Posted: June 4, 2010 10:34:09 AM PDT
Six local photographers will receive public recognition for their images in the fifth annual "Essence of Bellingham" Photo Competition, which drew nearly 800 entries from area residents of all ages.
The winning entries and others submitted to the competition are posted on the City of Bellingham website at www.cob.org/eob . The competition is sponsored by the City of Bellingham and the Whatcom Museum.
Entries receiving highest honors are:
Best of Show - 1st place: “Fairhaven Morning” by Ken Salzman (Amateur)
Best of Show - 2nd place: “Memorial Park” by Mike Leenhouts (Professional)
Best of Show - 3rd place: “Youth” by Ashley Hollender (College)
Best of Class – K – 4th Grade: “Bellingham Wall” by Elijah Forslof
Best of Class – 5th – 8th Grade: “Dedication of The Porch” by Joshua Lingbloom
Best of Class – 9th – 12th Grade: “Contradictions” by Evan Sobjack
Bellingham Mayor Dan Pike said the annual photo competition is a low-cost way to celebrate Bellingham, preserve photos for a historic record of our times and engage people in their community.
"The photos entered each year show us what people love about Bellingham, displaying a rich diversity of people, places and events,” Bellingham Mayor Dan Pike said. “We are glad so many people share their images of Bellingham each year, allowing us to enjoy them today and preserve them for future generations as well.”
The 789 entries submitted this year by 160 photographers were juried by representatives from the Whatcom Museum and City of Bellingham, a Western Washington University photography professor, and a local professional photographer. Each year, the number of beautiful and excellent quality images submitted makes choosing the winning photographs very difficult, and this year was no exception. Winning entries are selected based on photographic quality, subject matter and how well the "essence of Bellingham" is captured.
The photographers who submitted the winning shots will be recognized by Pike and the Bellingham City Council at the June 21, 2010 City Council meeting. All entries are displayed on the City website, and many are shown on BTV10 and added to the Whatcom Museum's photographic collection.
In addition, all photos entered in the "College, University, Vocational/Technical Schools" category of the Essence of Bellingham competition also were juried by students and staff at Western Washington University for special recognition as "The Student's Perspective." These photos are posted on the Western Today website and will be on display at Western next fall to welcome students back to campus.
Pike said the photo competition is an annual event, and he invites community members to begin snapping photos now to enter in next year's competition.
###
Media Contact:
Janice Keller, Communications Manager
Mayor's Office
360-778-8100
jkeller@cob.org
