A Reader Writes...

We received this letter from a newsletter subscriber regarding our announcement of the Berenice Abbot Prize at the Julia Dean workshops.

Since you have elected to publicize the B. Abbott Award through the Julia Dean Workshop, I would like to see you maintain some accountability by asking for the Workshop/ Gallery to submit to a complete accounting of the amount of dues collected—at $95.00 an entry. This could easily be anywhere from $40,000 to $100,000…

I have the feeling that Ms. Abbott's name is being used by the workshop to make a handsome profit off of emerging artists' need/desire to exhibit their works.

It's certainly not unfair to ask for a reasonable contribution to defer some of the costs of an award or a show but this seems to me to be down right greedy and unnecessary. I would like to be proved wrong.

When it comes to announcements, publications like CameraArts (and, by extension, this blog) can only report on events as they are received. We can research the facts if needed, but it is not our place to judge the methods of any organization or business that receives editorial coverage. In this case, any questions about the process of the Berenice Abbot Prize, and its juried exhibition, are best left to Julia Dean Workshops. In providing the news, we have to remain impartial on these matters, so any questions about integrity of fees should be left to the organization itself.

If you, the reader, have any views on this issue, or any surrounding calls for entry and other opportunities, please give us your comments.