W. Eugene Smith Fund names finalists in 43rd Annual Grants in Humanistic Photography
The W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund announced the list of finalists in the 43rd annual W. Eugene Smith Grant for Humanistic Photography. Finalists have also been named in the Smith Fund’s 5th annual Student category and 26th annual Howard Chapnick Grant, which is awarded to encourage leadership in any field ancillary to photojournalism, such as picture editing, research, education, and management. The Smith Fund also announced that it will return to its longtime tradition of awarding one individual photographer with a $40,000 grant.
The Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation, a longtime supporter of the Eugene Smith Fund, extended their contribution to The Fund, allowing its Fellowship grant to increase from $5,000 to $10,000, and its two Finalist grants from $2,500 to $5,000, beginning this year. “We are beyond grateful to the Leonian Foundation, and this year’s fellow and finalists will immediately benefit from The Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation’s expanded support and contribution,” noted Scott Thode, president of the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund.
Since the Smith Fund’s inception in 1979, it has awarded more than $1.3 million to photographers whose past work and proposed projects follow in the tradition of W. Eugene Smith’s career as a photographic essayist. Despite economic headwinds and continued challenges surrounding the pandemic, the Smith Fund grants received several hundred entries from 72 countries this year with the Student grant and Chapnick grant each receiving the most entries ever. Grant recipients will be announced in October, however, the Smith Fund Board of Trustees confirmed that a formal, in-person award presentation is not planned for this year.
“The quality of entries for all three grants seems to get better every year and this year was certainly no exception,” said Scott Thode. “I know the judges had some very difficult decisions to make and want to thank them for their time, expertise, and passion. I hope they enjoyed the process.”
The following is a list of finalists for the 2022 W. Eugene Smith, Howard Chapnick, and Smith Fund Student grants.
2022 W. Eugene Smith Memorial Grant Finalists
- Mary F. Calvert: “Left Behind: Military Sexual Assault and Suicide” (United States)
- Matthieu Chazal: “The Ghosts of Ararat” (France)
- Maxim Dondyuk: “Ukraine 2014/22” (Ukraine)
- Russell Frederick: “A Love Letter to Bed Stuy” (United States)
- Earlie Hudnall: “Metamorphosis: Photographing a Community in Change” (United States)
- Amit Madheshiya: “Untitled” (India)
- Ta Mwe: “Uprising in Myanmar” (Myanmar/Burma)
- Murat Yazar: “Shadows of Kurdistan. A Photographic Research of a Cultural Identity” (Eastern Turkey, living in Italy)
2022 Howard Chapnick Grant Finalists
- Seydou Camara: “Educational Project for Visual and Citizenship Culture in Bamako” (Mali)
- Ala Kheir: “Educational and Collaboration Project in Sudan” (Sudan)
- Jessica Lim: “Angkor Photo Festival and Workshops” (Cambodia)
- Raphaela Rosella: “Auto-ethnographic Project with Communities of Incarceration” (Australia)
2022 W. Eugene Smith Student Grant Finalists
- Sumi Anjuman: “Hope Has Let the Light Remain” (Bangladesh)
- Trent Bozeman: “The Mayor Left” (United States)
- Mohamed Mahdy: “Here the Doors Don’t Know Me” (Egypt)
- Taniya Sarkar: “Nothing Left to Call Home” (India)
The Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography is traditionally presented annually to a single photographer whose past work and proposed project follow in the tradition of W. Eugene Smith’s humanistic photography as a photographic essayist.