photolucida: October 2009

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Where Things Stand: Critical Mass 2009 Update!

That's not Fall that you're feeling, but the anticipation for the results of Critical Mass 2009. Within the past week, you can break my email inbox down into three distinct categories:

1) emails from CM participants asking when the results will be available

2) enthusiastic emails from CM jurors, complimenting the work they've seen and the ease of the process

3) apologetic emails from CM jurors, asking when the absolute latest deadline for voting is

So, just so you all know where things stand, I'll answer them together, here:

1) I'm hoping that we'll be able to announce the Top 50 and the Book Award Finalists by the end of next week. Hard deadlines are difficult, because there always seems to be some valid reason to push things back by a day or two, but I'm hoping that we can make the announcement here on this blog next Friday, November 6th! If that doesn't happen, it'll be for a good reason. Don't start harassing me until Monday the 9th.

2) YES! there is a lot of great work, isn't there? Thanks for noticing. And Thanks for completing your voting in such a timely manner.

3) I've said voting can finish up "through" Monday. That means we'll flip the switch to turn it off Tuesday morning. If you're in a pinch, let me know and we'll see what we can work out.

and to all of you, on both sides of CM, thank you. You've made Critical Mass something really really special.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Last chance for one, but good fair notice on the other

The Center for Fine Art Photography has extended their deadline for New Visions, juried by Michael Itkoff. New Deadline is OCTOBER 27TH, also known as TOMORROW!

DETAILS HERE!

Also coming up, though without quite the rush, but still soon, is New Directions 2010, Down + Out, juried by Carol McCusker and hosted by both wallspace gallery in Seattle in January and 23 Sandy in Portland in February.

The concept of "Down + Out" looks at a shifting horizon line, vertical or horizontal, literal or emotional. As McCusker writes: "The optimist in me delights at the disorienting perspective of looking down whereby familiar objects become abstract and dizzyingly beautiful, to looking out, with that forward motion promising adventure or escape. What I hope the photographs provide, however, is pleasure in the variety of ways 'down' and 'out' can be imaged, and what emotional liberation such points-of-view can have on our often confined and overly responsible psyches."

deadline is November 15th

DETAILS HERE!