Meet Some New Critical Mass 2020 Jurors!

 

David Chickey – Publisher and Creative Director Radius Books

 David Chickey is the Creative Director of Radius Books, a non-profit publishing company based in Santa Fe, New Mexico that focuses on photography and fine art monographs. Chickey co-founded Radius Books in 2007 while working as a graphic designer and curator in various capacities in the art world. Radius publishes 15-20 titles a year and donates copies of each book to school, pubic and university libraries across the country, especially targeting rural and under-served libraries.

Since its founding, Radius has been recognized with multiple design and publishing awards. Recent and forthcoming titles include monographs by David Maisel, Colleen Plumb, Allison Rossiter, Kyle Meyer, and Debi Cornwall.

 

 

Susan Edgley – Executive Director, Texas Photographic Society

 Susan Edgely, the Executive Director of the Texas Photographic Society has an extensive background in corporate finance, working for several Fortune 500 companies in a professional capacity. In addition to her knowledge of business process and administration, Susan is an accomplished photographer, writer, editor, and graphic designer.

The Texas Photographic Society has over 500 members from 42 states and 8 countries. Founded in 1984, TPS supports its members and community by offering exhibitions, publications, workshops and mentorship programs. Guest curators/speakers/exhibitors have included Natasha Egan, Arthur Meyerson, Jamey Stillings, Lisa Elmaleh, Kate Breakey, Jasmine DeFoore and Sarah Sudhoff.

 

 

 

Gianluca Gamberini – Publisher,  L’Artiere Edizioni 

L’Artiere Edizione was founded in 2013 by Gianluca and Gianmarco Gamerini in Bologna, Italy. They specialize in photography books characterized by the high quality of materials, careful craftsmanship and tactile design decisions, as well as producing exemplary special editions. Part of the book production process is the pairing of different curators and designers with photographers with the intent of encouraging collaborative, careful aesthetic choices. A photographer himself, Gianluca comes from a lineage of photobook publishers.

 Monographs by Michele Borzoni, Carolle Bénitah, Hitoshi Fugo, Andrea Modica, Larry Fink, and Amy Friend have been recently produced by L’Artiere – a very international/diverse roster of published artists.

 

 

 

 

Markus + Angelika Hartmann, Directors + Publishers, Hartman Projects + Hartmann Books

Based in Stuttgart, Germany, the exhibition and artist agency Hartmann Projects was founded in 2014, and Hartmann books followed in 2016. Markus + Angelika represent artists internationally, working with institutions, galleries, collectors, publishers and the media. They seek out artists whose work they feel is persuasive and relevant and expose it to the public though exhibition, media and publishing. They believe in coincidences and the power of pictures to help overcome cultural, religious, and political boundaries.

Hartmann Books publishes 10-12 titles a year, ranging from Landscape and Portraits, to Urban Architecture and Contemporary History and Politics.

 

 

Zora J Murff, Co-Curator, Strange Fire Collective

Zora  Murff is an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Arkansas. He received his MFA from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and holds a BS in Psychology from Iowa State University. Merging his educational experiences, Murff uses his practice to highlight intersections between various social systems and photography. He has published books with Aint-Bad Editions (PULLED FROM PUBLISHER) and Kris Graves Projects.

Murff is also a Co-Curator of Strange Fire Collective, a group of interdisciplinary artists, writers, and curators working to construct and promote an archive of artwork created by diverse makers.

 

 

 

Caterina Mestrovich, Associate Director, Atlas Gallery

Photography specialist Caterina Mestrovich is the Associate Director at the Atlas Gallery in London. She co-curates the extensive exhibition program (approximately 6 shows per year) and represents the gallery at major international art fairs such as Paris Photo, Photo London, Photo Shanghai, Art Miami and AIPAD New York. Born and raised in Venice, Italy, Caterina grew up with a love for art, and followed her passion to London in 2012, where she gained experience at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips. She holds degrees in Art History and Psychology.

Atlas Gallery houses extensive holdings of work by 20^thcentury masters as well as representing a diverse range of contemporary photographers.

