About

Biography

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Originally from Taipei, Taiwan, Sandra Chen Weinstein studied ceramic art and exhibited this work in Japan and the US. She moved to Canada and U.S. in the mid-1980s before settling in California in the 1990s. In 2006 she started using photography as her medium of art.

Sandra's work focuses on documentary photography emphasizing social identity, culture, and minorities. Earlier projects include the rich cultural diversity of India. She has dedicated long-term projects on the lives of women, refugee, minority and the American pop culture. She is an advocate in the LGBTQ community, Alliance for Multi-cultures, Olive Tree Initiatives and other socially progressive movements.

She has received many national and international awards including prize winner of The Photo Review; TRAVEL at Santa Fe Photographic Workshop, The Robert Cornelius Portrait Award, and a two-time winner of the Julia Margaret Cameron Award. She was Reader's Collection and 1st International contest winner for People category, National Geographic Magazine. Winner in American Photography 30th Annual Book Collection and the Archive, New York, IDENTITIES NOW: Contemporary Portraits Photography, Pete Hay Halpert Fine Art, NY. FotoForum: The Best Photography Book. Her work has been exhibited nationally and Internationally.

Juror/Curator Experience

2014 — Curator: Images by Jeff Moorfoot and Robert van der Hilst at FotoDC FotoBazaar, Washington, DC

2012 — Juror: ON THE ROAD: TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY Photoplace Gallery, Middlebury, VT

2010 — Curator: Eli Reed's images at Shin-Kuong International Invitation Photography Exhibition, Taipei, Taiwan

2007 — Curator: Eli Reed's images at Pingyao International Photography Festival, Shanxi, China

