Perkins Center for the Arts has been a magnet for the region’s top photographers for nearly 40 years. Each year, the center is inundated with pieces from around the region — and even the country — that capture one-of-a-kind moments and perspectives.
Perkins’ 39th Annual Photography Exhibition will take place from Feb. 9 — the event’s opening reception — to March 22. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
Kahra Buss, executive director at Perkins, said the center seeks both professional and amateur photographers who are doing “unique and impactful work.” She said the quality of the work is essential as pieces are chosen.
Artists were permitted to submit up to three works created in the last three years. Buss said over its history, the exhibition has attracted work from as close as Moorestown and as far as Texas, Florida and New York.
She added the sheer range of entries is always impressive. Black and white photos, highly saturated pieces, color, landscapes, fantastical interpretations, geometric explorations and more have hung on Perkins’ walls throughout the exhibition’s lifespan.
Bill Horin, founder and creative director of ArtC — an organization dedicated to the promotion of the arts in South Jersey — served as this year’s juror, selecting 68 photographs from the 213 submitted.
A professional photographer himself, Horin also is the publisher of two arts magazines: ArtBeat and Envision.
The opening reception on Feb. 9 will include an awards ceremony around 2 p.m. as well as light fare and an opportunity to meet the artists and discuss their works. Horin selected first-, second- and third-place winners as well as two honorable mentions.
“Attending a gallery opening is a wonderful way to see what kind of creative work is happening currently,” Buss noted. “Communication occurs through the arts. Imagery and interpretation are vehicles of communication and provide wonderful opportunities for discussion.”
During the last 39 years, Perkins has placed pieces in the Smithsonian and Philadelphia Museum of Art collections. Perkins Center is also the only organization that annually has a piece chosen for the art museum’s permanent collection. This year’s selection will be made by Peter Barberie, the museum’s curator of photographs.
The artist’s reception will take place on Feb. 9 from 1 to 4 p.m. Private exhibit tours can be scheduled.
To view the full list of winners, visit http://bit.ly/PerkinsCenter_Photo39ArtistsandWinners.