 

Adam Monohon, Curatorial Assistant, Center for Creative Photography

Adam Monohon is a scholar and curator of photography committed to promoting equity in the cultural heritage sector. He is privileged to work with one of the most significant resources (270 archival collections) of photography in the United States. The CCP is recognized as one of the world’s finest academic art museums and study centers for the history of photography. In addition to the archival collections, the Center also actively acquires individual photographs by modern and contemporary photographers. 

Monhan is interested in photography as it relates to feminism, queer theory, photographic materiality, and contemporary East Asian photography.

 

Molly Newgard, Executive Director, Blue Sky Gallery

Molly Newgard has been involved as a patron and professional in the Portland arts community for the last 20 years, after stints in San Francisco, Chicago, and LA. A native of California, she graduated with a BA in French literature and Art History from UC Davis and received an MA in Modern Art History, Theory and Criticism from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Molly spent a decade as an adjunct assistant professor of Art History, teaching courses including the History of Photography at Portland State University and PNCA, and the prior three years in the education department at the Portland Art Museum.

 Founded in the 1970’s in Portland, Blue Sky hosts 20-25 exhibitions annually, supporting both emerging and established artists that exemplify the finest in photographic vision and innovation, earning the accolade “the best record of discovering new photographer of any artist’s space in the country.”

 

 

Maarten Schilt, Founder, Schilt Publishing + Gallery

Schilt Publishing is based in Amsterdam and publishes high profile journalistic, documentary, and art photography books. They also serve as the long-term publishing partner of FotoFest in Houston. Photographers published or being published by Schilt Publishing are (amongst many others):  Ally Alegra, Fred Baldwin, Jodi Bieber, Geert Broerjes, David Chancellor, Sergey Chilikov, Kirk Crippens, Odette England, Anna Fox, Cig Harvey, Vivian Keulards, Diana Matar, David Pace, Martin Parr, Ekaterina Solovieva, Wendy Watriss, and Donald Weber.

In 2014, Schilt Gallery opened its doors, a logical next step which provides an even broader basis in the international photography world. Since then dozens of shows have been produced with emerging as well as acclaimed photographers from all over the world.

 

 

Emily Sheffer, Founder, Dust Collective

Dust Collective, founded in 2017 in New England by Emily Sheffer, publishes handmade photography books that focus on themes of time, weather, landscape, space, the history of photography, and alternative photographic processes. Dust Collective both designs and publishes original titles and also reaches out to artists who make their own books and show those as well.

 A recent publication titled Tide and Air features the work of Danielle Dean, Alyssa Minahan, and Barbara Bosworth. The images speak of the passage of time and the photographic qualities of air and water. Another recent title is from Kyra Schmit titled Coastal Matter, and Emily just finished a book of her own work, A Short History of Cyanotype.

 

Anette Skuggedal, Founder, Lumina Gallery

For the last decade, curator Anette Skuggedal has been working in the photographic arts, after founding PUG OSLO/Lumina Gallery in Norway. The gallery promotes photographers who push the boundaries of contemporary art and practice creative integrity and excellent craftsmanship: Sally Mann, Roger Ballen, Arno Minkkinen, Elin Hoyland, Luis Gonzales Palma, and Joel Peter Witkin (among others). Anette has designed, produced, and published books and catalogs for represented artists.  

Lumina Gallery has a new and challenging project called Lumina Projects, which was started to give recognition and guidance to emerging talents.

 

 

 

Tracey Woods, Independent Photo Editor/Producer

Tracey Woods is an award-winning photo editor, producer and consultant who has produced editorial and branded content for a variety of brands including: Essence, Bon Appetit, InStyle Specials, and Wiley Publishing. She has conducted portfolio reviews, participated on panels and judged photography contests for American Photographic Artists, American Society of Media Photographers, Atlanta Celebrates Photography, Eddie Adams Workshop, NewYork Times Portfolio Review, NYC Fotoworks, Palm Springs Photo Festival, Photo District News and the Society of Publication Designers.

She holds an MFA in Photography from Pratt Institute.