TORONTO, ON - February 20, 2014 /CNW/ - Scotiabank today announced the events for the 2014 Scotiabank Photography Award. This is the fourth year of this prestigious award, the largest annual peer reviewed award in Canadian contemporary photography.

"We look forward to once again recognizing and celebrating the best of Canadian contemporary photography with the Scotiabank Photography Award," said Sabi Marwah, Vice-Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, Scotiabank. "This award helps shine a deserved spotlight on great work being done right now by Canadian artists, which serves as a source of inspiration to others. The arts have a special role in our communities, encouraging us to look at the world from new perspectives, which is why Scotiabank is committed to supporting arts and culture through our Bright Future philanthropic program. We are proud to support the work of our past three winners and are excited to see who the jury selects for the 2014 shortlist and winner."

Key dates for the 2014 Scotiabank Photography Award:

• March 4, 2014: Announcement of the shortlist.
• April 29, 2014:
  • During the evening, announcement of the 2014 Scotiabank Photography Award winner at the Ryerson Image Centre (exact timing to be announced).
  • At 10:00 a.m., a media preview of the exhibit featuring the 2013 Scotiabank Photography Award winner Stan Douglas at Ryerson Image Centre.
  • Book launch featuring Stan Douglas.
• April 30, 2014: Douglas' exhibition opens to the public.

"We are fortunate in Canada to have so many talented artists from across the country sharing their perspectives through contemporary photography," said Scotiabank Photography Award Chair, Edward Burtynsky. "This year's nominators and jurors reflect that incredible diverse group of Canadian artists, and on behalf of the Scotiabank Photography Award and its Executive Director Jane Nokes, I would like to thank them for their valuable insights and contributions to this award's process. We also want to thank the Ryerson Image Centre for returning as our exhibition and event partner for 2014 and we look forward to what will be an exciting exhibition for our 2013 Scotiabank Photography Award Winner, Stan Douglas."

The Scotiabank Photography Award was founded on behalf of Scotiabank by internationally renowned Canadian photo artist Edward Burtynsky, Chair of Scotiabank Photography Award, and Jane Nokes, Director, Scotiabank Archives, Corporate Records and Fine Art Collection and Executive Director of Scotiabank Photography Award. The award was conceived and designed to profile an established Canadian photo-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 Ed Burtynsky. The winner's work is also featured in a major solo exhibition at the Ryerson Image Centre. This exhibition is one of the main events of the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, the world's largest international event devoted to lens-based media. The two shortlisted artists receive cash prizes of $5,000 each.

Scotiabank Photography Award is a Canada-wide peer driven search with twelve nominators 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 each nominate one candidate. The nominees are adjudicated by three jurors with renowned Canadian photographic artist Edward Burtynsky as jury chair. For more detail on the 2014 judges and nominators, please see the attached background document.

For more information about the prize please visit:

http://www.scotiabank.com/photoaward/en/0,,6340,00.html

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.

Backgrounder: Scotiabank Photography Award Judges and Nominators:

2014 Scotiabank Photography Award Judges:
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

2014 Scotiabank Photography Award Nominators:
Grant Arnold, Audain Curator of British Columbia Art, Vancouver Art Gallery,
Vancouver, British Columbia
Wayne Baerwaldt, Director/Curator, Exhibitions, Albert College of Art + Design
Calgary, Alberta
Karen Carter, Executive Director, Heritage Toronto
Toronto, Ontario
Ray Cronin, Director and CEO, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
Terry Graff, Director/CEO and Chief Curator, Beaverbrook Art Gallery
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Bill Jeffries, Curator, Writer, Artist, Activist
Vancouver, BC
Anthony Kiendl, Curator/Writer
New York, NY
(May 2014 - Executive Director, MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, Saskatchewan)
Scott McLeod, Curator of Contemporary Art and Director of Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art
Toronto, Ontario
Sarah Milroy, Critic and writer
Toronto, Ontario
Mary Reid, Director/ Curator, School of Art Gallery, University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Craig Richards, Curator of Photography, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Banff, Alberta
Independent Artist
Meeka Walsh, Editor, Border Crossings magazine
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Media Contact:

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