Winner to be announced May 16

TORONTO, March 5, 2013 /CNW/ - Three outstanding Canadian photographers, Stan Douglas, Angela Grauerholz and Robert Walker, have been shortlisted for the 2013 Scotiabank Photography Award (SPA), Canada's largest annual peer reviewed award honouring the work of contemporary Canadian photographers. SPA founder and world-renowned photographer Edward Burtynsky made the announcement on March 5 in Toronto, alongside Jane Nokes, Scotiabank's Director, Archives, Corporate Records and Fine Art, and Jacqueline Ryan, Vice-President of Sponsorships and Partnership Programs.

2013 marks the third year of the SPA, which was established by Burtynsky and Nokes and is designed to provide support to the winning artist as he or she reaches for the next level of national and international recognition.

Stan Douglas, Vancouver
Nominated by:  Robert Bean, Independent Artist and Writer and Professor of Photography at NSCAD University
Based in Vancouver, Stan Douglas has created films, photographs, and installations that reexamine particular locations or past events. His works often take their points of departure in local settings, from which broader issues can be identified. He works with popular media: photography, film, storytelling, public spectacle, and soon, mobile apps.

Angela Grauerholz, Montreal
Nominated by: Carol Podedworny, Director and Chief Curator, McMaster Museum of Art
Since Angela Grauerholz's first significant body of work, The Portraits, 1983 - 1985, the Hamburg-born artist has questioned the accepted norms of photography, both in terms of content and process. Having influenced and taught many generations of graphic designers in Quebec, Angela has received numerous awards for her design work, and has worked for many distinguished artists and art institutions across Canada.

Robert Walker, Montreal
Nominated by: Lynne Cohen, Artist and Inaugural Winner of the Scotiabank Photography Award (2011)
An innovative artist, Robert Walker has been committed to probing the boundaries of photography for more than 30 years. Born in Montreal, Robert graduated from Sir George Williams University in 1969 and developed a keen interest in street photography in the 1970s. After working for more than thirty years in dense urban environments, Walker decided to engage the natural world and for the past five years concentrated on photographing flowers.

"The selection of Stan, Angela and Robert further underlines the commitment of the SPA and the juries to search for excellence in Canadian contemporary photography," said Burtynsky. "They were selected for the power of their images and the fearlessness those images embody. Their talent is undeniable and their impressive work underscores why we established the Scotiabank Photography Award. I must also add that we could not have selected such quality finalists without the passion and commitment of our jurors who have devoted so much time to this endeavour."

"We are thrilled to be able to share with all Canadians the amazing work of these three exceptional artists," said Nokes. "For three years now we have watched with pride how the SPA has grown audiences and the careers of talented Canadian photographic artists."

"The SPA offers a tremendous opportunity to see the world in a different way," Ryan added. "We are pleased to be supporting the SPA, knowing that the work of these artists is a source of great inspiration to so many of Scotiabank's customers and communities around the world."

The shortlist was selected from works nominated by experts prominent in the Canadian photography and art sectors. Nominators include curators, photographers, artists, gallery directors, art writers, professors and critics from across the country.

The SPA jury members who selected the shortlist are three of Canada's leading art professionals:
William Ewing, Director of Curatorial Projects, Thames & Hudson/London/New York/Paris/Singapore/Hong Kong/Melbourne
Karen Love, Independent Curator and Writer, Director of Foundation and Government Grants, Vancouver Art Gallery
Ann Thomas, Curator, Photographs Collection, National Gallery of Canada

The winner of the SPA receives a cash prize of $50,000, a book of their work to be published and distributed worldwide by Steidl of Germany, the renowned art photography publisher, and an exhibition at the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival in 2014. The two runners up receive a cash prize of $5,000 each.

Burtynsky is one of Canada's leading art photographers and has exhibited his work around the world. He serves as Chair of the SPA. As Scotiabank's Director of the Fine Art Collection and Corporate Archives, Nokes has transformed Scotiabank into one of Canada's leading corporate patrons of the arts, with collections of work spanning four decades that feature some of Canada's top photographic artists. She serves as Executive Director of the SPA.

In addition to the SPA, Scotiabank is committed to backing the arts through its support of numerous arts and cultural festivals and events, including Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, Scotiabank Buskerfest and the Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival.

The 2013 SPA winner will be announced on May 16, 2013.  The website for the Scotiabank Photography Award, www.scotiabankphotoaward.com has been relaunched today and contains extensive new content on all of the 2013 finalists including images and biographies.

About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad, through our global philanthropic program, Scotiabank Bright Future.  Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has provided on average approximately $47 million annually to community causes around the world over each of the last five years. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com.

Image with caption: "Three outstanding Canadian photographers - Stan Douglas, Angela Grauerholz and Robert Walker have been shortlisted for the 2013 Scotiabank Photography Award (SPA), Canada's largest annual peer reviewed award in Canadian photography. The shortlisted photographers were announced at a media event at Scotia Plaza in Toronto on March 5, 2013. (from L to R) Jacqueline Ryan, Scotiabank's Vice President of Sponsorships and Partnership Programs; Edward Burtynsky, world renowned photographer and SPA founder; Jane Nokes, Scotiabank's Director, Archives, Corporate Records and Fine Art; and SPA jury members Karen Love, Independent Curator and Writer, Director of Foundation and Government Grants, Vancouver Art Gallery; Ann Thomas, Curator, Photographs Collection, National Gallery of Canada and William Ewing, Director of Curatorial Projects, Thames & Hudson/London/New York/Paris/Singapore/Hong Kong/Melbourne. (CNW Group/Scotiabank)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130305_C2391_PHOTO_EN_24278.jpg

SOURCE: Scotiabank