PHOTOGS Amateur Photography Competition

Greetings!

For immediate release,

CONTACT:

Standing Rock Cultural Arts
257 N Water St
Kent OH 44240
330.673.4970
www.standingrock.net for updates
info@standingrock.net for inquiries
Also www.facebook.com/SRCAKent and www.twitter.com/Kent_SRCA

WHO: Standing Rock Cultural Arts presents…

WHAT: PHOTOGS Amateur* Photography Competition
-*Amateur status refers to not making majority of living from photography, not business owner of one’s own studio, not a professional photographer
-If enough entries are received, top 12 juried choices and people’s choice winner will appear in a calendar and those appearing in calendar will receive a free copy of the calendar
-Guidelines below (MUST follow guidelines or entry will be disqualified without refund)

WHEN: See Schedule Below
-SUBMISSIONS ACCEPTED: Apr 15-June 15, 2011
-Juried Selections for show chosen: by June 30, 2011
-PEOPLE’S CHOICE ONE-DAY VOTING/OPENING EXHIBITION of Juried Show takes place Heritage Day, July 2, 2011
-Exhibition shows through July 30, 2011 (voting will only be held on July 2, 2011)

WHERE: The North Water Street Gallery, 257 N Water St, downtown Kent
-Submissions may be sent via mail to Standing Rock Cultural Arts PHOTOGS Competition, 257 N Water St, Kent OH 44240 or via drop-off at The North Water Street Gallery
-Contest open nationally (see guidelines regarding return of materials via mail)
-Juried Exhibition and Public Vote will take place at The North Water Street Gallery (July 2nd)

GOAL: To showcase and support talented amateur photographers both locally and nationwide in a photography exhibit (and potentially in an exhibition calendar), as well as to potentially raise money for SRCA arts programming

FEE FOR PARTICIPANTS TO ENTER: $5 per photo (no limit on quantity)
-Fees primarily defray expenses of competition and any remaining proceeds will benefit SRCA arts programming

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

ADULTS: Photographs may be color or black and white from a traditional or digital camera and must be no smaller than 8x10 and no larger than 16x20, matted (must be matted - or framed - and ready to hang, framing is not required); $5 fee for each photograph entered no matter which size, must note for sale/sale price or note “Not For Sale” at time of entry with completed entry form for all pieces, no limit of entries, can be mailed (SRCA is not responsible for lost or misdirected mail) or dropped off at gallery April 15-June 15, 2011 and must be picked up by August 6th at 5 PM unless other arrangements are made (Returns will be mailed only if appropriate packaging and adequate postage are provided). Participants may pay for entry via PayPal online, check via postal mail, or either cash or check at gallery for in-person drop-offs. Themes are open although due to the nature of the family event being held on the day of voting, images must be family friendly and nudity is not permitted for this competition. Photos may not be manipulated except in cases of minor crop, brightness, color, and contrast changes unless submitted as manipulated digital art photography. People who recognizably appear in photographs (such as portraits) must have agreed to release their images for the competition.

CHILDREN & STUDENTS K-12: Free entry (limited to 1 photo) and Top Juried choices will be shown at exhibition. Prizes will be given to the selected jury choices.

SPECIFICS: Photography can be offered for sale (must be picked up at end of exhibition/s or at least after contest runs or adequate packaging/postage must be supplied; otherwise, piece may be donated or placed for sale in benefit auctions due to lack of indefinite storage space); Gallery requests commission on any sales so photographer should price accordingly. Photography can also be listed as NFS (Not For Sale). Whether item is for sale or not will have no bearing on the competition outcomes.

Initial entries will be judged for top 25 entries for Juried Exhibition. Those 25 will enter People’s Choice portion of competition and top 3 will be voted via poll form available upon entrance at the gallery during Heritage Fest (July 2, 2011). Standing Rock Cultural Arts reserves the right to place photos into categories (ex: Landscapes, Portraits, Nature, Artistic/Digital Art, Animals, etc.) if numerous submissions are received and categorization is needed to determine winners.

