Sandra M. Stevenson is an award-winning writer, visual editor, and curator in the photography department at The Washington Post. As deputy director of photography, she manages a portfolio that includes international, climate, and health and science issues. Prior to joining The Post, Stevenson was at CNN, where she managed a team of picture editors who curated the home screen, edited stories and newsletters, as well as special projects. Before CNN, she was at the New York Times, where she oversaw digital photo editors on the news desk, and worked on visual content for Race/Related and the Gender, in addition to exclusive projects such as “Overlooked” and “This Is 18.” After receiving a BA in English from Syracuse University, Stevenson spent four years working at NBC – first as a page and then working on various news programs. From there, she became the program coordinator for the Black Filmmaker Foundation. During her time there, she held a deep commitment to helping people of color enter the film industry at various levels. Stevenson then returned to the news industry, by taking on a position at the Associated Press, where she spent eight years moving up from photo assistant to overseeing photo news coverage for Latin America and the Caribbean. She also took time to work on and an advanced degree in multimedia from University of Toulouse in France. 
Stevenson was a contributing writer in the book “Unseen: Unpublished Black History from The New York Times Photo Archives.” She was the picture editor and co-curator on the book “This Is 18.”
General Application Guidelines
SUBMIT
• Up to 6 images* from a project or series or can be singular; *additional images are $5 each
• Project Statement of 325 words
DISCOUNT DEADLINE: February 15, 2023
APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 15, 2023
FINAL DEADLINE: March 19, 2023
EARLY DISCOUNT APPLICATION FEES: $35 CENTER Member // $45 Non-Members
GENERAL FEES: $45 CENTER Member // $55 Non-Members
APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED
ELIGIBILITY
All of CENTER’s Calls for Entry opportunities accept submissions from national and international photographers and lens-based artists. Work can have been made at any time, and work that has been previously submitted may be re-submitted as we invite new jurors each year.
• APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Submission of more than 6 files requires $5 for each additional file up to 20, applies to the Multimedia, Personal, Social, and Environmental Awards only. Jurors will only review paid-for images and files.
CRITERIA & THE JURY PROCESS
Q: WHAT ARE THE SELECTION CRITERIA?
A: 1) Projects, as well as all submitted text, should be examples of excellence within the discipline, both visually and conceptually.
2) The award winners should be at a place in their work and career where they can benefit from the exposure, networks, and opportunities that CENTER offers.
3) The photographer must be committed and able to ensure the advancement of the project with the support received.
Q: DO YOU “PRE-SCREEN”?
A: No, all work submitted is seen by the jurors only.
Q: WHAT ARE JURORS LOOKING FOR?
A: The jurors are looking for cohesive, compelling bodies of work that are ready for international recognition.
Q: WILL I RECEIVE FEEDBACK ON THE WORK?
A: Due to the number of submissions the committee is unable to provide specific feedback at this time but we will let you know if the work advances to the higher rounds of judging.
Q: MAY I SEND MY BOOK, POSTER, EXHIBITION ANNOUNCEMENT, ETC.?
A: Websites, prints, books, posters, announcements, and other physical/emailed materials sent to us will are not be reviewed for submission. You must submit your work within the online submission portal for your work to be reviewed by the categories juror.
Q: CAN WE APPLY AS A DUO OR GROUP?
A: Yes, please use one artist’s name and information on the application, and in your project statement note that this is a collaboration. To ensure a blind jury process, please do not list the group of artists’ names in the project statement. Please note that winners will receive one slot at Review Santa Fe, so the group would sit together in front of each reviewer.
APPLICATION FAQs
Q: WHEN IS THE DEADLINE?
A: February 15, 2023, for the discounted entry fees, and March 19, 2023, for the final deadline.
Q: WHERE DO I APPLY?
A: You will apply within our online submission system that is sent to you via email once your payment has been processed.
Q: WHAT ARE THE FILE REQUIREMENTS?
A: All images and files must be uploaded through our online submission system. We accept JPG, PDF, TIFF & PNG files for all application categories. JPGs must be sized at 1400 pixels on the longest side with a 125 maximum dpi. Keep any TIFF or PDF documents under 5MB. Additional accepted file types for only the Multimedia Award, Review Santa Fe, and Blue Earth Fiscal Sponsorship include MP3, Mp4, and MOV. Video and Audio files should be under 3 minutes and limited to 200 MB each. Video files should be hosted on Vimeo, Youtube, or a similar service. If they are password protected, be sure to include credentials for the jury.
Q: HOW SHOULD I LABEL MY FILES?
A: To successfully order files during upload, we suggest you rename files before uploading them as they are uploaded and organized in alpha order. Begin the filename with a lower-case alphabetical letter and include the title in the filename after the letter and underscore [ex: a_Title.jpg, b_Title.jpg].
Q: MAY I SUBMIT TWO OR MORE BODIES OF WORK?
A: Yes, you can submit more than one portfolio to the same category, however you must pay for an additional entry. This applies to all categories open for submission.
Q: MAY I COMBINE BLACK & WHITE AND COLOR IMAGES INTO ONE BODY OF WORK?
A: Yes, all types of image processes are allowed into each submission.
PROJECT STATEMENTS:
The first sentence of your project statement should include a short synopsis of the project. Statements are limited to 325 words. As our jurying process is blind, please do not include your name, any website links, or emails in your statement.
Q: WHERE DO I UPLOAD MY STATEMENT?
A: You will upload your artist statement within our online application form along with your images.
Q: TO WHICH DIMENSIONS ARE YOU REFERRING TO INCLUDE IN THE PROJECT STATEMENT?
A: The dimensions of the final product. For instance, if you print 20″ x 24″ Cibachrome and are submitting 8″ x 10″ digital prints please indicate the final version of the work.
Q: WHERE CAN I INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROCESS AND MEDIUM OF MY WORK?
A: Please indicate the process and the medium used for your project, series, singular images, or multimedia project in the dedicated section below the project statement. This field is not required to complete, however, it can provide important information about your series that may progress it into the final selection process.
Visit our application FAQ’s & guidelines page for more information. Have additional questions? Contact us directly.
Sandra M. Stevenson • Deputy Director of Photography, The Washington Post
