The Saltzman Prize was founded in 2023 by New York-based photographer, film producer, and philanthropist Lisa Saltzman. An award for Emerging Photographer of the Year, presented in cooperation with CPW / PHOTOFAIRS New York, the prize will honour an emerging photographer with a $10,000 award, and give funds to support a solo exhibition of the photographer’s work within the CPW booth at PHOTOFAIRS New York at the Javits Center in September 2024. The selected artist will also receive recognition at the CPW Vision Awards on April 20, 2024. The Saltzman Family Foundation, founded by Lisa in 2020 in honour of her parents, Ralph and Muriel Saltzman, has developed also two major arts awards through the Foundation, providing opportunities for emerging creatives: The Ralph Saltzman Prize in partnership with the Design Museum in London, and the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Ralph Saltzman Prize Student Contest.
With her love for photography born at an early age and cultivated professionally through studies at Christie’s in London, followed by work with major brands and clients, Lisa Saltzman s photographic portfolio has been enriched by numerous awards. “I established the Saltzman Prize in honor of my parents Ralph and Muriel Saltzman, who were passionate art collectors, art patrons and philanthropists,” she added. "The significance of art in my family cannot be overstated and their love for art is intoxicating. I am an award-winning photographer and I know that their influence and collection has impacted my photography in a very robust way. Establishing the Saltzman Prize for emerging photographers at the Center for Photography at Woodstock is meaningful to me. I am grateful that I can implement this and know I am impacting the lives of artists, as the winner receives an honorarium and a solo booth at Photofairs New York, which will certainly help advance their career as well as that of the 10 nominees."
The Saltzman Prize is introduced at a crucial juncture for CPW, a pivotal center for photography and related media dialogues. Established in Woodstock, NY, in 1977, CPW has evolved into a dynamic hub, fostering a diverse community and artistic tradition. The recent acquisition of the historic Van Slyke Horton cigar factory in 2023 marks a significant expansion, set to become a cultural center by 2027, featuring state-of-the-art facilities. This strategic growth, coupled with the new prize, positions CPW to offer increased support to emerging photographers and the local community through exhibitions, programs, and workshops.
Every October, CPW will assemble a panel of five distinguished figures in photography as nominators. Each nominator will propose two photographers, contributing to the creation of a shortlist for the Prize. Subsequently, CPW will form a jury comprising three photography experts to designate the emerging photographer of the year. Within a year from the award ceremony, CPW plans to showcase a solo exhibition for the Saltzman Prize recipient at PHOTOFAIRS New York.
This years’ Saltzman Prize nominators include MoMA curator Oluremi Onabanjo, curator and cultural historian Mark Sealy, New York-based curator and writer Lyle Rexer, photographer Deana Lawson, and New York Times Opinion photo director Jacqueline Bates. The jury this year features MacArthur fellow and photographer Deborah Willis, the President of the Magnum Foundation Susan Meiselas, and the Director of Asia Society Yasufumi Nakamori. They will choose the artist from the shortlist of 10 nominees for the Saltzman Prize.
1. Hady Barry. A Guinean-American artist, Hady Barry engages in a diverse artistic practice involving both photography and sound. Her work delves into the realms of autobiography and introspection, with a keen interest in challenging and understanding personal and societal narratives. Notably, Barry was a 2022 finalist for the Vantage Point Sharjah Award and received an Honorable Mention for the Hariban Award. Her artistic footprint extends to features in publications like the British Journal of Photography, NAATAL, and Contemporary And. Her works have been exhibited at prestigious institutions such as the National Portrait Gallery (UK) and the Sharjah Art Foundation (UAE).
2. Eric Gyamfi. Residing and working in Accra, Ghana, Eric Gyamfi is a photographer with a profound curiosity about the materiality and chemistry of photography. His explorations encompass personal and political histories, and he holds a B.A. in Information Studies and Economics from the University of Ghana. Currently pursuing an M.F.A. at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Gyamfi has been a fellow at the Photographers’ Master Class across Khartoum, Nairobi, and Johannesburg. His works have graced exhibitions like A Diagnosis of Time; Unlearn What You Have Learned (SCCA Tamale, Ghana, 2021), and he has participated in Vienna Biennale 2021 and Bamako Encounters – African Biennale of Photography in 2017 and 2019.
