The brand new Easton Gallery of Photographic Arts (EGPA) opens its doors on September 2 with “Focus on Plein Air,” a Grand Opening exhibit of winners from the 2011 Plein Air–Easton! Photography Competition.
Who will win the Best of Show award? Find out at the exhibit opening when Al Bond, executive director of the Avalon Foundation, opens the sealed envelope. Finalists in the competition have been selected, and the highlight of the exhibit opening is when prizes are announced during the awards ceremony and reception. Awards will be announced at 6pm.
The 7th Annual Plein Air–Easton! Competition & Arts Festival held in July drew hundreds of artists and crowds of art enthusiasts from across the country and around world. The Photography Competition followed suit, attracting photographers from the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond.
The list of finalists has been released. The winning images were selected from more than 300 entries. The following photographers are in the running for Best of Show and other awards to be announced September 2:
Royce Ball from Easton MD for “Old Point” and “Hand to Canvas”
Charles Bandura from Greensboro MD for “Artists and Spectators”
Diane Blake from Easton MD for “Talbot County Farm”
John Richard Coulby, Jr. from Easton MD for “Crash” and “Brittle Ways”
Morris Ellison from Easton MD for “Abandoned”
Dee Marvin Emeigh from Milford DE for “Maritime Museum”
Jennifer M. Hunter from Easton MD for “Minds Eye”
Kirk Larsen from Hicksville NY for “Spark of Inspiration”
Lin Layton from Easton MD for “Maritime Sunrise”
Ted Mueller from Easton MD for “Concentration”
Jeffrey Nicklason from Grasonville MD for “Jumping the Bridge”
John Peck from Arnold MD for “107”
Dawn Phillips from Easton MD for “A Kiss to Build a Dream On”
Christopher Ranier from Easton MD for “Lightening Ferry”
Charles Riter from Easton MD for “Last Local Produce Stand”
Conor Satchell from Trappe MD for “Painting Carefully”
Katherine Sevon from Easton MD for “Determination” and “Between Trees”
Joseph H. Soares from Taylor’s Island MD for “The Couple”
Jacquelyn Taylor from Potomac MD for “Anticipation”
John Werry from Tilghman MD for “Making a Living”
Anne W. Whaley from Centreville MD for “Addie’s Sunflowers”
The Plein Air–Easton! Photography Competition was judged by Tony Sweet (tonysweet.com), an award-winning fine art nature photographer from Maryland. Sweet is also an author, workshop leader, and educator. His articles and images are featured in Shutterbug and Rangefinder magazines, and he is a contributor to Nikonnet.com. Sweet is a staff writer for Nikon World magazine. He was honored as a Nikon “Legend Behind the Lens” in 2006 and a Lensbaby Guru in 2008.
“Having photographed many times in the Easton/St. Michaels region and on the Eastern
Shore,” said Sweet, “I found the range of images to be outstanding. I was very impressed with the very wide variety of images and in the many unique personal interpretations. The great irony of teaching,” he continued, “is that the teacher often learns more than the student. As a photography instructor, I have learned a great deal from the images produced from the Plein Air–Easton! Photography Competition. From the tiniest detail, to the range of emotion, to what each photographer wanted to share with the viewer, this is a great cross section of imagery and a wonderful venue for photography.”
Prizes to be awarded include Best in Show with a cash prize of $500. Second and third place winners will receive cash prizes of $300 and $200 respectively. The Best Black and White award will be a framed A. Aubrey Bodine print. Other cash awards will be presented for the photo that best captures the Spirit of Plein Air-Easton! ($100), Best Landscape ($100), and Best Student Entry ($100). Various Honorable Mention prizes will be awarded.
Also new this year, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) sponsors the first Plein Air–Easton! Best Maritime Photograph Award. The award will consist of a special membership prize, which includes free general admission for two adults and children under 18 for one year, overnight docking privileges, free or reduced special event admission, and reciprocal admission to over 70 major museums. CBMM is also planning a future exhibit of the winning and other maritime photographs from the competition.
EGPA is located at 21 N. Hanson St. (a.k.a. One Mill Place), Suite 100. The Grand Opening will be held September 2 during Easton’s First Friday Gallery Walk, held from 5-9pm in Easton’s downtown gallery district.
The Plein Air-Easton! Photography Competition is the work of the Avalon Foundation, and supported by the Talbot County Arts Council and the Easton Gallery of Photographic Arts. Awards have been contributed by A. Aubrey Bodine Gallery, the Carney family, Chesapeake Maritime Museum, Garden Treasures, and Tidewater Camera Club.
For more information on the 2011 Plein Air-Easton! Photography Competition visit www.pleinaireaston.com, email photocontest@pleinaireaston.com, or call 410.822.7297.
In photo: “Carpenter Street Saloon at Night” by John Franco won a First Place award in last year’s Plein Air–Easton! Photography Contest. This year’s winners will be announced September 2 at the Easton Gallery of Photographic Arts during Easton’s First Friday Gallery Walk. The awards ceremony begins at 6pm.