The 17th annual Project Competition recognises gifted photographers working on documentary projects or fine-art series. The 2012 prize package offers a two-person exhibition at the New Mexico Museum of Art. The Project Competition and Project Launch winning work will be on view at the NM Museum of Art, June – August 2012 during Center’s flagship portfolio review event, Review Santa Fe, where many renowned curators, editors, publishers and collectors will be in attendance. This year, the award attracted hundreds of entries from 34 countries, with the first prize being awarded to Anastasia Taylor-Lind of the UK.

Press Release

PROJECT COMPETITION _____________________________________________
The 17th annual Project Competition recognizes gifted photographers working on documentary projects or fine-art series. This year, the award attracted hundreds of entries from 34 countries including Chile, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Norway and South Africa, making for a highly competitive international award.

Many esteemed photographers were recognized early in their careers by the CENTER Awards, including: Julie Blackmon, Dave Anderson, Alec Soth, Lori Grinker, Maggie Taylor and many others. A majority of the winners, as well as many of the Juror’s Choice and Honorable Mention, go on to receive book publishing contracts for their outstanding work.

The 2012 prize package offers a hallmark in a photographer’s career, a two-person exhibition at the New Mexico Museum of Art. The Project Competition and Project Launch winning work will be on view at the NM Museum of Art, June – August 2012 during CENTER’s flagship portfolio review event, Review Santa Fe, where many renowned curators, editors, publishers and collectors will be in attendance.

2012 JURORS
Greg Hobson, Curator of Photographs, New Media Museum, UK
Paul Moakley, Deputy Photo Editor, TIME Magazine, NY
Christopher Steighner, Senior Photo Editor, Rizzoli Publications, NY

The Project Competition jurors wrote:
The works that reached the final rounds of the award were distinguished by vision of integrity and consistency. The acknowledged projects as a group reflected the overall diversity that ran throughout all the entries. This group represents a veritable crossroads: Denmark, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. But despite where the work was made or the nationality of the photographer, what made for a winning project was that it explored universal themes.

They had an international scope in some way and hit on issues that affect us all.

1st PLACE
Anastasia Taylor-Lind, UK, The National Womb

JURORS’ CHOICE (3)
Pablo Martinez, Spain, The Line
Scott Conarroe, Canada, By Rail
Stijn & Marie, Netherlands, Shirley

HONORABLE MENTION (3)
Alejandro Cartagena, Mexico, Car Poolers
Peter Van Agtmael, USA, Disco Night Sept. 11
Thilde Jensen, USA, Canaries

PROJECT LAUNCH _____________________________________________
The Project Launch Award, now in its third year, was designed to support a documentary or fine-art series work-in-progress. The financial award is to help a photographer continue or complete their work and help to bring it into the public eye.

JUROR: Virginia Heckert, Associate Curator, J. Paul Getty Museum
What struck me was the great number of projects that use photography to describe a sense of place and the range of motivations that inspire these efforts—documentation, reform, personal exploration, etc. The most successful submissions demonstrated a degree of nuance or sophistication that derives from a deep engagement with the subject.

1st PLACE
Odette England, USA, Thrice Upon a Time

HONORABLE MENTION (2)
Yiorgos Kordakis, Greece, 10,000 American Movies
Donna Wan, USA, In the Landscape

CENTER award packages are designed to offer support, exposure and opportunity via $10,000 for Project Competition and $5,000 cash to the Project Launch winners; as well as an online feature in Fraction magazine; attendance at the portfolio review event Review Santa Fe where winners can meet with publishers, curators, editors and others for career opportunity; an educational opportunity at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops; a Blurb gift certificate and finally, an exhibition at the New Mexico Museum of Art.

ABOUT CENTER
CENTER is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that honors, supports and provides opportunities to gifted and committed photographers.

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