Former Prison Guard Barracks, Vorkuta, Komi Republic, Russia by Donald Weber

In addition to being awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2007 and two Canada Council visual arts project grants in 2008, Donald Weber, a 2008 Second Edition Hot Shot and 20x200 edition-maker, has won the Duke and Duchess of York Prize in Photography, an $8000 reward for being an "outstanding visual artist working in photography."

It's likely that this will go towards supporting Donald's ambitious current project, a book about life in Russia, about which he writes, "It's about the curse of power, and the wounds it inflicts on those who don't have it. It's the 18th century with jets flying overhead."

While you wait for Donald to complete his work abroad, you can hop the ferry to Staten Island to catch a glimpse of his photographs from Russia, which are running through December in an exhibition at the historical Alice Austen House Museum. If you can't make it out in time, be sure to check out the Stories section of Donald's website, which features large, journalistic series from Russia.

Donald Weber: Russian Archive
September 26th -December 31st, 2009

Alice Austen House Museum
2 Hylan Blvd.
Staten Island, NY
(map)