Last Year Recipients On The PhMuseum Photography Grant

Jaclyn Wright, Khashayar Javanmardi and Shelli Weiler discuss how the grant, which is currently accepting new submissions, impacted their work, disclose new horizons for their practice, and give advice to prospect applicants.

As the PhMuseum 2025 Photography Grant is now open for submissions, we reached out to last year's price recipients to hear about their experience, and touch base on their current work.

What sparked your interest in this grant opportunity?

Jaclyn: I was excited about the opportunity to have my project reviewed by a group of jurors I respect and admire, the potential of having it seen by an international audience, and the financial support the grant would provide me to continue making my work.

Khashayar: I was drawn to PhMuseum's commitment to promoting the work of artists who might not yet be well-known in the industry. Their interesting and captivating website, combined with their unique selection of features, caught my attention when I first discovered them in 2020. I appreciated their willingness to take risks and showcase projects that might not receive attention elsewhere.

Shelli: I’ve been a fan of PhMuseum for a long time now. For years, I’ve been an applicant and follower of PhMuseum’s exhibitions and activities. So I feel very fortunate to have been selected for an organization I have such high respect for.

Reflecting on the time when you received the grant, how did it influence the direction of your artistic practice?

Shelli: It helped immensely. I was able to immediately leave graduate school with the opportunity to work on film sets in Los Angeles. Since all the work I had been making up until that point only took place in New York and Connecticut, it was essential to photograph on the West Coast in a city with such a booming film scene. This was important not only for the amount of films being made all the time (and therefore opportunities to photograph for my project), but also, it was important to travel to another environment to allow the work to grow beyond just an East Coast case study of film production. The light in Los Angeles is different, as is the level of production and the amount of space film sets can occupy. It was exactly what I needed for the work, and I am excited to introduce those pictures to my current sequence.

Jaclyn: The grant announcement came right as I was preparing to install a solo show, and the academic year was ending. I was concerned that, having just finished the exhibition, I would not be motivated to make new work. I typically use the summer months, my non-teaching time, as an opportunity to be productive in the studio. The grant gave me the extra push I needed to stay motivated and also allowed me to create new backdrops and purchase film and other materials I needed to make new work.

Khashayar: The grant came at a crucial time when we were focusing on the materials and overall quality of the book project, which was published by Loose Joints. Although it wasn't during the photography phase, the collaboration with PhMuseum enabled us to make more suitable choices for our production materials, which greatly enhanced the project's outcome.

What is your biggest dream for your project?

Khashayar: My ultimate dream is to rename the Caspian Sea to Caspian Lake to raise awareness about the conservation challenges it faces. By doing so, I hope to change region's perception and encourage the implementation of more effective conservation regulations. This is essential for preserving the world's largest lake, which, if not protected, could become an environmental catastrophe within a few decades.

Jaclyn: That’s a tough question because I think the dream changes as my expectations change, often informed by the types of opportunities I receive (such as this grant). Ultimately, I think having the project exhibited broadly, and the chance to meet other artists and build my community.

Shelli: I dream of one day combining this project with my others, sequencing the images all together to make an oeuvre in book format. I want the whole of my life to be reflected in my artistic interests, so that something I made at twenty years old can relate to something I made at eighty. I dream for this work to be of this time, like how the work of Weegee or Arbus could never be mistaken for today. I dream for this work to be an early 21st-century time capsule of cinematic ambition and artifice. I want my work to speak to the future from the past.

Did the process of applying for the grant and becoming a recipient teach you anything new? If so, do you have any tips to share with prospect applicants?

Shelli: If you make from the heart, write your artist statement from the heart. Do not feel the need to intellectualize or substantiate your photography projects in academic writing. It is better to write passionately than it is to write intelligently.

Khashayar: The process taught me the importance of clarifying my project's goals and articulating them effectively. I realized that the PhMuseum team, being artists themselves, values learning about other artists' projects. I encourage others to take advantage of this amazing opportunity for visibility, as it led to numerous positive feedback and global exposure for my work.

Jaclyn: This round wasn’t the first time I applied to the PhMuseum Photography Grant, so it taught me that persistence in the application process is worthwhile. As a result, applying more than once allowed me to look at my previous application and see how the project/ideas/work evolved. Being able to review this helped me recognize why the project may have been chosen this round and not previously. My advice would be to keep applying and putting yourself out there, rejection doesn’t always mean the end.

What are you working on right now?

Jaclyn: I am still working on the project I applied with, High Visibility (Blaze Orange). Currently, I am expanding the work's site-specificity to include Utah's Sentinel Landscape, which incorporates part of the Great Salt Lake and four military installations, spanning 2.7 million acres. I'm interested in the relationships between the various agencies managing the Sentinel Landscape, specifically the Department of the Interior and the Department of Defense.

Shelli: Same project. Although now I’m trying to incorporate photos from all aspects of life beyond the film set, such as holiday events, carnivals, and other NYC utopian escapist fantasies. I feel like the project I’m working on will be a commitment lasting several years, and I am thankful from the bottom of my heart for your support.

Khashayar: I’m mainly dedicated on two very long term projects, one is still focusing on the Caspian and the other is on trains.

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The PhMuseum Photography Grant has established itself as a leading prize in the industry over the last 13 years, renowned for recognising the importance of contemporary photography and for supporting emergent artists through cash prizes, exhibitions at international festivals, educational activities and exposure on online media. To learn more and apply, visit phmuseum.com/g25. Final Deadline: 13 February.