Concordia University announces Dick and Gretchen Evans Fellowship for
Photography

MONTREAL, June 10 /CNW Telbec/ - Concordia University today announced the creation of the Dick and Gretchen Evans Fellowship for Photography. The $51,000 awards will support three annual $17,000 fellowships for outstanding photography students in the final year of their graduate program in the university's Faculty of Fine Arts. The first fellowship will be awarded in spring 2011.

"We are delighted that Dick and Gretchen Evans have recognized the quality of our photography program and the talents of our students in this meaningful way," says Judith Woodsworth, Concordia President and Vice-Chancellor. "This fellowship will advance our efforts to attract outstanding students to photography and other studio arts."

Over the years, Dick Evans, former Rio Tinto Alcan chief executive, and his wife, Gretchen, have actively supported education at a number of institutions across North America by donating both time and money.

"Gretchen and I are strong believers in the benefits and importance of higher education across a spectrum of subjects, including the arts," says Dick Evans. "It has been proven that investments in education contribute to economic growth, as well as social and political well-being. We believe photography and other visual arts are a crucial element of a society's identity."

Mr. Evans will also donate half of the profits from In Transit Images, an electronic gallery he recently created with his partner, Bob Hendriks, to promote the work of established and emerging photographers. This donation will supplement the fellowship.

Prize for Photography

Concordia also announced that Iranian-born Aydin Matlabi is the winner of the Dick and Gretchen Evans Prize for Photography, a one-time $6,000 cash prize. Matlabi, selected by a jury of six Concordia photography professors, is in his final year of a Master of Fine Arts degree in Studio Arts and has already established a career in photography. Matlabi's courage and consciousness as a photojournalist were reflected in the images he shot and managed to get out of Iran during the country's recent political upheaval. To read more about his experiences in Iran, click here http://alumni.concordia.ca/news/magazine/2010/.

"Aydin is a stellar student and promising young artist," says Raymonde April, chair of the Jury who is also chair and professor of Studio Arts. "His work is conceptually strong, technically very good, intellectually stimulating and formally stunning."

About the Faculty of Fine Arts at Concordia University

Concordia University's Faculty of Fine Arts (http://finearts.concordia.ca/) enjoys a longstanding reputation as one of Canada's foremost institutions for the study and creation of visual and performing arts. Nine departments and three research centres provide the country's most comprehensive range of fine arts programs and research. The Faculty's role is to champion the arts as a vital and strategic activity that shapes and reflects contemporary culture. Faculty members and alumni are among Canada's most celebrated contemporary artists. Located in Montreal and benefiting from the vibrant culture that this offers, the Faculty of Fine Arts continues to attract the best and the brightest in fine arts in Canada and beyond.

About In Transit Images

In Transit Images (http://www.intransitimages.com/) is a newly launched online gallery created by photographers for photographers to showcase and sell their images. The founders are Dick Evans, former Rio Tinto Alcan chief executive and an avid amateur photographer, and professional Montreal photographer Bob Hendriks. The company's goal is to introduce new artists to a broader audience by providing them with an established commercial platform and enhanced global reach. Half of In Transit Images' profits will go to supplementing funds already committed by Dick and Gretchen Evans to create the Dick and Gretchen Evans Fellowship for Photography at Concordia University.

About Aydin Matlabi

Aydin Matlabi, a native of Tehran, Iran, immigrated to Canada as a refugee at a young age. For the past five years, Matlabi travelled to hot spots in the Middle East and during the past three years, he made frequent trips to Iran to finish his thesis project. On his last trip to Iran in summer 2009, he was one of the participants in the country's Green Movement. His defiance led to his arrest and expulsion.

For further information: Lucy Niro, Director of Communications, Advancement and Alumni Relations, Concordia University, Phone: [phone], ext. 4977, Mobile: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Bob Hendriks, Managing Director, In Transit Images Inc., Phone: [phone], Mobile: [phone], Email: [email protected]