At Blue Earth, we are constantly reviewing our programs to find ways we can improve services to project photographers.  In order to expand opportunities for photographers to apply for sponsorship, our Board of Directors has decided to increase the submission calendar from two to four rounds per year.  Submissions will now be accepted for review on March 21, June 21, September 21, and December 21 effective immediately.

While unfortunately this will double the workload in our office, we feel it is important to provide as many opportunities as possible for photographers to participate.  Please review our submission guidelines if you are interested in applying for project sponsorship.

- Bart J. Cannon, Program Manager

We are very pleased to announce the acceptance of three new projects in the spring 2009 round: The Idea of India: Religious and Cultural Pluralism as Resistance to Sectarian Conflict - Asim Rafiqui; Life in Peril: Tanzanian Albino People - Rozarii Lynch; and Shifting Into Third: The Graveyard Shift - Djordje Zlatanovic.

Everyone at Blue Earth wishes to congratulate our new project photographers!  We very much look forward to working together to further their projects highlighting these important issues.

The Idea of India: Religious and Cultural Pluralism as Resistance to Sectarian Conflict - Asim Rafiqui

Based in based in Stockholm, Sweden, Asim’s work examines the shared culture and history of the diverse peoples of India and their “ancient heritage of pluralism and tolerance.”  Through his project, he examines “pluralist landscapes, shared sacred sites, shared cultural traditions and community level efforts at reconciliation within divided communities.”

Life in Peril: Tanzanian Albino People - Rozarii Lynch

Documenting an ongoing tragedy through her project, Rozarii aims at increasing awareness of the terrible discrimination and violence faced by albino Tanzanians and at bringing about positive change in their lives.   Traveling throughout Tanzania, she highlights the health problems “such as poor vision and a high incidence of skin cancer” suffered by albinos in the country as well as “widespread discrimination, a lack of education, and limited financial and health resources.”

Shifting Into Third: The Graveyard Shift - Djordje Zlatanovic

A native of the former Yugoslavia now based in Seattle, Djordje profiles “the people who are the mechanism that makes the clock tick during the day.”  His project focuses on “the people who work the night shift while the rest of us sleep” and examines “their work conditions and the effects these conditions have on their lives.”

Please take a few moments to learn more about their new projects at Blue Earth and join us in welcoming these remarkable and talented photographers!

- Bart J. Cannon, Program Manager

If you will be in the Seattle area in the next couple of months, be sure not to miss Sustainability / Sostenibilidad a new show at the Benham Gallery featuring Blue Earth project photographers Daniel Beltrá and Alejandro Tomás.  The show highlights the work of La Sala, a collective supporting Latino-Hispanic artists, and is “a collaboration and collision of ideas about the value of cultural sustainability and its importance in understanding and implementing sustainable practices.”

The exhibition runs from May 27-July 11, 2009.  Artists’ Reception - June 5, 6-9 p.m.  Special Public Reception - June 19, 5:30-9:30 p.m.  Public Receptions during the monthly First Thursday Art Walks on June 4 & July 2 from 6-8 p.m.

- Bart J. Cannon, Program Manager

Photography resource website PhotoWings is currently highlighting the new work of photojournalist and TED award winner James Nachtwey.   Nachtwey has recently launched his new project to highlight the pandemic of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB).  He is using his talents to raise public awareness about this growing threat to public health and the suffering of its victims, particularly those in lesser developed nations where adequate health care infrastructure is often lacking.  PhotoWings features information about his recent project as well as links to some of his work.

Visit Nachtwey’s XDR-TB project site to view a slideshow of his recent images and to learn more about his project.

- Bart J. Cannon, Program Manager

© Annie Marie Musselman

Recent work from Blue Earth project photographer Annie Marie Musselman’s Finding Trust project is currently being exhibited at Alice Austen House in New York.  The series features images taken at the Sarvey Wildlife Center in Washington, which rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife in the Pacific Northwest and at which she has volunteered for many years.

I believe the wild creatures among us embody the instinct and love we have lost, and with this I realize more and more the purpose of my work.  I believe animals live with us, and are us, we must take care of each other in order to survive. My goal is to document this important human/animal connection and the delicate union that exists between the two.

The opening reception this week was a great success; be sure not to miss the show, which runs through July 16th.  Read more about Musselman’s work on her blog.

- Bart J. Cannon, Program Manager

From LIFE: A Journey Through Time © Frans Lanting

If you haven’t had the opportunity to see Frans Lanting’s LIFE, now is your chance.  A new version of LIFE: A Journey Through Time will have its New York premiere at the Lincoln Center on June 10, 2009, at a gala event launching the World Science Festival.

Highlights of the gala evening program, which will weave together music, images, dance, film, and science, include the New York Premiere of a new version of LIFE: A Journey Through Time, a multimedia orchestral production featuring the imagery of Frans Lanting and the music of Philip Glass in a performance that celebrates the glory of life on Earth. Choreographed by visual designer Alexander V. Nichols, LIFE will be performed by the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, conducted by Maestra Marin Alsop, with images projected dynamically on a cinema-width screen.

A former Blue Earth project photographer, Lanting’s project as well as the resulting multimedia production is a sweeping perspective of the life on our planet “from its earliest beginnings to its present diversity.”  If you are in New York this June, be sure not to miss the performance!

