritimewa.org/story/working-waterfronts-marine-fluid-systems/
The Lost Art of Caulking, essay and photographs published in the Maritime Washington Working Waterfronts series, 2024, https://maritimewa.org/story/working-waterfronts-the-art-of-caulking/
Reading presenter at the Fisherpoets Festival, Astoria, Oregon, 2025. Excerpt from the proposed book The Shape of a Vessel — “The Wreck of the Princess Sophia”
Reading presenter at the Fisherpoets Festival, Astoria, Oregon, 2024. Excerpt from the proposed book The Shape of a Vessel — “Asterisms”
Exhibited work :
Re - Charge the Battery
Tri-color photographs documenting the Seattle Battery Street Tunnel and Viaduct before demolition. In collaboration with Aaron Asis, an urban design / rethink the city project. Exhibited at Block 41, Seattle, September 2017
Remember the Fenpro
Site specific photograph installation, the Fenpro building, Ballard. Tri-color photographs documenting the historic Fenpro building displayed as an outdoor public gallery. Prints 24” x 30” to 30” x 40”. Exhibited at the Fenpro Building, Ballard, Seattle, April - August 2016
Black & White & Color
Solo photo show of tri-color and large format black and white photographs. BallardWorks, Seattle, May 2015.
In Search of Lost Time
Solo photo show at Art & Soul Studio, Seattle. Large format black and white photographs.
Art & Soul Gallery, November - December 2014.
Gate to Nowhere
Public art installation at the Ramps to Nowhere in Montlake, Seattle. Completed as a member of the artist group Re-Collective. Ramps to Nowhere, Montlake, Seattle, May - September 2014.
Persistent Work: Parts I & II
Selected prints from a two-part photography project documenting Seattle’s maritime industrial heritage. Solo photo show of large format black and white photographs, with supporting historic narratives. 4culture Gallery, Seattle, May 2014.
Highliners: Boats of the Century
Documentary photograph series, large format black and white prints. Solo photo show including 24 original images, as well as extensive historic information. Presented as part of an interpretive exhibit documenting the history of the Pacific Northwest halibut schooner, designed and curated by the artist.
The Center for Wooden Boats, Seattle, February - December 2014.
Fish On! Cama Beach
Exhibit presenting the history of Cama Beach Resort, one of the last operational fishing resorts of the many that populated Puget Sound during the Boathouse era [1930s-60s]. A collaborative project with Andrew Washburn, Historic Projects Coordinator at the Center for Wooden Boats, Seattle.
Graphic design and photography by Abby Inpanbutr; exhibit researched and curated collaboratively.
The Center for Wooden Boats, Cama Beach, June 2013.
Seattle Sketchbook Show
Participant, artist sketchbooks show selected by jury review. Pen, pencil, marker and watercolor sketches.
Gage Academy of Art, April, 2013.
Fish On! A History of Recreational Fishing and Boathouses on Puget Sound
Exhibit presenting the history of recreational fishing on Puget Sound, a collaborative project with Andrew Washburn, Historic Projects Coordinator at the Center for Wooden Boats, Seattle.
Graphic design and photography by Abby Inpanbutr; exhibit curated collaboratively.
The Center for Wooden Boats, Seattle, January - October 2013.
Persistent Work : Images of Industry on Lake Union and Salmon Bay
Documentary series, large format black and white photographs. Solo photo show including 23 original images, in addition to historic photographs. The Center for Wooden Boats, Seattle, February - June, 2012.
Red Balloons. Site specific installation by the Friends of the Nuclear Reactor Building, to raise awareness and support for preservation of the endangered historic building. University of Washington Seattle campus, May 2008.
Awards :
Exhibit Design Award, awarded by the Association of King County Historical Organizations (AKCHO)
for Fish On! A History of Recreational Fishing and Boathouses on Puget Sound, exhibited at The Center for Wooden Boats, Seattle, January - October 2013.
University of Washington, Arnie Chinn Memorial Scholarship, 2007
University of Illinois, Long Traveling Fellowship, 2004
University of Illinois, Schwenk Design Scholarship, 2003