Moyra Davey Wins 2018 Scotiabank Photography Award

TORONTO, May 8th - Today, Moyra Davey was named the winner of the eighth annual Scotiabank Photography Award at the Scotiabank Photography Award Gala Reception in Toronto. More about Moyra by clicking here

"Moyra's art is absolutely outstanding. Her lens shifts our eyes to unseen, ordinary, and often overlooked moments," said Edward Burtynsky, Chair of the Scotiabank Photography Award jury and internationally renowned Canadian photo artist. "Moyra's passion for reflection has us eager to work alongside her to create a striking book, encapsulating her work. We look forward to seeing her work in the elegant Ryerson Image Center's galleries at the 2019 Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival in Toronto."

The Scotiabank Photography Award was founded in 2010 with Edward Burtynsky to celebrate the creative vision and accomplishments of some of our country's most gifted photographers. It is Canada's largest and most prestigious annual peer-nominated and peer-reviewed award that recognizes the achievements of an established mid-to-later career artist and strives to accelerate their career as he or she reaches for the next level of national and international recognition.

The prestigious Scotiabank Photography Award includes a $50,000 cash prize, a solo Primary Exhibition at the Ryerson Image Centre during the 2019 Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, and a book of the winner's work to be published and distributed worldwide by renowned art book publisher, Steidl.

Moyra Davey joins an exclusive group of artists who have been honoured with the Scotiabank Photography Award, including: Shelley Niro (2017), Suzy Lake (2016), Angela Grauerholz (2015), Mark Ruwedel (2014), Stan Douglas (2013), Arnaud Maggs (2012) and Lynne Cohen (2011).

"Moyra's profound images showcase everyday objects through an unconventional lens," said Jacquie Ryan, Vice President, Sponsorship and Philanthropy, Scotiabank. "On behalf of Scotiabank, I am thrilled to congratulate Moyra on this award for her diverse work that layers texture and history within each image. Scotiabank's extensive history and deep passion for supporting the arts allows for Moyra Davey and other artists to be recognized for their incredible work. We thank them for exposing us to new ideas and enriching our communities across the world."

Moyra Davey has built her repertoire over the past four decades crossing over photography, videography and writing mediums. For 10 years, Moyra has been transporting her images through the mail, collecting stamps, kilometres of travel and fingerprints of exchange. Her work capturing newsstands on the streets of New York highlights the extraordinariness of everyday objects and spaces. Different from the current trend of large-scale, digitally manipulated photographs, Moyra's work demonstrates the practice of photography grown out of happenstance.

Greg Staats and Stephen Waddell were also finalists for this year's award. The 2018 Scotiabank Photography Award Nominees represent the result of an annual Canada-wide search for excellence. The Scotiabank Photography Award is peer-reviewed at every stage of the nomination and adjudication process and nominees must meet eligibility criteria. The two shortlisted artists each receive cash prizes of $10,000. Members of the 2018 jury include:

Edward Burtynsky, Jury Chair, Artist;
Candice Hopkins, Writer/Curator;
Marie-Josée Jean, Artistic Director, VOX Centre de l'image contemporaine; and,
Mark Lewis, Artist.

Canadians can view 2017 Scotiabank Photography Award winner, Shelley Niro's Primary Exhibition at the Ryerson Image Centre during the 2018 Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival and beyond. The Exhibition is open to the public free of charge, from April 28 to August 5, 2018.

Note:  more information about the Scotiabank Photography Award winner, finalists and jury, please visit the website at www.scotiabank.com/photoaward