Eugene Smith Fund names finalist in annual grants
The W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund announced the list of finalists in the 42nd annual W. Eugene Smith Grant for Humanistic Photography, the Smith Fund’s 4th annual Student category, and 25th annual Howard Chapnick Grant, which is awarded to encourage leadership in any field ancillary to photojournalism, such as picture editing, research, education, and management. In lieu of the traditional in-person awards ceremony held in New York City, grant recipients in each category will be officially announced and honored during a live virtual event in October.
“The Board of Trustees recognized many economies and foundations around the world were still feeling the impact of the pandemic and determined that the $40,000 grant and previously awarded $5,000 Fellowships would have a greater impact if used to support five photographers with $10,000 grants,” says Phil Block, president of the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund.
This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the Howard Chapnick Grant, established in 1996 to honor the memory of Howard Chapnick who led the Black Star photo agency, and to acknowledge his enormous contribution to photography and support of photographers around the world. The $10,000 grant recognizes an individual or organization working in any field ancillary to photojournalism, such as picture editing, research, education, and management. The Eugene Smith Student Grant, now in its 4th year, recognizes the work of an outstanding student with a $5,000 grant. Since the Fund’s inception in 1979, it has awarded over $1 million to photographers whose past work and proposed projects follow the tradition of W. Eugene Smith’s career as a photographic essayist.
“The pandemic has had the same impact on the Smith Fund as it has on other charities and foundations around the world,” added Block. “But thanks to the commitment from our supporters this past year, we were able to fulfill our grants for 2020 and continue to financially support the worthy work of photographers through 2021.
Despite continued issues surrounding the pandemic, including economic hardships and restricted gatherings, the number of entries submitted for this year’s Smith Grant was among the most received in the grant’s 42-year history. This year’s finalists were selected from entries submitted from 62 countries.
2021 W. Eugene Smith Memorial Grant Finalists
Lalo de Almeida: “Amazonian Dystopia” (Brazil)
Dario De Dominicis: “To the Left of Christ” (Italy / Project produced in Brazil)
Kimberly dela Cruz: “Death of a Nation” (Philippines)
Fabiola Ferrero: “I Can’t Hear the Birds” (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela)
Marco Gualazzini: “Mwavita – Born at Time of War” (Italy / Project in The Democratic Republic of The Congo)
Melissa Lyttle: “Where They Stood” (USA)
Zed Nelson: “The Anthropocene Illusion” (United Kingdom)
Cristopher Rogel Blanquet: “Beautiful Poison” (Mexico)
Nicolo Filippo Rosso: “Exodus” (Italy, based in Colombia)
Danielle Villasana: “Abre Camino” (USA, based in Turkey)
2021 Howard Chapnick Grant Finalists
Lauri Lyons: “Rest with Honor Preservation Guide” (USA)
Rosem Morton: “Dear Survivor” (USA / Philippines)
Nirvana Paz: “Sorora Dinamita: Digital Photography Camp” (Mexico)
Sarah Stacke: “The 400 Years Project” (USA)
2021 W. Eugene Smith Student Grant Finalists
Salih Basheer: “22 Days in Between” (Sudan) – Cairo University
Dylan Hausthor: “What the Rain Might Bring” (USA) – Maine College of Art / Yale University
Zobayer Joati: “We Live to Fight” (Bangladesh) – Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology / Counter Foto
Arne Piepke: “Anecdotes from an Unfamiliar Land” (Germany) – Master’s Program at University of Applied Sciences and Arts Dortmund
The Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography is traditionally presented annually to a single photographer whose past work and proposed project follow the tradition of W. Eugene Smith’s humanistic photography and dedicated compassion as a photographic essayist.