Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale Photography Students are Only Two in US to Win Sony Award
Under the guidance of veteran Photography instructor Don Sheffield, students Tim Detert (from Germany and now living in Hollywood, FL) and Grant Goldstein (originally from Chicago, Illinois, and now living in Aventura, FL), both current bachelor's degree Photography students, were selected as the only United States winners in the Sony World Photography Awards. They were chosen from 14 schools in the United States and Canada as the two North American short-listed winners. Simply put, Detert and Goldstein represent not only The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, but the United States and Canada.
Students were invited to submit images which highlight an environmental issue specific to their country, resulting in an astonishing overall display.
12 budding photographers have been chosen - two students from 6 institutions from 6 continents. The North American competition included:
- Canada, Ryerson University
- Hawaii, University of Hawaii at Manoa
- USA, Arizona Northern State University
- USA, Art Center College of Design, California
- USA, Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, FL
- USA, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Michigan
- USA, Georgia State University, Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design
- USA, James Madison University
- USA, Marylhurst University
- USA, Nossi College of Art, TN
- USA, Rhode Island School of Design
- USA, Tisch School of Art, NYU
- USA, University of Illinois at Chicago
- USA, Yale School of Art
Sony is sending the students and Photography program chair William Cadieux to Cannes, France, to attend the Festival and Awards Ceremony at Sony World Photography Awards from April 13-April 17, 2009. During this week, Detert and Goldstein will be participating in multiple workshops with the other short-listed winners to compete for the grand prizes.
The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale was invited along with 60 universities throughout the world to enter this competition. Students from around the world were invited to submit images which highlight an environmental issue specific to their country. Sheffield served as the college's on-site point person for this contest and solicited entries through his Photojournalism class during the fall quarter 2008.