Now in its third year, the jurors and nominators are confirmed for the 2013 Scotiabank Photography Award (SPA). The award was conceived to reinforce Scotiabank's commitment to art, culture and heritage in the communities where we live and work in Canada and around the world by raising the profile of Canada's leading and established photographic artists. Photography, like all visual art, is about storytelling and the creative vision of the photo artist tells us stories about who we are and where we stand on a range of topics. SPA is now the largest and most prestigious annual peer reviewed celebration of excellence in Canadian contemporary photography. The short list will be announced on March 5th, 2013 in Toronto and the winner will be annnounced on May 16th.
The 2013 SPA jury comprises William A. Ewing, Director of Curatorial Projects, Thames & Hudson/London/New York/Paris/Singapore/Hong Kong/Melbourne; Karen Love, Manager of Grants and Publications and Independent Curator, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia and Ann Thomas, Photographs Collection, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The jurors will review a submitted body of work from 12 nominees put forward by twelve of the country's leading photographic arts experts ranging from art gallery directors, curators, practicing artists, professors, writers and critics in all parts of Canada.
To ensure that SPA is a Canada-wide peer driven search, twelve nominators were selected from a national sweep of experts in the fields of contemporary art, inclusive of art gallery directors, curators, practicing artists, professors, writers and critics. They will each nominate up to three candidates. The nominees will be adjudicated by three jurors with Edward Burtynsky as jury chair between March 4th and 5th, 2013 in Toronto.
The 2013 Scotiabank Photography Award Nominators are:
Robert Bean, Independent Artist and Writer and Professor of Photography, NSCAD University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Lynne Cohen, Artist and Inaugural Winner of the Scotiabank Photography Award in 2011, Montreal, Quebec
Carolyn Bell Farrell, Executive Director, MacLaren Art Centre, Barrie, Ontario
Sarah Fillmore, Chief Curator, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Curator, Sobey Art Award, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Barbara Fischer, Executive Director/Chief Curator, Justina M. Barnicke Gallery and Senior Lecturer, Curatorial Studies, Department of Art, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Gary Hall, Executive Director, Gallery TPW, Toronto, Ontario
Nataley Nagy, Executive Director, Kelowna Art Gallery, Kelowna, British Columbia
Helga Pakasaar, Independent Art Curator and Writer, Curator, Presentation House Gallery, North Vancouver, British Columbia
Carol Podedworny, Director and Chief Curator, McMaster Museum of Art, Adjunct Assistant Professor in McMaster University's School of the Arts, Hamilton, Ontario
Stuart Reid, Director/Curator, Rodman Hall Art Centre, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario
Christine Sowiak, Curator of Art, Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
Meeka Walsh, Editor, Border Crossings, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Scotiabank is committed to art, culture and heritage in the communities where we live and work around the world, and the arts are a key area of focus for us. Photography, like all visual art, is about storytelling. The creative vision of the photo artist tells us stories about who we are and where we stand on a range of topics. Canadian photographic art has a significant international presence, which is being enhanced by the Scotiabank Photography Award (SPA).
"The SPA awards were established to celebrate the vision of Canadian artists who all have a unique way of telling a story through the lens of a camera," explained Jane Nokes, Director of the Fine Art Collection and Corporate Archives at Scotiabank. "The awards recognize contemporary Canadian photographer artists whose work is not only enjoyed by but also adds to the richness of communities across the country. It is our hope, that as SPA finalists they will experience further recognition and be inspired to continue creating exceptional work."
The SPA winner will receive a cash prize of $50,000.00, book and exhibition at the Ryerson Image Centre at Ryerson University during the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival in 2014 - in total the award has a value of more than $100,000.00. The book will be published and distributed world-wide by internationally-renowned art photography publisher Steidl (Germany). The winner will also be featured at their own curated exhibition at the following year's Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival.
The SPA was conceived and developed by Edward Burtynsky, one of Canada's most respected photographers and Jane Nokes, Director of the Fine Art Collection and Corporate Archives at Scotiabank Group. Mr. Burtynsky serves as Chair of the SPA and Jane Nokes is the Award's Executive Director. Both serve on the Board of the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, the largest photography festival in the world.
The 2013 SPA winner will be announced May 16, 2013 at the Ryerson Image Centre, Toronto.