For Immediate Release
Contact: Julie Westendorff
301.777.2787 (ARTS)
10th Anniversary Allegany National Photography Competition & Exhibition Celebrates This Weekend
CUMBERLAND, MD—The 10th Anniversary Allegany National Photography Competition & Exhibition (ANPCE) kicked off March 30, but the anniversary activities take place the next two weekends on Saturday, April 6 and 13.
Established in 2015, the ANPCE began as a way to showcase local photographers, but has continued to grow as the show’s recognition has spread. In 2024, the show received more than 800 entries and will award $7,500 in cash prizes to photographers in three categories: color, monochrome and photography as a 3-D art form.
The 2024 juror is Sarah Stolfa - Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Artistic Director of TILT: Institute for the Contemporary Image (formerly the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center). Stolfa founded TILT in 2009 to address the needs of working artists in Philadelphia, which included exhibition space for contemporary media-based artists and access to a comprehensive digital lab.
Stolfa has an MFA in photography from Yale University School of Art and a BFA in photography from Drexel University’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. She is an artist and educator with a broad range of experience in education, curatorial work, program development, administrative oversight and digital lab creation and management.
Stolfa has also served as an instructor at the Yale University Art Gallery, the Whitney Museum of American Art, Drexel University, and PPAC, and is currently a Lecturer in Photography at the University of Pennsylvania.
Two events will occur this weekend – a Public Opening & Awards program, which will take place Saturday, April 6, at the Arts Council, from 6:00PM-8:00PM, and will announce winners of this year’s competition. Following the Opening, the public is invited to Light Up the Night with Allegany Photo Show After Dark, a program celebrating the 10th anniversary of the competition. This event takes place at the Cumberland Masonic Temple from 8:00PM-11:00PM and will feature music by Mark Cappelini & Friends along with a surprise performance. Complimentary shuttle service will be provided between the two locations.
On Saturday, April 13, from 4:30-6:00PM, Frostburg State University professor, Robert Hein, will take a deep dive into the photography exhibit, pointing out themes and techniques and speaking directly with artists and viewers about the show. All of these events are free.
The exhibition is available for viewing both in person at the Allegany Arts Council’s galleries at 9 N. Centre Street in Cumberland, and via digital gallery at https://www.alleganyartscouncil.org/saville-exhibition/.
For more information, visit www.alleganyartscouncil.org or call 301-777-2787.
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