Anne's Wedding, 2000 by Mike Sinclair

Guangzhou Zoo II, 2007 by Kurt Tong

We are pleased to announce photographers Mike Sinclair and Kurt Tong as the newest Ne Plus Ultras. Selected from 2009's ten talented Hot Shots, Sinclair and Tong have earned representation from Jen Bekman Gallery, and will be preparing for solo exhibitions and participating in art fairs over the next two years. Congratulations to Kurt, Mike and all of the 2009 Hot Shots!

We would also like to recognize each and every one of the 2009 Hot Shots for their talent and dedication. All of these photographers participated in group exhibitions at Jen Bekman Gallery—Hey, Hot Shot! 2009 First Edition and Second Edition—and many have limited-edition prints featured on 20x200. You can expect to see lots more from all of them soon.

All ten Hot Shots were chosen from an extremely competitive group of photographers who thoroughly impressed our esteemed panel: Jen Bekman, Christine Collins, Dana Faconti, Caterina Fake, Stephen Frailey, Raul Gutierrez, Darius Himes, Jenni Holder, Julia Leach, Nion McEvoy, Lesley A. Martin, Alan Rapp, Kent Rogowski, Stefan Ruiz and Jeffrey Teuton. We'd also like to extend our thanks to every member of the 2009 panel for their time and commitment to Hey, Hot Shot!

2009 First Edition Hot Shots:
Michelle Arcila
Daniel Cheek
Mike Sinclair
Parsley Steinweiss
Kurt Tong

2009 Second Edition Hot Shots:
Marisa Aragona
Leah Tepper Byrne
Alejandro Cartagena
Jessica Eaton
Justin James King

It was difficult to select just two photographers from the talented group of Hot Shots, but Kurt and Mike emerged as the best fits for the gallery's roster. We look forward to continuing to work closely with both artists across all of the Jen Bekman Projects. Please join us in congratulating them.

Meet our newest Ultras:

Kurt Tong has worked and traveled extensively across Europe, the Americas and Asia. In 1999, Kurt co-founded Prema Vasam, a charitable home for disabled and disadvantaged children in Chennai, South India before becoming a full-time photographer in 2003.

Tong received a Masters in documentary photography from London College of Communications in 2006. He has since been chosen as a winner in the first Lens Culture - Rhubarb Photo Book Award, the Blurb Photography Book Now competition and the prestigious Jerwood Photography Award.

Kurt's photographs have been widely exhibited around the world at venues including: Jen Bekman Gallery in New York, Impressions Gallery in Bradford, The Royal Academy in London, La Casa Encendida in Madrid, Abbaye de Neumunster in Luxembourg and the CPA Exhibition in Chengdu, China. This summer and fall, several of Kurt's projects will be on view in the UK and France.

Mike Sinclair is an architectural and fine art photographer living in Kansas City, Missouri. His photographs are frequently published in the architectural press and elsewhere, including The New York Times, Metropolis, Architectural Record and Interior Design. His work is in several public and private collections, including The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, also in Kansas City.

In addition to the the Hey, Hot Shot! group exhibition, Sinclair has participated in Mixtape at Jen Bekman Gallery.

Hey, Hot Shot! 2010:

The 2010 competition is currently open for entries and we look forward to seeing your submissions. Follow competition news and updates on Twitter and Facebook, and read about featured contenders daily on our blog. The deadline for submissions is August 22, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. (EDT). Apply now!