And the drumroll please...

Congratulations to our 175 Finalists in Critical Mass 2009!

Kyohei Abe

Jenn Ackerman

Jody Ake

Erica Allen

Leslie Alsheimer

Jane Fulton Alt

Andres Arenas

Mary Ellen Bartley

Jacqueline Bates

Sue Bednarz

Susan Bein

Gabriel Benaim

Hollis Bennett

Victoria Bjorklund

Jonathan Blaustein

Tami Bone

Carl Bower

Ellie Brown

Jesse Burke

Ryan Bush

Andrew Buurman

Andrea Camuto

Alison Carey

Tim Carpenter

Alejandro Cartagena

Pelle Cass

Anastasia Cazabon

Tony Chirinos

Barbara Ciurej & Lindsay Lochman

Edmund Clark

Victor Cobo

Caleb Cole

John D'Agostino

Scott Dalton

Jason DeMarte

Susan de Witt

Dorothee Deiss

Deanna Dikeman

Mitch Dobrowner

Jade Doskow

Estelle Dougier

Desiree Edkins

Beth Yarnelle Edwards

Jenny Ellerbe

Natalia Engelhardt

Douglas Ethridge

Mary Farmilant

Gloria Baker Feinstein

Elizabeth Fleming

Ed Freeman

David Friedman

Lucia Ganieva

Judy Gelles

Alan George

N W Gibbons

Kristin Giordano

Sarah Girner

Maury Gortemiller

Lee Grant

Toni Greaves

Torrie Groening

Charles Grogg

Alexander Gronsky

Deborah Hamon

Cheryl Hanna-Truscott

Jessica Todd Harper

Maxine Helfman

Lauren Henkin

Craig Hickman

Nicole Jean Hill

Steven Hirsch

Robert Holmgren

Jessica Ingram

Carol Isaak

Astrid Kruse Jensen

JoAnna Johnson

Stella Johnson

Mary Shannon Johnstone

Loli Kantor

Cyrus Karimipour

Kim Kauffman

Dave Kennedy

Eileen Kennedy

Kerry Kolenut

Richard Kolker

Marc Koegel

Johannes Kroemer

Anthony Kurtz

Ikuru Kuwajima

Marvi Lacar

Jimmy Lam

Laurie Lambrecht

Christine Laptuta

David Leventi

Joyce P. Lopez

Larry Louie

Simone Lueck

Benjamin Lowy

Rita Maas

David Maisel

Sarah Malakoff

S. Billie Mandle

Rania Matar

Janet Matthews

Tim Matsui

Leah Macdonald

Joshua Meier

Mark Menjivar

Martin Miller

Kevin Miyazaki

Brad Moore

Rachelle Mozman

Peter Neill

Nancy Newberry

Bob O'Connor

Kate Orne

Ara Oshagan

Lindsay Page

Rachel Papo

Kelli Pennington

Cori Chandler-Pepelnjak

Bradley Peters

Alexis Pike

Alan M Pillar

Birthe Piontek

Janet Pritchard

Susana Raab

Lou Raizin

Justin James Reed

Susana Reisman

Ellen Rennard

Libby Rowe

Charles Rozier

Irina Rozovsky

Felipe Russo

Haley Jane Samuelson

François Schaer

Betsy Schneider

Zack Seckler

Lauren Semivan

Peter Sibbald

Charlie Simokaitis

Christopher Sims

Sarah Small

Tabitha Soren

Will Steacy

Parsley Steinweiss

Todd Stewart

Herb Stratford

Karen Strom

Andrea Stultiens

Sarah Sudhoff

Joe Sumner

Wei Leng Tay

Serkan Taycan

David Taylor

Lacey Terrell

Amy Thompson

Robert Toedter

Phillip Toledano

Arlo Valera & Hyeyoung Kim

Ian van Coller

Manuel Vazquez

Lori Vrba

Ellen Wallenstein

Jacqueline Walters

Shoshannah White

Chris Willis

Susan Worsham

Jonas Yip

Natalie Young

David Zimmerman

Ryan Zoghlin

Ion Zupcu

If you're among those listed, you'll all be officially notified within the next couple days with information about how to proceed and submit your payment for the next round, but in the meantime, kick back and celebrate.

