On Friday, March 3rd, the Beloit Art Center held a gallery reception and awards ceremony for the 12th Annual Juried Photography Exhibit.  The lively, near-capacity crowd included gallery and community members, as well as the photographers who submitted entries and their families and friends. Awards were presented to the top ten photographers, with the top three entries receiving monetary awards.

The first-place winner received $150 and was awarded to Jeff McDonald for Very Large Array.  The $100 second-place award went to Paul Pinzarrone for Andromeda, and the third-place award for $50 was taken by Zach Hubner Schorsch for Grand Mosque. The seven other award winners in the top ten were James Meldrum for Big Hill Reflections, Heather Walker for Northern Lakes, Scott Ide for Weathered Dreams, Judy Robson for Tidal Pools Amelia Island, Randall Manus for Psycho Silo Saloon, Brenda Daniels for Slash and Philip Schorsch for Louvre. The People’s Choice Award went to Alexa Larson for Alleyway of San Juan.  

​The Beloit Art Center welcomes the community to view the exhibit through March 30. The Center is located at 520 E. Grand Ave. and is free and open to the public. Gallery and gift shop hours are Monday 10am - 2pm,  Tuesday - Friday 10am – 5pm, and Saturday from 10am – 2pm. For more information about gallery exhibits, classes, and events visit www.beloitartcenter.com.

First Place - Very Large Array by Jeff McDonald

Second Place - Andromeda by Paul Pinzarrone

Third Place - Grand Mosque by Zach Hubner Schorsch

More than 70 images will be exhibited during the month of March at the Beloit Art Center's 12th annual juried photography contest. On Friday, March 3, the Center will host a First Friday Gallery Reception from 5-7pm, with an awards ceremony beginning at 6pm. In the Bell Gallery we welcome local painter Carol Scott, who will be exhibiting her work in public for the first time.
 
Amateur photographers from the region submitted images to be reviewed by a group of three jurors. Each individually reviews the digital entries and gives them a score based on composition, creative and subject matter, and technical merit. The three scores are then tallied, determining the images that are accepted into the exhibit. The final in-person juror critique occurs after the images are delivered to the gallery. The results are kept under wraps until the night of the reception, at which time the top ten awards are presented, with the first-place award winner receiving $150, second place $100 and third place $50. A theme for next year’s exhibit will also be announced. The exhibit will be open for viewing from March 3 through March 23.
 
This year's featured photographers are:

Kathy Baker
Stuart Berg
David Buchen
Brenda  Daniels
Beth Doerrfeld
Samantha Harrison
Kristine Hinrichs
Zach Hubner-Schorsch
Scott Ide
Tom Jordan
Alexa Larson
Melissa Lauer
Paul Lindquist
Deb Lynch
Randall Manus
Jeff McDonald
James Meldrum
Diane Nichols
Ashley Phoenix
Paul Pinzarrone
Judy Robson
Kristine Schend
Brad Schmitt
Philip Schorsch
Heather  Walker
David Williams

 
The Bell Gallery will feature the artwork of Rockton artist Carol Scott. Born and raised in Winnebago, Illinois, Carol is a self-taught artist who enjoys bringing the beauty of nature onto canvas. Inspired by artists such as Chuck Black and Michael James Smith, Carol has found they challenge her to set the bar high in her work. “I have had a great amount of success with commissioned work, having sent my pieces all over the United States and overseas,” says Carol, “I hope that you enjoy the exhibit.” Last November Carol received a State Award at the Beloit Wisconsin Regional Artist Program (WRAP) Exhibit and will be a featured artist in the State WRAP Exhibit at the Pyle Center in Madison this July.​