This has been posted fairly widely at this point, but just in case… Amy Elkins and Cara Phillips have come together to act as curators of a new site which will present the work of female photographers on a monthly basis.

“There are more women working in the contemporary photo world then ever before. Their methods, choice of subject matter, visual language, and processes run the gamut of artistic possibility. What unites them is their passion and the effort they devote to creating extraordinary bodies of work. Women in Photography is a showcase for this work. It is also a resource for photographers, editors, curators, gallery owners, and viewers alike to discover and enjoy the work of female artists. By mixing the work of emerging photographers with artists that have achieved high levels of success within fine art and commercial worlds, the project is designed to open a visual dialogue and create a venue to share work, support, and ideas.” — Women in Photography

The site is currently seeking submissions and will launch in earnest with the first chosen photographers in June 2008. To submit, follow the guidelines below and send to womeninphotography at gmail dot com.

- 5 jpegs from a cohesive project or a work in progress.
5×7 @150 dpi named “myname_title.jpg”
- short statement/bio

There has been some discussion around the merits of websites, exhibitions, and projects which focus on women—whether it’s exhibitions organized around gender or support systems aimed at the needs of women only. Some have suggested that there is an isolationism, or worse a form of bigotry, in making the assumption that art created by women or the practices of female artists share a context simply because of gender. Another argument has been that there isn’t really a gender divide in contemporary photography and that talking about the possibility actually does a disservice to women by creating a schism.

I tend to disagree with both arguments and do believe that gender (plus race and class) bias is quite alive and unwell in society at large and certainly so in the photography world be it fine art or commercial. Recent exhibitions such as Humble’s 31Under31 may have featured only the work of younger female photographers but I don’t believe that an argument could be made that the curatorial process in their case simply involved choosing any work as long as it was created by a woman. The suggestion has been that grouping work simply because its creators are women is too thin and too arbitrary a context. But I have yet to see any real example of curators only looking at gender, even when gender is a primary focus of an exhibition.

There are a growing number of examples of women gaining reputations in contemporary photography and there is certainly a huge amount of incredible work being created by women. But because more female photographers are becoming known (often online), it doesn’t mean that they don’t face gender bias leading to warped expectations and different treatment related to male artists.

All that as a long-winded way of saying that I totally support efforts like Elkins and Phillips’ Women in Photography and also the related “Ask Me. I’ve got answers” badge campaign that Liz Kuball initated.