If you're not among those Finalists, take solace in the fact that our great pre-screening committee viewed and voted on all and trust me, even if you're not among the Finalists, if your work found a fan, that fan will remember. I tell you, I often notice that some of my favorite work doesn't seem to make it through the democratic process. But it's still appreciated, talked about, & shared.

Thanks to all! We'll keep you posted with more news as we have it.

VIVA ITALIA!

One of the most exciting aspects of Critical Mass for us has been reaching beyond the U.S. and seeing what's happening in other parts of the world. You might remember that last year we awarded free participation in CM08 to five talented photographers from Mexico. The year before it was Poland. This year, we're happy to announce six International Award Winners from Italy:

Manuel Capurso:

Chiara Cochi:

Achille Fillipponi:

Marco Lachi:

Sirio Magnabosco:

Luca Santese:

Congratulations (to the photographers, Italy, and the rest of us). And a hearty thank you to our Much Beloved and Appreciated Italian Advisers:

Anna Gianesini - Palaexpo
Emiliano Paoletti - Palaexpo
Alessandra Capodacqua - Studio Margoni
Arianna Rinaldo - Curator
Enrica Vigano - Admira Photography

"It's chilling."

- Bob Herbert, in the New York Times, on 2nd Tour, Hope I Don't Die by Peter van Agtmael.

Many congratulations to Peter and Joni Sternbach, our Critical Mass 2007 Book Award Winners. Their books are finally here in our hands and making their way out into the world. They're both exceptionally handsome.


If you were a participant or juror in CM07, your books have or will arrive soon. If not, you can get your own copy here.

CRITICAL MASS UPDATE

MySpace Countdowns

so what this means... next Monday we'll announce the 175 Finalists. Later this week maybe even tomorrow, we'll also be announcing the Italian photographers who've been selected to participate in CM 09.

Ever been to Brazil?

And if so, did you make some great photographs?

The FOTO ARTE Festival is accepting online submissions for their FOTO ARTE BRASILIA PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD with the theme of NATURE, ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

deadline is September 10th

MORE INFO RIGHT HERE

Some highlights from another of our Much Beloved and Appreciated Pre-Screeners

hop on over and give Ruben the traffic:

ARTmostfierce

CM (08) Top50 Profiles: Jaime Kowal

© Jaime Kowal

• Name, location

Jaime Kowal, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

• Is photography your day job? If not, do you want it to be?

Yes, photography is my full-time work, play and passion. I work both editorially and commercially and the majority of my commercial clients are social entrepreneurs, foundations and non-profit organizations.

• Can you remember/describe the first print you ever made? Why photography? Why do you do this?

I can't remember my first print, but I will never forget the first time I shot a roll of film - I was ten years old and photographed the toy soldiers in the Santa Claus Parade at Disney World. I remember the mad desire to capture the excitement and exhilaration of the parade, and the images I got back were abstract and colorful and surreal... I was hooked.

Photography is a natural form of expression for me. I have always documented my life and the lives of others with my camera. I created documentary projects in high school of my friends and the culture of being a teenager. I am fascinated by cultural anthropology, sociology and psychology - and photography is my way of exploring this. It doesn't matter if I am photographing a person, a physical place/space, abstract concept or story - my goal is always the same - to reflect the authentic energy of my subject.

For example, if I am hired to photograph a program for a non-profit, my goal is to listen to and uncover the energy of that program, capture the essence, intention and benefit, and communicate this to others is an artistic, visual way that celebrates this inherent energy. It is a deep creative process for me, and that is what inspires and sustains me.

