2018 Emerging Lens Mentorship Program

Competition for documentary photography re: women's issues

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ART WORKS Projects (AWP) is pleased to announce its Open Call for the 2018 Annual Emerging Lens Mentorship program. The 2018 competition is open to young photographers currently working on a human rights, social justice or humanitarian issue related to women and/or girls. Although the entrant must be a resident of the United States, the project may focus on international issues. The winning entrant will have an opportunity to receive a stipend to expand and/or finish their project and to exhibit the final project in May 2018 at the ART WORKS Projects Studio Gallery in Chicago.*

2018 Jury Members include:
Natasha Egan, Isadora Kosofsky, Catherine Edelman, Elizabeth Cheng Krist, and Erika Schultz

As part of the Emerging Lens program, the winning photographer will have an opportunity to receive mentoring and guidance from select members of the Emerging Lens jury and the AWP team.*

ABOUT EMERGING LENS
Emerging Lens is AWP’s annual, juried photography competition for photographers age 18 to 27 whose work focuses on social justice and human rights. Supporting upcoming documentary photographers and filmmakers through mentoring and providing a platform for their work is an integral part of AWP’s mission. Through the Emerging Lens program, AWP hopes to encourage the rising generation of photographers and photojournalists to use the power of their lenses to address human rights and social justice issues.

ELIGIBILITY AND PRIZE*
This opportunity is open to all photographers (students, professionals, and others) who are age 18 to 27 years old as of the date of entry and who are residents of the United States. The closing submission date is January 31, 2018 11:59pm CST.

In addition to being designated the official winner of the competition, the selected winner will have an opportunity to receive:

An exhibition of their work in May 2018 at the AWP Chicago Studio Gallery.
Mentorship from the AWP team and select members of the Emerging Lens jury.
A $2,000 stipend, which can be used at the winner’s discretion to finish the work.
Travel to Chicago for the opening launch and a speaking event.
Please note: If the winner agrees to an exhibition of the final project, the winner is expected to be part of the exhibition printing, installation, and opening process in Chicago.

SELECTION CRITERIA*
The winner will be selected based on a number of criteria, including:

Quality of photography and written proposal submission
Deep knowledge and curiosity about the selected topic
References that can indicate the entrant's experience with and commitment to photography and social justice
Please see the Official Rules for complete information regarding judging criteria and weighting.

PROCESS*
The Open Call requires submission of a project proposal and portfolio of an ongoing photography project. Entrants must also provide additional information, including contact information for two references, who may be professional colleagues, advisors, teachers, employers, or mentors. References do not need be photography instructors or photo editors, but should be able to speak to your experience as a photographer, your commitment to photography and/or your commitment to human rights and social justice work.

AWP expects to announce the selected winner in February 2018. The exhibition will open May 2018.

*See the Official Rules for complete contest rules, including information on eligibility, entries, judging, prizes and the opportunity for mentoring, a stipend and an exhibition.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OFFICIAL RULES.

Questions? Please contact Annalise Taylor at ataylor@artworksprojects.org.

Prizes:

PRIZE*
In addition to being designated the official winner of the competition, the selected winner will have an opportunity to receive:

An exhibition of their work in May 2018 at the AWP Chicago Studio Gallery.
Mentorship from the AWP team and select members of the Emerging Lens jury.
A $2,000 stipend, which can be used at the winner’s discretion to finish the work.
Travel to Chicago for the opening launch and a speaking event.
Please note: If the winner agrees to an exhibition of the final project, the winner is expected to be part of the exhibition printing, installation, and opening process in Chicago.

Eligibility:

This opportunity is open to all photographers (students, professionals, and others) who are age 18 to 27 years old as of the date of entry and who are residents of the United States. The closing submission date is January 31, 2018 11:59pm CST.

Copyrights & Usage Rights:

9. OWNERSHIP AND USAGE RIGHTS: Entrant does not transfer any underlying intellectual property rights in the photographs to Sponsor or any other party by submitting an Entry. Entrant grants Sponsor and its agents and representatives the right to display, copy and use the Entry, including the portfolio/photographs and written proposal, in connection with judging the Contest and announcing the Contest Winner. In addition, entrant grants Sponsor and its agents and representatives the right to display, copy and use the Entry, including the portfolio/photographs and written proposal, in connection with publicizing the Contest Winner, the Contest and future Emerging Lens contests sponsored by Sponsor, and for historical and archival purposes, but Sponsor shall have no obligation to use the Entry for such purposes. The

Exhibitor will be required to grant Sponsor additional rights in the Exhibit Agreement sufficient to permit Sponsor to display and publicize the Created Work, to promote future contests, and for archival and historical purposes. The Exhibitor agrees to sign an agreement to that affect.
By accepting the prize and/or stipend, the Contest Winner and/or Exhibitor each hereby waives and releases Sponsor and the other Related Parties, and each of their employees, owners, officers, directors, agents, contractors and representatives (collectively the “Released Parties”), from any and all claims that the Contest Winner and Exhibitor and/or Contest Winner’s/Exhibitor’s heirs may now or hereafter have in any jurisdiction based on “moral rights” with respect to exploitation of the Entry by Sponsor or those authorized by Sponsor, without further compensation to entrant of any kind. Contest Winner and Exhibitor each agrees not to instigate, support, maintain, or authorize any action, claim, or lawsuit against Sponsor or the other Released Parties on the grounds that any use of the Entry or Created Work, or any derivative works, authorized herein or in the Exhibit Agreement infringes or violates any of Contest Winner’s or Exhibitor’s rights therein. Contest Winner and Exhibitor each grants Sponsor, and anyone authorized by Sponsor, the right, but not the obligation, to associate the Entry and/or Created Work with Contest Winner’s/Exhibitor’s name, image, likeness, hometown, and biographical information, without limitation and without compensation. Contest Winner/Exhibitor shall not receive any compensation or credit for Sponsor’s, or those authorized by Sponsor, use of the Entry or Created Work, other than that disclosed in these Official Rules.

Theme:

Documentary Photojournalism Culture People