14th Annual John Faber Memorial Photography Contest

The Smith Mountain Arts Council hosted the 14^th Annual John Faber Memorial Photography Contest and Show May 23 - 26, 2008. This year’s show drew 198 entries from 54 photographers. A reception and awards presentation for participating photographers was held May 23^rd at Trinity Ecumenical Parish in Moneta. The entries were on display throughout the holiday weekend and the exhibit was visited by more than 250 guests.

John Faber was a respected photojournalist who moved to the Smith Mountain Lake area when he retired. He was renown for his contributions in the field of national and international journalism. From 1950 until 1983 he served as Eastman-Kodak’s technical and public relations representative to the primary news organizations in the nation. He worked closely with Margaret Bourke-White as a liaison between Ms. Bourke-White and Eastman Kodak. Margaret Bourke-White was a pioneer for women in the field of photography, shooting the first cover of LIFE magazine. In 1963, John Faber became the first westerner to interview the Dali Lama, and his photograph was used as the Dali Lama’s official portrait for many years. Putting pen to paper, he interviewed accomplished photojournalists and authored "Great News Photos and the Stories Behind Them", a book that documents the history of 140 powerful photographs that include the Crimean War, Jimmy Carter, Lindbergh and the first men on the moon just to name a few. He was nominated for a Pulitzer prize in 1979.

The annual show is open to amateur and professional photographers. Photographers may enter up to two entries in each of the 8 categories; sunrise/sunset, landscape/historical locations, people/portraits/people in action, wildlife/pets/pets with people, travel, close up/macro/still life, youth category for photographers 18 years old or younger, and a digital manipulation category was a new addition to the show this year.

Judges for this year’s event were Christine Carr, Assistant Professor of Art at Hollins University, and Jeffery Dalton, Assistant Professor of Art at Ferrum College. Ms. Carr holds a B.F.A. degree from Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington, D.C., and a M.F.A. degree from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. Her work is often displayed in galleries throughout Virginia, Washington, D.C. and North Carolina. Mr. Dalton holds a B.F.A. from Herron School of Art and an M.F.A. degree from Rhode Island School of Design. He was recently an artist-in-residence at the Vermont Studio Center and in Skaelskor, Denmark.

Larry Sakayama, event chair, shared that the judges spent approximately six hours evaluating the entries and choosing the winning entries. To maintain objectivity, photographs are only identifiable by entry number during the judging process. Three awards are presented for each of the eight categories, and the coveted "Best In Show" award. This year, fifteen talented photographers earned the twenty-five awards that were presented. The winning entries in each category will be on display at the "Artfully Framed Gallery" located at the Forum in Westlake throughout June, and all entries will be posted and available for viewing on the Smith Mountain Arts Council website at www.SmithMountainArtsCouncil.com.

- Sebastiano Stia, #6-4

^1st place:     Pidge Morgan, #1-7
2^nd place:    Sebastiano Stia, #1-4
Honorable Mention: Adele Shaffer, # 1-5

1^st place:     Brenton Hunt, #2-46
2^nd place:    J. Greg Adams, #2-29
.Honorable Mention: Andrea Ferguson, #2-27

1^st place:     Andy Boothe, #3-1
2^nd place:    Sebastiano Stia, #3-2
Honorable Mention: Devin Johnson, #3-26

1^st place:     Beth Phalen, #4-27
2nd place:    Robert Miller, #4-26
Honorable Mention: Beverly Dudly, #4-22

1^st place:     Robert Miller, #5-17
^2nd place:    Michelle Evans, #5-16
Honorable Mention: Sebastiano Stia, #5-4

1^st place:     Devin Johnson, #6-24
2^nd place:    Kitty McCoy, #6-26
Honorable Mention: Beth Phalen, # 6-29

1^st place:     Ed Wennerstrom, #7-9
^2nd place:    Devin Johnson, #7-11
Honorable Mention: Ed Wennerstrom, #7-8

1^st place:     Kellie McKnight, #8-1
2^nd place:    Devin Johnson, #8-3
Honorable Mention: Devin Johnson, #8-2