The Chico Review - Photobook Retreat and Publishing Prize 2025

The Chico Review is the country’s premier Photobook Retreat. Organized by Charcoal Book Club, it takes place over six nights at Chico Hot Springs Resort, near Livingston Montana, USA.

Overview

Sixty-four applicants will be selected by the jury and invited to spend the week with over twenty of the most influential and creative photographers, book makers, gallerists, museum curators, and photobook publishers in the industry. One full scholarship and five partial scholarships will be awarded. Student discounts and need-based scholarships will be available to those selected who qualify.

Practical Info

The jury is looking for cohesive, compelling bodies of work that may be relevant for the reviewers and that may benefit from wider recognition. Each project is judged “blind" on the technical quality of images, structure and sequence of project, uniqueness of vision, and the application and consistency of that vision to the project.

The Charcoal Publishing Prize will be awarded to one attending photographer. The selected project will be published and distributed worldwide by Charcoal Book Club. One full tuition scholarship ($4,850) and five partial tuition scholarships ($1,500) to the Chico Review will be awarded to six accepted attendees. Scholarships are awarded based on the quality of submitted projects. Sixty-four total photographers will be invited to travel to take part in this juried photobook retreat. Academic discounts and limited need-based scholarships are available upon acceptance. Attending artists receive ten formal reviews by speakers and reviewers and take part in artist lectures, panel discussions, peer reviews, informal Q&A sessions, and additional evening programming over the seven-day event.

At the end of the event, one grand prize winner will be awarded the Charcoal Publishing Prize. The winning project will be published and distributed worldwide by Charcoal Book Club, the first book-of-the-month club dedicated exclusively to photobooks.

Speakers include Christopher Anderson, Dana Lixenberg, Matthew Genitempo, Sally Mann, Mark Power, Sage Sohear, Sergio Purtell, Carla Williams. Among the reviewers are Daniel Arnold, William Boling, Alejandro Cartagena, Tim Carpenter, Noelle Flores Théard, Gianluca & Gianmarco Gamberini, Pia Paulina Guilmoth, Kominek Gallery, Jason Koxvold, Todd Hido, Shana Lopes, Christopher McCall, Bryan Schutmaat, Brad Zellar.

In addition, the selection jury is composed of Martin Amis (Photobookstore), Ahndraya Parlato (Photographer), Joāo Linneu (VOID) and Miwa Susuda (Session Press).

About Charcoal Book Club

Charcoal Book Club is a photobook subscription service based in the United States.