center awards

Today Center Santa Fe announced its prizes for the annual Project Competition, Project Launch Competition, Curator's Choice, Director's Choice, Editor's Choice and Center's Choice Awards. I am honored to be one of the ten award winners in the Director's Choice category. Two of the Sea Pictures wiggled their way in. There were 2,239 images submitted. See the award winners here. You'll notice of the ten, I am the only one still working in black and white.

(I'm a stubborn old fart.)

For my Uganda portfolio, I was also given the opportunity to attend Center's Review Santa Fe in June, which is, according to the website, "the premiere juried portfolio review event in the U.S. It is a weekend conference for photographers who have created a significant project or series and are seeking wider recognition. Up to 100 photographers are selected to meet with esteemed curators, editors, art directors, publishers, gallery and agency reps, and alternative market professionals."

There were a lot of submissions to Review this year - 433 - all high caliber, according to the folks at Center. Between this number and the number of submissions mentioned above, it is clear that there is a lot of great work being done. It's mind boggling, really.

You can see all the prize winners here.

I really liked what the Director's Choice Jurors, Chris Bennet and Laura Valenti, Director and Program Director respectively at Newspace Center of Photography in Portland, Oregon, had to say about the work they chose:

"Out of a diverse field of talented photographers, we have chosen two 
images each from 10 photographers for the Directors' Choice 
competition. The photographers selected have a striking breadth of 
talent and a uniquely modern take on the medium.

Our selection is unified by a subtle elegance, a delicate humanity, 
and a sense of mystery, as well as a remarkable clarity of perspective 
and a high level of craft. As a whole, the images chosen speak to our 
primary interest in showcasing challenging contemporary fine-art and fine-art documentary work. We are pleased to offer our gallery as an 
exhibition venue for the winners and look forward to a gorgeous show 
at Newspace in September."

I am excited to be part of all this. I took my very first photography workshop at the Santa Fe Workshops nearly 15 years ago and returned to the Workshops several times. I have attended Review Santa Fe two or three times over the years and have really enjoyed, been inspired by and been challenged by the reviewers. I love meeting and sharing work with the other photographers and the community of Santa Fe. I look forward to returning to the Land of Enchantment in June for more of all of this.

And, of course, I'm thrilled that I'll be included in a Fall show in Portland, my new second home!

I congratulate all the other award winners, all those who took the time and energy (and financial expense) to enter the competition and especially the women who oversee this whole thing: Laura Pressley and Jessica Taylor Watts-Parker. Having put on a juried competition back when I was a gallery owner, I know all too well how daunting the task is. When you consider the depth and breadth of this competition, the fact that it is pulled off so seamlessly is awfully impressive.