LOWELL, MA -Lowell National Historical Park is excited to announce the winners and finalists of the first annual Lowell Photography Contest. Contest participants from eight states and three foreign countries submitted 466 photographs documenting Lowell’s visual character. Participants ranging in age from thirteen to eighty-five years vividly captured a variety of Lowell’s historic, cultural and natural resources - from distinctive mill architecture to eclectic downtown art to bald eagles floating over a frozen Merrimack River. Over thirty students from Lowell High School submitted photographs in the “Youth" contest category - sweeping all youth entries and winning 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in their respective category.
This contest, the first of its kind in Park history, encouraged a significant number of regional photographers and artists to visit the City of Lowell and view it through a fresh “lens" from September 2009 to January 2010. Numerous Lowell area residents and others enthusiastically participated in the contest by photographing subjects they felt were interesting and important within their local communities.
The public is invited to view the top 20 photographs in a special exhibit at the Boott Cotton Mill Museum this Saturday, March 20th from 4pm-6:30pm. Visitors will have an opportunity to meet the contest judges and winners, and talk with park rangers about photography and the Park. Refreshments will be provided. The top 20 photographs will remain on display at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum through the remainder of the spring.
Professional photographers Lance Keimig, Sharon Lowe, and Meghan Moore evaluated photographs based on the image’s originality, technical execution, composition, and level of provocation. The collective staff of Lowell National Historical Park also served as the “4th Judge" in the photo evaluations.
View the winning images.
Winners
Grand Prize - Edward DiCroce, Evolve
First Place- Janice Lind, Shadows of Red
Second Place- Lee Fortier, Morning Fog
Third Place- Vera Kaufman, Swamp Locks Reflection
First Place (Youth) - Nitta Heng, Harris
Second Place (Youth) - Nicole Roscoe, Sunburst
Third Place (Youth)- Lily Mangkhalakhill, Smokestacks
Honorable Mention- Pascal Chea, Reflection in Canal
Honorable Mention- Kyle Rees, The Good Ol’ Merrimack
Finalists
Patti Matthis, Birdhouses
Rich Beaubien, Canal Block
Peter Lee, MCC Sculpture
Kristin Garland, The Gatehouse Wall
Robert Young, Long Hours of Repetitive Work
Brian Carton, The Gatehouse
David Doherty, Massachusetts Mill
Norm Caron, Boott Mills Through Window
Jurgen Kedesdy, Appleton Mills
Fred Rosenthal, Trolley Motorman
Emerson Speyerer, Lowell City Hall
Lowell National Historical Park congratulates and thanks all the contest participants for making the first Lowell Photography Contest a resounding success. The public can view all of the submitted contest photos, read more about the individual judges, and learn about the contest exhibit at the Park website, www.nps.gov/lowe/, where more information is also available about the Park. Become a “fan" of Lowell National Historical Park on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
