TORONTO, ON - April 23, 2014 /CNW - Media is welcome to join Scotiabank Photography Award (SPA) co-founder Jane Nokes, director of the Ryerson Image Centre Paul Roth and acclaimed Vancouver artist, Stan Douglas at a sneak peek of his new exhibition, Scotiabank Photography Award: Stan Douglas, a primary exhibition of the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. The SPA exhibition features images by Douglas, the third SPA winner. The media preview takes place on April 28 at 10:00 a.m. at the Ryerson Image Centre, 33 Gould Street, Toronto.

What: 
A component of the SPA, this exhibition features photographic works that Douglas has produced over the past twenty years, including never before seen pieces. Attending media will be also be able to view the new SPA-sponsored Steidl-published book showcasing the photographer's work.

Where: 
Ryerson Image Centre, 33 Gould Street, Toronto, ON 

When: Monday, April 28, 2014, 10:00 a.m.

Who:  
Stan Douglas, acclaimed Vancouver artist and 2013 SPA Winner
Robert Bean, independent artist and writer, Professor of Photography at NSCAD University and curator of Douglas' exhibition. 
Jane Nokes, Scotiabank Director, Archives, Corporate Records and Fine Art and Executive Director of the SPA
Paul Roth, Director, Ryerson Image Centre

WHY: 
The opening of the Scotiabank Photography Award: Stan Douglas exhibition and launch of his book are the final two layers of the three tiered Scotiabank Photography Award, the largest photographic arts award in Canada. Tour the exhibition prior to public opening and preview the new book.

Scotiabank Photography Award: Stan Douglas opens to the public May 1, 2014 through June 1, 2014 at the Ryerson Image Centre, 33 Gould Street, Toronto, ON. Toronto. For hours please visit http://www.ryerson.ca/ric/. Admission is free to the public. On April 30 at 7:30pm, Stan Douglas will give a free lecture at Ryerson University (350 Victoria Street, LIB-72). Prior to the lecture, the public will be able to preview the exhibition from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Ryerson Image Centre.

About SPA 
The SPA is the largest award in Canadian contemporary photography and was founded on behalf of Scotiabank by internationally renowned Canadian photography artist Edward Burtynsky, Chair of the SPA jury, and Jane Nokes, Director, Scotiabank Archives, Corporate Records and Fine Art Collection and Executive Director of SPA. The award was conceived and designed to profile an established Canadian photography-based artist, raising him or her to the next level of national and international recognition. The winner receives a cash prize of $50,000 and a book published and distributed world-wide by esteemed photography publisher Steidl (Germany) and overseen by Edward Burtynsky. The winner's work is also featured in a major solo exhibition at the Ryerson Image Centre. This exhibition is at a primary exhibition during the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, the world's largest photography festival. The two shortlisted artists receive cash prizes of $5,000 each. The 2014 SPA finalists are Donald Weber, Mark Ruwedel and Rodney Graham. The 2014 SPA winner will be announced on April 29th.

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

Scotiabank is a leading financial services provider in over 55 countries and Canada's most international bank. Through Bright Future, our global philanthropic program, Scotiabank and its employees support causes at a grassroots level across six pillars: health, education, social services, arts and culture, environment and sports. Recognized as a leader for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has contributed on average some $50 million annually over the last five years to community causes around the world. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com.

About the Ryerson Image Centre:
The Ryerson Image Centre (RIC), a new Toronto cultural destination, is dedicated to the public exhibition, research, study and teaching of photography and related disciplines, including new media, installation art and film. International in scope, the Ryerson Image Centre features three interrelated areas of activity: an exciting program of public exhibitions where innovative work by professional Canadian and international artists addresses social, cultural, historical and aesthetic issues; a world-class research centre that conducts research into the history of photography and documentary media, and offers an array of workshops, conferences and publication programs; and the collection, which is home to the acclaimed Black Star Collection of black and white photojournalistic prints, as well as important fine art photographic holdings and artist archives. Click here to view a short video about the Ryerson Image Centre. For more information, visit www.ryerson.ca/ric.

Media contacts:
Scotiabank: 
Diana Hart
diana.hart@scotiabank.com
416-866-7238

Ryerson Image Centre: 
Erin Warner
erin.warner@ryerson.ca
416.979.5000 x7032