2025 Selection Committee Statements
Members of the photographic and arts communities comprise the Review Santa Fe Selection Committee. Their responses to the experience of selecting the work for the Review Santa Fe Photo Symposium are below. The 2025 Review Santa Fe list of photographers is forthcoming.
Tony Chirinos • tonychirinos.com • Miami, FL
Professor • Miami Dade College, Florida | Guggenheim Fellow | Review Santa Fe Alum & Excellence in Teaching Award • CENTER
CENTER is a place that empowers artists and photographers to express themselves freely, offering them the opportunity to share their projects at any stage—whether fully realized or still in progress. Each artist has laid bare their most intimate emotions, translating them into images for all of us to witness. I am deeply grateful to CENTER for giving me the chance to experience the act of creation by so many talented artists. The only thing that comes close to witnessing this artistic process is the birth of my children.
I have been fortunate to experience this journey from both sides—first as an artist eager to share my work at CENTER, and now as a juror. As an artist, I had to summon the courage to be vulnerable, to put my work out into the world with the understanding that it could either be accepted or rejected. Rejection does not mean starting over. I was rejected twice and placed on a waiting list before finally showing my work at Review Santa Fe for the first time. But I never stopped—and I never will. I hope you, too, will continue sharing your work, no matter the obstacles.
For those who are accepted, this is just the beginning. The real work starts now refining your images, rethinking your sequence, and ensuring your project statement enhances your vision. As a juror, I approach the review process in three stages: first, I look at the images without reading any text. Then, I return to read the statements. Finally, I revisit the images, referencing the text to make my final judgment.
Photography has the power to change lives, to challenge perspectives, to comfort or unsettle. Great art does both. The projects that stood out most were those with a clear artistic intent—where the meaning behind the images was as strong as the process of creating them. When sequencing made sense, the project was elevated to another level. A well-written project statement can be compelling, but it must be matched by equally powerful images. When strong imagery and a thoughtful statement come together, the result is something truly extraordinary.
I was fortunate to witness this magic unfold many times over. Each of you had a story to tell, and Review Santa Fe 2025 provided the space for you to express it. Thank you for allowing me to immerse myself in your stories.
Holly Stuart Hughes • Brooklyn, New York
Independent Editor, Writer, & Grant Consultant | Review Santa Fe Alum Reviewer • CENTER
I value CENTER’s mission to support lens-based projects and photographers who are exploring issues and ideas in depth. In looking through this year’s entries, I was often impressed by the enterprise photographers demonstrated in seeking fresh perspectives on their chosen subjects. Many tackled the creative challenge of giving visual form to such intangibles as grief, the passage of time, family tensions, societal forces, feelings of connection or alienation from one’s surroundings. Many probed deeply personal questions. The projects that lingered in my mind over days of judging harnessed the power of the photographic medium for communication as well as self-expression. Through a combination of arresting imagery, careful editing, and thoughtful text, they engaged my interest, making me feel excited to follow along on the photographer’s quest for understanding.
To me, a “project” implies a cohesive body of work with a singular vision and focus. In the most resonant projects, each image illustrated the themes laid out in the artist's statements. The text, in turn, amplified the importance of the visuals. The choice of photographic technique or style felt consonant with the subject matter, rather than an embellishment. All the elements worked harmoniously to deliver unique insights. I congratulate all the artists on their perseverance and ingenuity in bringing timely, heartfelt concerns to light.
Christopher Rauschenberg • blueskygallery.org
Co-Founder & Exhibition Committee Member • Blue Sky Gallery | Review Santa Fe Reviewer • CENTER
My first experience of the 20-minute one-on-one portfolio review was at FotoFest in 1988 and I saw how powerful and valuable it could be for photographers to sit down, show, and discuss their work with photo curators and publishers. In addition to reviews at FotoFest and Santa Fe, I have attended portfolio reviews in five other American cities and ten other countries. I have met so many fantastic photographers through these portfolio reviews, enriching my life and enabling Blue Sky to do shows by over 100 reviewees.
I had an exciting time looking at the submissions for the upcoming Review Santa Fe. I have my “Top 40” photographers, all of whose submissions would make great shows for Blue Sky in my opinion. (My Top 40 does include one body of work that we’ve already shown plus one that we’re showing in June.) I didn’t just score the applicants based on my own personal taste, though. The Reviewers at Review Santa Fe and other reviews work as a team, sharing our enthusiasms about the work that we see in our 20-minute sessions. I gave good scores to well-done work that perhaps wasn’t to my taste but that I knew would appeal to my fellow reviewers. My highest rated portfolios were documentary, conceptual, and/or experimental, and included landscapes, still lives, portraits, self-portraits, alt processes, installations, and photo sculpture. Emotionally, the best work ranged from playful to heartbreaking. A lot of the work was about community, and I have to say that I am so grateful to be part of this photographic community. The photographers, reviewers, organizers, and volunteers work so hard to “leave this place better than they found it.” Brava and bravo to you all!