3. Patrice Aphrodite Helmar. Born in Juneau, Alaska, Patrice Aphrodite Helmar s artistic journey began in their father s camera shop and darkroom. Their multidisciplinary work encompasses photography and explores labor, class, queerness, and the politics of representation. Helmar holds degrees from the University of Southeast Alaska (M.A.T., 2013), Columbia University (M.F.A., 2015), and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (2022). Currently, they serve as a Lecturer on Art, Film, and Visual Studies at Harvard University, living and working between Juneau, AK, and New York, NY. Their work has been showcased at institutions like the Jewish Museum, Gaa Gallery, and the National Museum of Iceland.
4. Nhu Xuan Hua. French photographer of Vietnamese heritage, Nhu Xuan Hua s artistic trajectory involves a background in art history and cinema. Having worked for notable fashion houses in London, she returned to Paris, exploring a multidisciplinary storytelling practice. In 2022, her solo show, "Hug of a Swan," at Huis Marseille (Amsterdam), showcased various projects from the last six years. Her debut publication, "Tropism, Consequences of a Displaced Memory" (Area Books, 2022), reinterprets archival family pictures through digital interventions, providing insights into the impact of time and inherited memory.
5. Hailun Ma. With a B.F.A. in Photography and M.P.S. in Fashion Photography from the School of Visual Arts, Hailun Ma s photographic journey took an intriguing turn. Inspired by her fashion photography experience in New York, Ma developed a deep appreciation for Xinjiang s culture, fashion, and youth. Her work has been featured in exhibitions globally, from New York to Mumbai to Beijing. She exhibited solo shows organized by Gaotai Gallery (Urumqi), Mine Project (Hong Kong), and Alter (Shanghai). Her work is part of esteemed collections worldwide, including the White Rabbit Gallery (Sydney) and X Museum (Beijing).
6. Rory Mulligan. An M.F.A. graduate from Yale University, Rory Mulligan serves as an Assistant Teaching Professor of Art at Drew University in Madison, NJ. His photography has received acclaim nationally and internationally, finding a place in the permanent collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Light Work. Mulligan s contributions extend to publications such as J&L Books, Blind Spot, MATTE, Soft Copy, and The New York Times Magazine. As an artist-in-residence at Light Work (Syracuse, NY) and LMCC’s Art Residency Program on Governor’s Island, he has shared his insights with institutions like Sarah Lawrence College, Yale University, and the School of the Art Institute Chicago.
7. Trina Michelle Robinson. An artist exploring the intersection of memory and migration, Trina Michelle Robinson employs installation, film, print media, photography, and archival materials in her work. Exhibiting at prestigious venues such as the BlackStar Film Festival, San Francisco Art Commission Main Gallery, and the Museum of Contemporary Art - Arlington, Robinson holds an M.F.A. from California College of the Arts. In 2022, she had a solo exhibition at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) as part of their Emerging Artist Program and is currently featured in the Bay Area Now 9 at Yerba Buena Center for Fine Arts in San Francisco.
8. Keisha Scarville. Weaving together themes of transformation, place, latencies, and the elusive body, Keisha Scarville s artistic vision has found resonance at the Studio Museum of Harlem, ICA Philadelphia, and The Brooklyn Museum of Art. Engaging in artist residencies at Vermont Studio Center, Lightwork, and Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Scarville s work has appeared in publications such as Transition, Nueva Luz, and The New York Times. Her book "lick of tongue rub of finger on soft wound" was shortlisted for the 2023 Aperture-Paris PhotoBook Awards.
9. Caroline Tompkins. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York City, she has made significant strides in commercial and editorial photography. Her portfolio includes collaborations with Apple, The New York Times, Vogue, and others, with numerous magazine covers to her credit. Tompkins has also teaches, offering courses on photography theory and editorial photography landscapes. Her debut monograph, "Bedfellow," published by Palm* Studios in 2023, earned her the 2023 Lucie Foundation Photobook Award and the Nobuyoshi Araki MA-g Award.
10. Wilfred Ukpong. A French Nigerian artist and researcher, Wilfred Ukpong employs diverse mediums such as photography, film, sculpture, performance, architecture, and creative workshops in his socially engaged practice. Exhibiting internationally, Ukpong s projects have been exhibited at the Alliance Française/Mike Adenuga Centre (Nigeria), FotoFest, Houston (USA), and Pipe Factory Glasgow (UK). His project "Blazing Century 1" received a grant from the Prince Claus Fund Amsterdam (2010), while his film "Future World" (2017) garnered awards and was presented at the Nigerian Senate to advocate for environmental change in the Niger Delta.
