TORONTO, ON - March 04, 2014 /CNW/ - The jury of the Scotiabank Photography Award is proud to announce the finalists for 2014 are gifted Canadian photographers Rodney Graham, Mark Ruwedel, and Donald Weber. This is the fourth year of the award, which is Canada's largest annual peer reviewed award honouring the work of contemporary Canadian photographers.

"Our Scotiabank Photography Award jury has made fantastic choices for this year's finalists with Rodney Graham, Mark Ruwedel, and Donald Weber," said Edward Burtynsky, Chair of the Scotiabank Photography Award jury and internationally renowned Canadian photo artist. "These artists have unique and distinctive bodies of work that show true excellence in Canadian contemporary photography. I want to thank the jury for their careful selection of these gifted finalists and I look forward to announcing who they have selected as the winner on April 29."

The award founded by Burtynsky and Jane Nokes, Director, Scotiabank Archives, Corporate Records and Fine Art Collection and Executive Director of Scotiabank Photography Award, is designed to provide support to the winning artist as he or she reaches for the next level of national and international recognition. Scotiabank is pleased to be supporting the Scotiabank Photography Award, 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.

Rodney Graham
A conceptual artist, Rodney Graham has created a varied body of work, exploring and reflecting on works of art, music and literature, as well as events in intellectual history. He has exhibited widely throughout North America and Europe for more than 30 years. A highly prolific artist, Graham has produced a vast array of works, primarily in photography and media art installations, while also making use of such diverse media as film, painting, literature, and music.

Mark Ruwedel
Mark Ruwedel first became interested in photography while studying painting at Kutztown State College, Pennsylvania and later moved to Montreal to pursue graduate studies in photography at Concordia University. Ruwedel's photographic interests are found in the contemporary landscape and the nature/culture dynamic, photographing in both black-and-white and colour. With several bodies of work now published in print, Ruwedel's latest book, "Pictures of Hell" will be released this fall.

Donald Weber
Donald Weber is one of Canada's most compelling practitioners in the field of documentary photography, devoted to the study of how power deploys an all-compassing theatre for its subjects. His diverse photography projects have been exhibited as installations, exhibitions and screenings at festivals and galleries worldwide. Currently, Weber is working on his next project, War Sand, about historic sacrifice and the meaning of war in our modern world.

"We are proud to be able to recognize these remarkable talents in Canadian contemporary photography as finalists for the Scotiabank Photography Award," said Nokes. "Each of their artistic journeys has led to great bodies of work and we are excited to be able to help shine a spotlight on that journey."

The shortlist was selected from a list of nominees from across Canada proposed by an eminent panel of nominators. Nominators include curators, photographers, artists, gallery directors, art writers, professors and critics from across the country.

The Scotiabank Photography Award jury members who selected the shortlist are three of Canada's leading art professionals: 

Robert Bean, Independent Artist and Writer, Professor of Photography, NSCAD University
Catherine Bédard, Deputy-Director of the Canadian Cultural Centre and Art Historian
Ann Thomas, Curator, Photographs Collection, National Gallery of Canada

The winner of the Scotiabank Photography Award 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 a major solo exhibition at the Ryerson Image Centre, as part of next year's Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. The two shortlisted artists receive cash prizes of $5,000 each.

The 2013 winner, renowned Vancouver artist Stan Douglas, will have his Scotiabank Photography Award book launch and exhibition at the Ryerson Image Centre, from May 1 to June 1, 2014. His show, a Primary Exhibition of 2014 Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, will be open to the public free of charge for the month of May.

In addition to the Scotiabank Photography Award, Scotiabank is committed to 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 2014 Scotiabank Photography Award winner will be announced on April 29, 2014 at the Ryerson Image Centre. For more information about the prize please visit www.scotiabankphotoaward.com.

About Scotiabank
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.

For more information:
Lisa Kwong
NKPR
lisa@nkpr.net
416-365-3630 ext. 242

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