Recent Honors & Awards

• 2015 — Fourth Prize for The Photo Review 2015 Competition
• 2015 — Third Prize in TRAVELS photo contest. Santa Fe Photographic Workshops
• 2015 — Finalist for Landscape category International contest. HeadOn Photo Festival, Sydney Australia
• 2015 — Semi-Finalist for Portrait category International contest. HeadOn Photo Festival, Sydney Australia
• 2015 — Director Award - Cloud Nine California series. A Smith Gallery
• 2015 — Mater Program for Darkroom gallery, Vermont
• 2015 — Honorable Mention for Semblance exhibition: Cloud Nine, California series>. Darkroom Gallery
• 2015 — Honorable Mention for "Home" IPA International Photography Award ( Lucie Award)
• 2015 — Honorable Mention for Chinese Willows at LINES Exhibition, Darkroom Gallery
• 2014 — International Photography Awards (IPA): 2 Honorable Mentions: Child Portrait & Environmental
• 2014 — Selected for AI-AP American Photography 30^th Anniversary Annual Book & The Archive — images from California & American Pride Series
• 2013 — International Photography Awards (IPA): "Women of Palestine" — 5 Honorable Mentions including Deeper Perspective
• 2013 — International Photography Awards (IPA): "American Pride" — 3 Honorable Mentions including Deeper Perspective
• 2013 — Honorable Mention for "California Girls". A Smith Gallery, TX., Juror: Harvey Stein
• 2013 — Chosen—AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHY 29, New York, NY
• 2013 — Third place winner for PEOPLE—On the Street category for New York Center for Photographic Art
[show more from 2012 and earlier...]
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2012 — Juror Award of Merit in Street Photography — International Fine Art Photography Competition, Grand Prix de la Découverte, Paris
2012 — Finalist — "Traces of Humanity" International Contest and Exhibition, Bursa PhotoFest, Bursa, Turkey
2012 — Juror Award PWP 37th Anniversary, New York
2012 — Honorable Mention for Griffin Museum's 18th Juried Exhibition, Winchester, MA
2012 — Mater Cup 5th Annual International Color Awards in "Americana" & Portrait
2012 — Black & White Spider Award in "Photojournalism".
2012 — Selected Artist for Portfolio Artist at Vermont Photowork Place
2012 — Selected Artist for Texas Photographic Society (TPS) Print Program
2012 — Juror Selection Award PWP 36th Anniversary Contest , New York City, New York
2011 — Honorable Mentions (6) International Photography Awards: Deeper Perspective (3), Political (2), Lifestyle (1)
2011 — Bronze Prize in Portraiture - Personality, PX3 Prix de la Photographie Award, Paris
2011 — Honorable Mentions in Portraits, PX3 Prix de la Photographie, Paris
2011 — 2nd Prize for 2nd edition Julia Cameron Award- Single Image, Category Documentary and Editorial, WPGA UK
2011 — Second Place Award - Photowork 2011 Annual National Juried Award for "Donations Please", Poughkeepsie, NY
2011 — Juror's Selection - Professional Women Photographers - Soho Photo Gallery, Manhattan, NY
2011 — Juror's Choice Award - Louisiana Purchase: National Biennial Exhibition awarded for "Who Dat", New Orleans, LA
2011 — 2010 WPGA Annual Pollux Awards: First Prize in Humanitarian Documentary; Honorable Mentions in People and Sports. WPGA, UK
2011 — Finalist, The Invisible World Portfolio. Juried by Chris Steele-Perkins (Magnum), WPGA, UK
2011 — Honorable Mention. Women in Photography International Juried Contest
2010 — Merit Award, B&W Single Image contest 2011, B&W Magazine, Los Angeles
2010 — Special Mention of the Juror Award in The Urban & Country Landscape Contest, WPGA UK
2010 — Winner: The Robert Cornelius Award, The Worldwide Photography Gala Awards.
2010 — Finalist - Asian Without Border 2010 Photo Contest, Asian Geographic, Singapore
2010 — Runner Up: The Julia Margaret Cameron Award; Honorable Mention: Documentary, Portrait & Children
2010 — Honorable Mention - TPS 19: The International Competition, San Antonio, TX
2010 — Merit Awards, Color Portfolio contest 2010 Color Magazine, Los Angeles
2010 — Two nominations in Portrait — 4^th Annual Color Master Cup
2010 — Honorable Mention: Photographer's Forum" — Best of Photography 2010. Santa Barbara, CA
2010 — Second Place for 24th Texas Photographic Society MOS, San Antonio, TX
2010 — Honorable Mentions (7) International Photography Awards, Lucie Award
2010 — Honorable Mention in Photojournalism - Politics. PX3 Prix de la Photographie, Paris
2010 — Finalists of The Julia Margaret Cameron Award WPGA in Documentary (3), Children, Portraits, UK
2010 — Nominee for The Mater Cup Color Award in Portraits (2)
2010 — Best of Color & Excellence Awards for "EXPOSURE", The Open Shutter Gallery, Durango, CO
2010 — Medallion Award, GALEX 44, Galesburg Civic Art Center, Galesburg, IL
2010 — Best on Canvas Award, Gallery 10, Washington, DC
2010 — Nominee in Photojournalism, 5th Annual Black & White Spider Awards, UK
2009 — Honorable Mention - WPGA 2009 Annual contest, category portrait - people and figure. U.K.
2009 — Finalist Gordon Parks International Photo contest, Kansas
2009 — Finalist (2) 3rd International Contest in People category National Geographic Magazine
2009 — First Place in Photojournalism - Sports, PX3 Prix de la Photographie Award, Paris
2009 — Honorable Mentions in Photojournalism - Politics (1) and People - Personality (2) — PX3 Prix de la Photographie, Paris
2009 — 1st , 2nd, 3rd place (8), PX3 Prix de la Photographie People's Choice & Annual Awards, Paris
2009 — Honorable Mention (13) - Book-People, Editorial-Environmental, People-Culture/Lifestyle/Portraits, International Photography Awards, Lucie Award
2009 — Merit Awards, Color Portfolio contest 2009 Color Magazine, Los Angeles
2009 — Finalist (2), Photographer's FORUM, Best of Photography 2009, Santa Barbara
2009 — Finalist (3). Photography Masters Cup - International Color Award, 3 images in categories of People & Portrait.
2009 — Honorable Mention. "White, Black and Shades of Gray" South Shore Art Center, Cohasset MA
2008 — Honorable Mention. Women in Photography International Juried Contest
2008 — Honorable Mention. International Cultural Center, Texas Tech University's Office of International Affairs
2008 — Honorable Mention. International Juried contest 2008 at Northwest Cultural Council's, IL
2008 — Runner Up. The International Conservation Photography Awards for Indigenous Cultures
2008 — Honorable Mentions (11). International Photography Awards, Lucie Award for Deeper Perspective, etc.
2008 — Juror Award. Joyce Gordon Gallery "Glimpse in Time"
2008 — 2nd Place & Honorable Mentions (2). PX3 Prix de la Photographie People's Choice Award Paris
2008 — 4th Place & Honorable Mentions (2). International Juried Contest in Portraits Del Marl San Diego
2007 — Honorable Mention. International 1st Contest in People category National Geograph Magazine
2007 — Honorable Mentions. International Photography Awards, Lucie Award
2006 — Honorable Mentions. International Photography Awards, Lucie Award