© Jaime Kowal

• How did your project develop?

The idea for this project has been developing for years, and is long-term in nature. I believe in focusing on solutions, positive people, ideas and visionary ways of thinking. I try to look beyond the symptoms of violence, racism and judgement at the deeper, underlying causes of this strife. Why do so many people feel threatened by those who appear different from them? We forget we are cut from the same cloth, and that we have more in common as human beings that not. And one of our most powerful collective experiences as human beings is that of birth. Birth looks different from one woman to the next, from one country to another, but in sharing the stories, the issues, the experiences, I hope to connect us through the understanding that we are fundamentally all the same, and we can reach out and help each other. And hopefully through that increased understanding and acceptance we will help build community and bring peace to this planet.

The other goals of this project are more region-specific. In developed countries the idea is to empower and educate women about their choices and intentions around their birth experience, and in developing nations to raise awareness about some of the basic amenities that women are lacking and ideally to help provide aid.

© Jaime Kowal

In April 2008 I officially began this project and traveled to Liberia, which has endured almost 16 years of civil war and consequently has one of the highest infant (157 in 1,000 births) and maternal mortality rates in the world. (994 in 100, 000 births) My goal was to start to understand the experience of these women in relation to other cultures. Liberian families are dealing with basic issues including malnutrition, food shortages, sporadic and/or zero electricity, high unemployment, a battered transportation system, a dramatic shortage of doctors, nurses, midwives, medicine, hospital beds and funding. Traditional Midwives in rural Liberia are dealing with serious issues including a lack of sanitation, supplies for their birth kit, clean water, education and transportation - it is nearly impossible for pregnant women to reach a hospital or clinic for delivery.

© Jaime Kowal

As I continue to photograph women and their stories about birth here in Canada, I am also learning about social media and how I can share these stories to help procure aid and support for these women. I have been collaborating with a fantastic foundation called the McCall MacBain Foundation which is providing practical means for supporting maternal health in Liberia. They have been very supportive of this project.

• It's early yet, but have you had any concrete opportunities arise from your participation in Critical Mass? Shows? Publications? Print sales? High fives at a party?

I attended Review LA and many reviewers recognized the work from Critical Mass. I also received some great comments from the reviewers of Critical Mass themselves - people who have asked me to stay in touch and who have given suggestions and support.

• Who are your favorite photographers, images, websites, projects, or blogs, etc. that inspire?

I am inspired by women photojournalists and activists in general - Alison Wright, Ami Vitale, Lauren Greenfield, Karen Kasmauski, Nina Berman, Maggie Steber...and Lisa Ling's journalism.

I also frequent Magnum Photos, VII, Redux Pictures and MediaStorm's websites, and am a subscriber of course to aphotoeditor.com

A few inspiring projects are:

The Girl Effect

Playing for Change

4Real

One in 8 Million

© Jaime Kowal

• Do you have a favorite youtube video that you'd like to share? It doesn't have to be photo-related.

Isabella Rossellini's Green Porno videos on the Sundance Channel are fascinating and hilarious. I really enjoy all of the presentations on TEDTalks as well.

CM (08) Top50 Profiles: Tema Stauffer

© Tema Stauffer

• Name, location

Tema Stauffer, Brooklyn, New York


• Is photography your day job? If not, do you want it to be?

Part of my income comes from photography, both from sales of fine artwork and some commercial jobs. I also teach photo classes at The School of the International Center of Photography, and I recently started a position as Assistant Curator for a new website for the arts called Culturehall, which promotes artists and arts writers through an online community and list of resources.

• Can you remember/describe the first print you ever made? Why photography? Why do you do this?

I remember the first roll of slide film I shot for my first photography course at The Kalamazoo Institute of the Arts. I shot some portraits of my best friend in high school on slide film sitting in a cemetery. As corny as that sounds, the light was gorgeous, and my teacher was impressed, which gave me some encouragement. I immediately responded to the medium for the experiences and adventures it inspires one to pursue. Photography is a reason to go somewhere and to develop a relationship with somebody or something.

