SPMOP presents Photo Laureate 2023: the Nominees.

Traditionally, a laureate is someone who is being honored because of exceptional skills or performances, and, according to SPMOP, this is the first time St. Petersburg will have a photographer laureate. 

The nominees for Photo Laureate have been chosen based on their exceptional ability to create images that document and represent the people and the city, in their own style and creativity, and at the same time create a powerful visual narrative.

The 2023 Photo Laureate will have the honor to create an historical document of events, people and places of Tampa Bay for the next twelve months. The results of this project will be shown next year in a solo exhibition.

 The five nominees are:

– Jaime Aelavanthara 

– Selina Roman

– Thomas Sayers-Ellis

– Emily Will

– Tristan Wheelock

The new Photo Laureate will be announced in the gallery on May 13^th at 7 pm.

St. Petersburg Month of Photography (SPMOP) is a non-profit organization that aims to create a local platform for lens-based artists and art loving audiences to connect, learn and get inspired through the medium of photography.

SPMOP’s mission is to bring to St. Pete the stories, beauty and humanity seen through the lens of photographers, local or international, amateur or professional, young and old. Like no other medium, photography has the ability to connect people, expand knowledge and create profound narratives.

Photography’s power to tell stories through images can reach beyond constructed borders and barriers, connecting people from all cultures and backgrounds in an authentic way. Storytelling is what makes us human.

For more information on SPMOP, including month-long events and activities, please visit https://spmop.org/