30 Jul Featured CPAC Member: Dustin Riggs
DUSTIN RIGGS
Member Since: 2026
One of the greatest strengths of CPAC membership is the opportunity to be part of a community of inspiring photographers. Every couple of months, we feature one of our members and celebrate the work they’re creating. This time, we’re excited to introduce Dustin Riggs. In his ongoing series Sleepwalking in the Cascades, Riggs examines the emotional connection between people and the natural world, creating photographs that balance wonder, solitude, and reflection while honoring the lasting significance of wild places. His work was recognized with Best in Show in CPAC’s 63rd Annual Juried Members’ Show, celebrating the strength of his artistic vision and photographic practice.
ARTIST STATEMENT
By Dustin Riggs
Sleepwalking in the Cascades is an ongoing series about recreation on public lands in my home state of Washington. I am interested in how we as humans interact with each other and the landscape in wild places. I’m particularly drawn to scenes and moments that invoke a particular feeling; often uncertain as to exactly what made me click the shutter. I think about how we derive joy from these experiences, and wonder if this is something I could replicate back home in “the real world.” Recurring themes of hope, independence, and strength often come side by side with melancholy and loneliness. Most of my favorites from this series demonstrate both sides of that coin.
I love revisiting these frames in the darkroom. Putting that feeling to paper with my hands, turning it over and over again like a detective at work. This project began as a way for me to share images of beautiful places. Over the last decade it’s ebbed and flowed as my personal relationship and experiences have reshaped me as a person. Wild places enrich us in ways that aren’t quantifiable, and making these photos is the best way I’ve found to express that sentiment. As access becomes less certain for future generations, my objective is to document them as they existed during my time.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Website: www.driggspictures.com
Instagram: @dustroyer
Dustin Riggs is a photographer and darkroom printer based in Seattle, WA. He has been featured in juried and group exhibitions throughout the United States. Currently you can find his work on view at Blue Sky Gallery in Portland, OR as part of the Northwest Drawers program. Additionally, he is part of the group exhibition Unbound! 15 at Candela Photographic Arts in Richmond, VA. He was selected best in show at the 2026 CPAC member show, and his piece was added to the center’s permanent collection.