PRIZES: $25 minimum for 1st place, $10 minimum for 2nd place, $5 minimum for 3rd place (in the case of ties, prize will be split); A calendar for top 12 juried and people’s choice may be published and given as an award if enough entries are received to defray the expenses.

JUDGES:

DEBRA-LYNN HOOK, a graduate of Louisiana University’s School of Journalism, is a journalist and syndicated family-life columnist, whose writing has been recognized by a number of organizations including the Institute of Southern Studies. Debra-Lynn is also a mostly self-taught photographer who began her career at age 19, shooting Shriners for their annual yearbooks. She honed her craft with a scattering of photojournalism classes and then by working for more than a decade alongside seasoned photojournalists. Debra-Lynn, who applies her skills to wedding, family, and senior portraiture, as well as landscapes and stills, appreciates photos that capture the moment, that evoke emotional response and that point to a direct relationship between photographer and subject. Her work has been exhibited in various Kent venues, most recently Taco Tonto’s. Debra-Lynn's web site is www.debralynnhook.com.

BOB AND CASS MAYFIELD are the owners of McKay Bricker Framing & Black Squirrel Gallery & Gifts in downtown Kent. They offer quality custom matting and framing and regularly exhibit work from the local area. They are both Certified Picture Framers (CPF) & Members of the Professional Picture Framers Association (PPFA). Cass has been framing for over 27 years and Bob for 34 years. They also offer an array of Kent and Black Squirrel art and items in a beautiful gallery setting that adjoins the Kent State University School of Art Downtown Gallery. Their most recent project is the Art Bus Benefit, a benefit to take Kent’s fifth graders to the art museum, taking place April 15, 2011 at the gallery. The McKay Bricker Framing & Black Squirrel Gallery & Gifts can be found at www.McKayBricker.com.

TINA PUCKETT is an MFA candidate in Creative Writing with a concentration in Poetry, who also enjoys amateur photography ranging from nature, landscape, and abstract to event photography and portraits. She won a People's Choice award with The Wilderness Center's 2010 Fotofest Nature Photography Contest and appeared in the art anthology "Stark Arthology" as a juried choice that same year. Her photography has been exhibited in The Canton Museum of Art's "Stark Arthology" Launch Exhibition (2010), at McKay Bricker Framing & Black Squirrel Gallery for the 2010 River Day Photography Exhibition, and during benefit exhibitions at the North Water Street Gallery.

CHERYL A. TOWNSEND has been exhibiting her works for over 10 years with numerous solo and group exhibits as well as book, CD and magazine covers and is often featured in both print and web-based journals. Her work has most recently been on display at Summit ArtSpace in Akron and Studio 2091 in Cuyahoga Falls. Her photography leans to the metaphorical side. Minimalistic and secretive, she seeks overlooked angles and textured forms, vibrant displays of discarded beauty and grains. Looking for the tree in the forest, she focuses further on the patterns in the bark. She has always sought the secrets in life, preferring to view it though her camera's lens. Her work can be viewed at http://aroundkent.net/Cheryl_Townsend.php.

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Standing Rock Cultural Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We always welcome and appreciate sponsors to help cover expenses for our art and educational activities. We now also offer reasonably-priced memberships to assist in the cause. Membership fees, benefits, and forms are available on our website. Donations and memberships are tax deductible.

Thank you to our current sponsors: The Ohio Arts Council, The City of Kent, The Henry V. and Frances W. Christenson Foundation, The Home Savings Bank, The Hall-Green Insurance Agency, Woodsy's Music, Kent Parks and Recreation, City Bank Antiques, Wild Goat Cafe, Taco Tantos, Ray's Place, Edwin George Cherokee, Burris of The Universe, and The Sylvia Coogan Memorial Foundation.

Thank you also to our current members: Daiv Whaley, Andrea and Rick Stahl and Family, Ken Robinson, Bill and Shirley Mars, Vicki and Joe Bocchicchio.

Thank you for supporting the Arts!

For information: http://www.standingrock.net/
Contact: info@standingrock.net
Phone: 330-673-4970

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