The National Park Service celebrated its 99th birthday on Aug. 25, and in honor of this milestone, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area recently hosted a combined birthday celebration and unveiling of the winners of the park's first annual photography contest on Labor Day weekend. The Art in the Park reception celebration featured refreshments, complete with birthday cake and live bluegrass music by South Sycamore.
The entrants for the Art in the Park photography contest submitted photos in seven categories. The winners were announced at the September 5 event:
* Kentucky Landscapes - L.D. Coffey, of Stearns, Kentucky, with "Yahoo Falls"
* Tennessee Landscapes - Michael Foster, of Elgin, Tennessee, with "Fall in Zenith"
* Artistic - Michael Foster, of Elgin, Tennessee, with "Summer Heavens in Big South Fork"
* Flora/Fauna - Peggy Yaeger, of Corbin, Kentucky, with "Prickly Pear Cactus at Cactus Rock";
* Action/Adventure -Tracey Stansberry, of Huntsville, Tennessee, with "Kayaker"
* Cultural - Michael Foster, of Elgin, Tennessee, with "Burnt Mill Bridge Weathering Time"
* Youth - Jerry Fuller, of Hobart, Indiana, with "North Arch"
Several photographs received honorable mention including:
* Sarah Dunlap, of Oneida, Tennessee, with "Devil's Jump Overlook"
* L.D. Coffey, of Stearns, Kentucky, with "Clearing Fog"
* Ken Cross, of Knoxville, Tennessee, with "East Overlook at Sunset"
* Peggy Yaeger, of Corbin, Kentucky, with "Kidney Leaf Grass-of-Parnassus"
* John Andrew Grogan, of Somerset, Kentucky, with "The Edge of the Known Universe"
* L.D. Coffey, of Stearns, Kentucky, with "Old K&T Railroad Bridge"
During the reception, attendees were able to cast their votes for the People's Choice category, and the winner was:
* Jack Coker, of Knoxville, Tennessee, with "The Calm"
The momentum is starting now, as we approach the 100th year anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016. Park Superintendent Niki Stephanie Nicholas announced the kickoff for the second annual photography contest at the recent photo reception. "We want to encourage park visitors to submit photos that show their unique vision of the magnificence of the Big South Fork," said Niki Nicholas.
The 2016 photo reception will be held Labor Day weekend on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016. The deadline for the photograph submissions will be on July 22, 2016.
The 2015 winning photos are currently on display at the Bandy Creek Visitor's Center, located at 151 Stable Road, Oneida, Tennessee. For more information, please contact the park at (423) 286-7275.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
