Aperture, Pratt, and the Strand book store present an exhibition featuring the winners and runners-up of the Eye on the Strand photography contest. A special exhibition on view at the Pratt Institute CCPS Gallery will showcase the winning images of grand prize winner Josh Robinson Strand Shadows, second-place winner Cary Conover Upside Down, third-place winner and viewers’ choice winner Manjari Sharma Strand, The Dreamer’s Land, as well as the work of twenty finalists. The winners were selected by a prestigious panel of judges from over five hundred submissions of unique and creative photographic representations of the Strand book store. As the grand prize winner, Josh Robinson will receive a collection of fifty Aperture photography books, lunch with internationally renowned photographer Mary Ellen Mark courtesy of Balthazar Restaurant, a $100 Blurb Gift card, a one-year subscription to Aperture and New York magazine, and his photograph on exhibition at Pratt CCPS Gallery as well as the Strand’s online Photo Gallery.

Click here to view the winners’ images, as well as those of the twenty finalists, at the Strand’s online photography gallery.

Eye on The Strand
Opening reception: Wednesday, July 15, 2009, 6:00–8:00 pm
Exhibition on view: Wednesday, July 15, 2009—Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Pratt Institute Center for Continuing and Professional Studies Gallery
144 West 14th Street, 2nd floor
New York, New York
(212) 308-7720

Aperture, Pratt, and the Strand Book Store are pleased to announce the winners of the Eye on the Strand photography contest, which kicked off last fall and concluded March 31, 2009. The winners were chosen by a prestigious panel of judges from over 500 submissions featuring unique and creative photo representations of the Strand Book Store. The Grand Prize Winner will get to have lunch at New York City’s famous Balthazar Restaurant with world-renowned photographer Mary Ellen Mark, and receive a collection of Aperture books, among other prizes.

The work of the grand prize, second and third place winners and twenty finalists will be featured in a special exhibition to open at the Pratt Institute CCPS Gallery on July 16, 2009. An opening reception will take place Wednesday, July 15 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. To read about contest details, including prizes awarded, and to view the winning images, click here to visit The Strand’s online photography gallery.

Grand Prize Photo Winner: Josh Robinson/“Strand Shadows”
Second Place Photo: Cary Conover/“Upside Down”
Third Place Photo and Viewers’ Choice Winner: Manjari Sharma/“Strand, The dreamer’s land”

Opening Receptions with the Winners and Finalists
Wednesday, July 15, 2009  6:00–8:00 pm
Pratt Institute CCPS Gallery
144 West 14th Street, 2nd floor, New York
(212) 647-7199

Starting this Friday are three chances to meet photographer Hank Willis Thomas get a book signed and hear him speak about his work in New York. The first recipient of the Aperture West Book Prize, Hank will be signing copies of his first monograph, Pitch Blackness, at the ICP Museum Store this Friday, February 6. This book features his highly provocative series B®ANDED, which addresses the commodification of African-American male identity. Deborah Willis, Hank’s mother, will also be at ICP signing copies of her work Obama: The Historic Campaign in Photographs.

As part of the Eye on the Strand Contest series, Aperture is pleased to announce a special talk and book signing with Hank next Tuesday.

An exhibition titled Pitch Blackness, featuring never-before-seen work will open at  Jack Shainman Gallery Thursday, February 12.

Click here to buy a limited-edition print from Hank Willis Thomas through Aperture.

Hank Willis Thomas and Deborah Willis Booksigning
Friday, February 6, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
International Center of Photography Museum Bookstore
1133 Avenue of the Americas, New York
(212) 857-9725

Eye on the Strand Event with Hank Willis Thomas
Thursday, January 29, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Strand Bookstore
828 Broadway, New York
(212) 473-1452

Hank Willis Thomas: Pitch Blackness

Exhibition on view: Thursday, February 12-Saturday, March 14, 2009

Opening reception: Thursday, February 12, 2009  6:00-8:00 p.m.

Jack Shainman Gallery
513 West 20th Street, New York
(212) 645-1701

As part of the Eye on the Strand series, photographer Michal Chelbin will be at Strand Bookstore discussing her first monograph Strangely Familiar: Acrobats, Athletes and other Traveling Troupes, published by Aperture. Her images feature richly detailed, internally charged portraits of small town performers in circuses and other traveling troupes taken over a period of six years in the Ukraine, Russia, Israel and England. Chelbin’s most frequent subjects are children and adolescents, yet her work encompasses a mix of generations. Often captured in performance costumes, Chelbin’s palette is intense, with a distinctive use of saturated pinks, blues, and greens. Her black-and-white images, which are intermingled throughout the book, have an almost pictorialist richness.

Click here to buy a limited edition print from Michal Chelbin’s Strangely Familiar through Aperture.

Eye on the Strand Event with Michal Chelbin
Thursday, January 29, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Strand Bookstore
828 Broadway, New York
(212) 473-1452

Eye on the Strand is a photography contest co-organized by Strand Bookstore, Aperture and Pratt Institute and is open to amateur and professional photographers to submit photo representations of the famous Strand bookstore by February 27, 2009. There will be 24 winners chosen by a prestigious jury. Prizes include an afternoon with internationally renowned photographer Mary Ellen Mark; 50 Aperture photography books; a group exhibit at Pratt CCPS gallery; a digital photography or computer graphics course at Pratt CCPS; a $350 B&H photo gift card.

The next Eye on the Strand event is a talk with photographer Hank Willis Thomas on Tuesday, February 10.