© Tema Stauffer

• How did your project develop?
The images I submitted to Critical Mass are part of an ongoing project exploring the character of the American landscape. This series, American Stills, began with an image of a lonely gas station under a blazing orange sky in the year 2000, and I don’t know exactly when it will be complete as a body of work.

© Tema Stauffer

• It's early yet, but have you had any concrete opportunities arise from your participation in Critical Mass? Shows? Publications? Print sales? High fives at a party?

Since my participation in Critical Mass last fall, I have exhibited work in a two-person show with Francesca Romeo at Daniel Cooney Fine Art Gallery, and a group show at Sasha Wolf Gallery organized by a collective of women photographers called NYMPHOTO. However, neither of these exhibitions came as a result of my involvement with Critical Mass. Perhaps, though, some of my peers became more familiar with my work as a result of the combined exposure through Critical Mass and Flak Photo.

© Tema Stauffer

• Who are your favorite photographers, images, websites, projects, or blogs, etc. that inspire?

Recently, I have been particularly interested in portraits by Rineke Dijkstra and photographs of the everyday in America by Paul Graham. Some of the photographers who have deeply informed my relationship to photography are Walker Evans, Robert Frank, Joel Sternfeld, William Eggleston, Diane Arbus, and Richard Billingham. I have also listed blogs on my blog and websites on my website which reflect work by peers in the arts that I follow and admire. There are too many to list here, but feel free to take a look.

© Tema Stauffer

• Do you have a favorite youtube video that you'd like to share? It doesn't have to be photo-related.

A writer and photographer friend who lives in Virginia, Mark Burnette, once posted a link on his blog, Conditions Uncertain, to a music video for the song, “Kiss” - a duet by Will Oldham and Scout Niblett. I loved the video and watched it over and over again on lonely winter nights and eventually bought Scout’s album. The video is playfully dark, whimsical, romantic, funny, and sweet.

CRITICAL MASS 2009 UPDATE (now with cake)

They're off and running. Pre-screening opened this past week and so far the feedback is good, the work's good, and the site's running smoothly. I have heard from a few people wondering when they'll be hearing about whether they made it to the Finalist stage. The timeline (at this point), has us announcing the Finalists around the 31st of August. At that point, the Finalists will have until September 10th to pay the additional fee to continue on. About two weeks after that, the cd's are mailed out and the full jurying is open for business.

© Deanna Dikeman

Want to see some pictures? Note, in the jurying stage of things, all participants are randomized (is that a verb?) in order to make things as fair as possible. Thus, the following link means absolutely nothing more than HERE ARE SOME PICTURES I LIKE FROM SOME OF THE PHOTOGRAPHERS I'VE COME ACROSS SO FAR.

Oh, one more thing... Chris Rauschenberg, photographer, founder, curator, collector, pre-screener, has a question for you:

I'm working on the prescreening for Critical Mass right now and I can't help but notice that most of the submissions that I've looked at so far are without pricing information. I'm looking at over 500 people's work in this prescreening and I've bought work from Critical Mass submissions in previous years but I'm not willing to send out hundreds of emails asking you what your prints cost. (Imagine that you go to Home Depot to buy a screwdriver, and they have 10 that look pretty good but you have to hunt down 10 different Home Depot employees to find out which ones cost $50 and which ones cost $5000.) The lack of price information is definitely going to cost you some print sales (from me at the very least) but you folks aren't stupid and I think you must have a reason that you are withholding this price information. What is that reason? Our whole idea for Critical Mass is to get your images, statements, contact info, print info and prices into one simple package that we can slip right into the brains of important curators all over the world. If there is a reason that you don't want anyone to know what your prints cost, we probably need to know it and I, for one, would really appreciate hearing from you.