- Bart J. Cannon, Program Manager

As a service to the community, Blue Earth occasionally posts information about funding and other opportunities for project photographers.  Check back on our blog frequently for regular updates.

The Ruth & Harold Chenven Foundation
Deadline:  July 31, 2009

The Ruth & Harold Chenven Foundation gives annual awards to individual craftsperson and artists living and working in the United States, who are engaged in or planning a craft or visual art project.  The RHCF does not accept film, video, performance art or music submissions.  It is expected that applicants will be working artists who have a developed body of work.

An independent jury of three artists will judge the submissions and make its recommendations to the RHCF Board of Directors for final approval.  The maximum award is 1,500 dollars.  Previous winners of a Foundation grant are not eligible for a second award.

Completed applications must be postmarked no later than July 31, 2009.  Applicants will be notified of the jury’s decisions in early November.  The Foundation will accept a maximum of 350 completed applications.  When that limit has been reached we will post a notice on this website.

Environmental Photographer of the Year
Deadline: July 31, 2009

CIWEM’s Environmental Photographer of the Year is one of the fastest growing photographic competitions in the world. It is open to all professional and amateur international photographers. Categories are OSF’s Changing Climates; Black & Veatch’s World of Difference; Quality of Life; The Natural World; and the Young Environmental Photographer of the Year (Under 21).

EPOTY is part of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management’s Arts and Environment initiative, putting creativity into the heart of environmental thinking. Images will be judged on impact, creativity, composition, originality and technical abilities. The competition is open until 5pm on 31st July 2009.

Residency: Joshua Tree National Park
Deadline: July 15, 2009

The Joshua Tree National Park Artist-In-Residence Program, operated by the Riverside Art Museum, offers visual, performing and literary artists a residency preferably from 2-6 weeks long. The accommodations within the park are located at the Lost Horse Ranger Station, a rustic and self-sufficient cabin with nearby panoramic views of the park. AIR artist proposals should be site-specific to Joshua Tree National Park, yet are encouraged to pursue better understanding and dialogue about our national parks, natural resources, environmental, and desert issues.

As per agreement with acceptance into the residency programs, selected artists are asked to donate to the park an original piece of artwork and/or appropriate professional documentation of their writings, music, or performance from their residency in Joshua Tree National Park.

- Bart J. Cannon, Program Manager

If you are a regular reader of the Facing Climate Change blog, you may have noticed that Benjamin Drummond was recently recognized in the Magenta Foundation’s Flash Forward competition as a “2009 Emerging Photographer” in the US.  A distinguished honor - and we heartily congratulate him on the award!

I would only add that, in my humble opinion, Drummond’s work on his Blue Earth sponsored project Facing Climate Change, clearly demonstrates that his talent is a bit beyond just “emerging,” however.  He is obviously well on the way to establishing a substantial body of photographic work!

- Bart J. Cannon, Program Manager

© Tim Matsui

Don’t forget to mark your calendars!  Tomorrow, Saturday May 9th Blue Earth is hosting Tim Matsui presenting “A Chapter of Human Trafficking: Cambodia,” the fourth lecture in our new series on documentary photography that focuses on global environments, social, and cultural issues.  Tim will speak about his ongoing work documenting the complexities of human trafficking and exploitation, highlighting his time in Southeast Asia.  Q & A will follow the presentation.

All Blue Earth lectures are held Saturdays, 2 p.m.at the Henry Art Gallery Auditorium, 15th Ave NE & 41st Street in Seattle. Admission is free for Henry Art Gallery and Blue Earth members; $5 for students w/ ID or $10 for general admission. Tickets will be available at the door.

- Bart J. Cannon, Program Manager

Former Blue Earth board member Adam L. Weintraub (center) during a candid moment earlier this year discussing projects with Heather Joy Helbach-Olds and Peter Speyer during a break from a planning session at the board retreat.

Blue Earth is announcing today the retirement of Adam L. Weintraub from the Board of Directors, after over a decade of service to the organization including an extended term as President.  We cannot possibly thank Adam enough for his contributions over the years, both in his volunteer work on behalf of Blue Earth and in his assistance to our sponsored project photographers.  He has been a pillar of the organization and will be sorely missed.

Adam L. Weintraub is a Seattle-based freelance photographer often found collaborating with artists and photographing promotionally within the arts community.  He is involved in the recuperation and permanent collection of the Martín Chambi Archives in Cusco, Peru where he owns and operates Photoexperience.net, full-immersion photographic workshops, in collaboration with Santa Fe Workshops.  He also runs a B&B in Cusco, Panza del Artista, at his family’s home.

Though Adam is leaving the Board of Directors, he continues to be a strong supporter of Blue Earth.  We will always be able to rely on his advice as the organization continues to develop our programming.

Once again, our thanks to Adam for his generous service!

- Bart J. Cannon, Program Manager

As we previously announced, earlier in April Blue Earth project photographer Daniel Beltrá received The Prince’s Rainforests Project Award.  This prestigious award was founded by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and is intended to bring attention to “the global role played by rainforests in climate change and aims to achieve consensus about how the rate of deforestation might be slowed and stopped.”

The Prince’s Rainforests Project channel on YouTube has just published the recorded presentation in which HRH The Prince of Wales introduced Beltrá as the winner at Cannes.  Footage includes his recent meeting with Beltrá earlier this year.

Once more, our congratulations to Daniel!

- Bart J. Cannon, Program Manager