Exhibition features images from 3 Canadians including this year’s winning photograph
Includes 100 stunning photographs from amateur and professional photographers
WPY opens at the ROM on November 21 and is on display until March 20, 2016
TORONTO, November 18, 2015–The 2015 Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY) exhibition presented by Quark Expeditions, opens on Saturday, November 21, 2015 at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). The exhibition, on tour from the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London, showcases the natural world’s most astonishing images from professional and amateur photographers from 96 countries. This year’s show features photographs from three Canadians including the overall winning image from Don Gutoski, of London, Ontario. Gutoski’s photo, A tale of two foxes, was taken near Wapusk National Park, near Cape Churchill, Manitoba. Also featured are photographs from Connor Stefanison, the Rising Star Portfolio Winner, and Josiah Launstein, a Finalist, 10 Years and Under. WPY is the most prestigious wildlife photography competition in the world and attracts more than 42,000 entries from around the world. The exhibition is now in its 51st year and is making its third appearance at the ROM this year.
Exhibition Details
WPY is on display in Third Floor, Centre Block where photographs are installed with custom light boxes creating a dramatic view of the natural world. The exhibition is both family-friendly and attractive to the expert photographer, with 13 categories ranging from Youth Awards, to design and landscape images, and stunning animal portraits.
New this year is a ROM Photographer of the Year contest, which encourages visitors to submit their best wildlife photos. The winning image, selected by panel of ROM judges, will win an Arctic Expedition for two valued at $24,000 (CDN), generously donated by WPY Presenting Sponsor, Quark Expeditions. Contest entries can be submitted between November 18, 2015 and January 31, 2016, using Twitter and Instagram (entries must include @ROMtoronto and #ROMWPY). Details are available at: www.rom.on.ca/contest.
“We are delighted to share WPY with our visitors and very proud to be able to display the winning Canadian images. We hope the beauty and power of these photographs inspire ROM visitors to learn more about our natural world and conservation,” said Mark Engstrom, ROM Interim Director and CEO.
"We are pleased to sponsor the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the ROM," said Andrew White, Quark Expeditions® President. "Wildlife photography is one of the most popular activities our polar adventure passengers engage in and we're delighted to participate in the promotion of this sustainable, creative way of interacting with, and honoring, some of the world's most rare and elusive creatures."
Ticket Information
WPY tickets are available for $7.00 + the price of ROM General Admission. Student and Senior WPY tickets are $5.00, and WPY tickets for children aged 4 to 14 years are $3.00 (children under 3 are free). WPY is free for ROM Members, and exclusive Member Previews take place on November 20 and 21, 2015. Further exhibition details are available at: www.rom.on.ca/wpy.
Programming
November 20, 2015 ROM Friday Night Live, Light
7:00 - 11:00 pm
FREE admission to WPY for #FNLROM partygoers for one night only. Join an exclusive evening of special artist performances, conversations with photographers and celebrate the bioluminescence of nature.
Tickets to this edition of #FNLROM are: $5.00 ROM Members and $15.00 for regular adult admission. Visit rom.on.ca/whats-on/fnlrom-light to purchase. Must be 19 years or older.
November 21, 2015 2015 Annual Quimby F. Hess Lecture
Rap Battles and Pop: Discovering the Secret Sounds of Insects
1:30 pm, RSVP Required. Free with ROM Admission
Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre, Level 1B
Join Dr. Jayne Yack, Associate Professor and Graduate Chair at Carleton University for a talk on the complex and fascinating acoustic landscape of insects and other invertebrates.
November 22, 2015 Telling Environmental Stories with YOUR Pictures: An Interactive Workshop
10:30 am - 3:30 pm, $72 ROM Members, $80 General Public
Education Classroom, Level 1
Explore the power of nature photography and the influence these images can have. Fresh from their ROM expedition to Sri Lanka, professional photographers Vincent Luk and Deirdre Leowinata, along with ROM Assistant Curator Burton Lim, provide insights into personal nature pictures.
January 26, 2016 Under the Sea: Celebrating Photography Beneath the Waves
7:00 - 9:00 pm, $18 ROM Members, $20 General Public
Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre, Level 1B
Join acclaimed National Geographic photographer and WPY finalist David Doubilet and marine biologist Jennifer Hayes for an evening of storytelling and phenomenal underwater marine photography.
January 28, 2016 ROM Daytime Lecture with Dave Ireland and Don Gutoski, overall 2015 WPY Award winner
11:00 am- 12:00 pm, Free with ROM Admission
Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre, Level 1B
Explore how ROM scientists and curators present research in innovative news ways using visual communication. Get the latest news on the ROM’s update Blue Whale recovery project as well as the latest ROM field research expeditions. Enjoy guided tour of WPY with this year’s winning photographer, Don Gutoski, and Dave Ireland, ROM Biodiversity Managing Director.
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Social Media
Like: ROM Facebook
Tweet: @ROMToronto @ROMBiodiversity #ROMWPY #atROM
Instagram: romtoronto
Watch: ROM YouTube
Blog: ROMblog
Contact
Wendy Vincent, Publicist
416.586.5547
About the ROM
Opened in 1914, Canada’s largest museum of natural history and world cultures has six million objects in its collections and galleries showcasing art, archaeology and natural science. The ROM is the largest field research institution in the country, and a world leader in research areas from biodiversity, palaeontology, and earth sciences to archaeology, ethnology and visual culture - originating new information towards a global understanding of historical and modern change in culture and environment. For 24-hour information in English and French, please call 416.586.8000 or visit www.rom.on.ca. Tickets are available www.rom.on.ca.
