Book dummy treatments of Luis Mora, Say it with Flowers, 2019. Presented at the 2019 Book Dummy Reviews, and an honourable mention for the 2019 Burtynsky Grant. Courtesy of Luis Mora and Sebastián Rodriguez Besa.

2020 Book Dummy Reviews
Monday May 4, 10am – 1pm
Stephen Bulger Gallery, 1356 Dundas St W

register.scotiabankcontactphoto.com
Deadline: Tuesday, April 14

The Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival is now accepting submissions from photo-based artists to participate in the 2020 Book Dummy Reviews.

This program is open to those who are developing a photobook, or for those with well-developed projects considering the book form for their work. This is an excellent opportunity for artists to have their work seen by over 15 local and international publishers, curators, and editors in a casual, one-to-one exchange. Artists will receive conceptual and practical insight about their projects, and gain invaluable feedback for applying to the Burtynsky Grant. This event is organized in conjunction with the CONTACT Photobook Fair on Sunday, May 3.

Please note that due to limited space, all submissions will go through a selection process. Submissions are free. There is a $75+HST participation fee for successful applicants.

Please create an account at register.scotiabankcontactphoto.com to upload your submission. You will be asked to submit:

• 5–10 spreads that best communicate your project and vision for publication, + a max-500-word project statement (PDF)
• CV and/or artist statement (PDF)

Installation view of Chris Curreri, The Ventriloquist, at Daniel Faria Gallery. A Featured Exhibition in CONTACT 2019.

Submissions for 2020 Featured Exhibitions are now closed; thank you for your interest.
We will be accepting proposals for the 2021 Festival as of October 2020.

CONTACT welcomes proposals from emerging, mid-career, or established Canadian and international artists and curators for the Featured Exhibitions program. This juried program is open for solo or group exhibitions on any subject matter, and to all photo-based practices.

Featured Exhibitions are highlighted prominently in the Festival’s communications, including the CONTACT catalogue, website, and newsletter; they also benefit from promotion and coverage through CONTACT’s extensive public relations initiatives, drawing significant attention to the artists and venues involved.

To be eligible, shows must take place for a minimum of two weeks during the month of May, and must have a confirmed exhibition space. Preference is given to exhibitions held in professional gallery spaces. If your proposal is not selected, it will be included in the Festival as an Open Exhibition.

Sophie Sabet, I Almost Didn’t Feel You Leave. Installation at the Bradley Museum, May 11-June 16, 2019. Photo: Darren Rigo. 

Featured Exhibitions are eligible for The Gattuso Prize, a $5,000 award that acknowledges an outstanding exhibition in the Festival. Selected by a jury, the award decision is based on the calibre and concept of the work, the curatorial vision, and the overall impact and presentation of the exhibition.

The 2019 jury, Maegan Broadhurst (curator, The Shell Projects) and Geneviève Wallen (independent curator and writer), awarded the prize to Sophie Sabet’s I Almost Didn’t Feel You Leave at the Bradley Musem, curated by Noa Bronstein.

“Against the backdrop of the Bradley Museum, I Almost Didn’t Feel You Leave complicates colonial narratives of the homestead by using the autobiographical to delve into experiences of migration and its affects on familial structures. Sophie Sabet uses domestic objects as signifiers of expectation, whether economic or social, and demonstrates a desire for the continuity of a past life, but also contemplates present possibilities and constraints.” – The Jury

CONTACT’s Featured Exhibitions, selected to be part of the Festival through a juried submission process, are independently organized by artists, venues, and organizations across the city.

CONTACT gratefully acknowledges the generous support and contributions of La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso. The Foundation demonstrates strong leadership and influences innovation across all charitable sectors in Canada including health care, culture and the arts.

Past Winners

2018
Shadi Harouni and Elise Rasmussen, With an instinct for justice, Doris McCarthy Gallery

2017
Sandra Brewster, It’s all a blur…, Georgia Scherman Projects

2016
Lee Henderson, Never Letting Us Take Breath, Zalucky Contemporary

2015
Jimmy Limit, Surplus, Clint Roenisch Gallery

2014
Nadia Belerique, Have You Seen This Man, Daniel Faria Gallery

2013
Marlene Creates, selected works from 30 years, 1982-2012, Paul Petro Contemporary Art

2012
Lise Beaudry, Sur la glace / Walking on Ice, Art Gallery Of Mississauga

2011
Andrew Wright, CORONAE, at Peak Gallery

Installation view of Ravine by Seth Stevenson and Ryan Louis. A 2019 Open Call Exhibition at Allan Gardens Conservatory. Photo courtesy of the artists.

Registration for the 2020 Festival is now closed. To participate in the 2021 Festival, please check back in October 2020

This non-juried category is open to all, encouraging a variety of photographic practices. Open Call Exhibitions can be held in any type of venue, from conventional gallery spaces to unconventional venues such as community centres, cafés, or retail shops. Your exhibition and artist information will reach CONTACT’s extensive audience through the Festival catalogue (20,000 copies) and website (200k visitors.)

A registration fee of $275+HST applies.

Benefits of registration include:
– Exhibition listing with 75-word description and one image reproduction in the CONTACT Catalogue
– One web listing with up to three images on the Festival website
– Press access to your downloadable images on the website
– CONTACT venue signage
– Copies of the CONTACT Catalogue