The South Arkansas Arts Center’s open photography competition, “The Viewfinder”, will be on display in the Merkle and Price Galleries from February 6-27, 2018. The bi-annual judged photography competition is sponsored by William P. Cook and Associates, PLLC. An artist’s reception is planned for February 10, 2018, from 6:00-8:00pm with the awards presented at 6:30pm.
“The ViewFinder” reveals the interests and imagination of shutterbugs throughout our community and beyond. In the last 10 years, with the wide penetration of digital cameras with video capabilities, the environment surrounding image-making has dramatically changed and it continues to evolve to create new standards and provide new opportunities for discovery.
Photographers of all ages submitted their original images, captured with any camera and printed on varied media, for inclusion in the competition. Photographers could use basic corrective editing in the dark room or digitally, but no graphic manipulations or touch-ups were allowed. The photos had to have been taken within the last three years and not under supervision or in a classroom environment. Boasting over 80 photographs by more than 60 photographers, this year’s entries include landscapes, animals, still life compositions, faces and nature, as well as many other subjects from local and regional photographers.
An avid photographer since 1997 and also holding an MFA in photojournalism, Terrence Armstard, News Editor at the El Dorado News-Times and Adjunct Instructor at South Arkansas Community College, served as judge this year’s competition. Armstard has selected the award winning photographs for Best of Show, First, Second, Third Place, and Honorable Mention. $600 in prize money will be presented to the winning selections during the artist’s reception.
Viewing hours for the Price and Merkle Gallery are Monday- Friday, 9:00-5:00. For more information, please call the SAAC office at 870-862-5474 or visit the website at www.saac-arts.org. SAAC is located at 110 East Fifth Street, El Dorado, Arkansas.