photospiva 2016

Sean Kernan was the juror for this year's PhotoSpiva. After many years of being in this show, I finally made the drive to Joplin, Missouri to attend the juror's lecture and the award ceremony. It was a great year for me to go; I'm very happy to say that my photograph "Banana Leaf" won first prize. So, I got a very generous check and a big 'ol puffed up chest.

Kernan gave an engaging lecture. Turns out he has made some photographs at the Kampala Boxing Club. When showing that body of work, he mentioned that a friend had told him about it. Well, I knew immediately that friend had to be Thatcher Cook, my 2006 Uganda workshop teacher. Thatcher was the one who told several of us students about the boxing club and encouraged us to shoot there, thinking it would be a good way to move out of our comfort zone. (I LOVED it and so did my friend Brian, who made some incredibly memorable pictures in that wonderfully gritty place.) After the talk, I asked Mr. Kernan who had recommended he shoot at the boxing club, and, of course, it was Thatch. It's a small photo world!

The show looked great. A lot of good work always in the PhotoSpiva exhibition. I was proud to be part of it once again. Taking the top prize was an incredible honor.

Sean Kernan's presentation

Kernan teaches creativity workshops and guided several audience members through a movement exercise

I went back to the hotel and took a shower. La Quinta's shower curtain is pretty cool.

photospiva

Spiva Art Center, located in Joplin, Missouri, is host to the longest-running photographic competition of its kind in the United States: “PhotoSpiva."  Founded in 1977, the objective of “PhotoSpiva," as stated by its founders is to “present an exhibition of excellence in photography, celebrating the scope and vigorous activity of today’s contemporary photographers.”

I’ve had a relationship with this competition for many years. In 1987 I was actually the juror! (That was when I wore my gallery owner hat.) Other jurors since the show’s inception have included: Keith F. Davis, Ted Hartwell, Mary Virginia Swanson, George Tice, Keith Carter, Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison and Elizabeth Opalenik.  This year’s juror was Natasha Egan, the Director of the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College.

I have entered my work in the competition five or six times over the past few years. I like supporting “PhotoSpiva”. I like the grass roots feel of it, and I love that it has continued to support budding photographers for such a long time. The folks there even managed to mount the show the year of the devastating hurricane in 2011. I like the unpretentious nature of everything they do and stand for.

I have gotten a couple honorable mentions. In 2007 I received the third place award, and in 2010 I received the second place award.

I’m really honored to report that I received an email late last night from Linda Kyger, office manager at Spiva Center for the Arts, congratulating me on receiving the first place award this year!

Here are the images Natasha Egan chose.

photospiva

Like most every other emerging and mid-career artist, I enter competitions; one of my favorites is PhotoSpiva, one that is right in my own backyard in Joplin, MIssouri. From the website:

“PhotoSpiva is a national competition hosted annually by Spiva Center for the Arts. Founded in 1977, PhotoSpiva has become the longest-running photographic competition of its kind in the U.S. As stated by the founders, the objective of PhotoSpiva is to ‘present an exhibition of excellence in photography, celebrating the scope and vigorous activity of today’s contemporary photographers.’

Co-Founder Jim Mueller stated, ‘We have intentionally avoided any categorization of either photographers or their work in setting forth the criteria for this competitive.’ PhotoSpiva welcomes any photographic process as long as it is original artwork and has not been previously exhibited at Spiva Center for the Arts. This philosophy has created an unbiased forum for exhibiting and educating photographers."

I was actually the juror in 1987, back in the day when I wore my gallery owner hat. Other jurors over the years have included Mary Virginia Swanson, Jack Welpott, Sally Gall, Elizabeth Opalenik, Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison and Keith Carter. I have entered the competition a few times during the last decade and have always been pleased to figure into the show. This year, two of my new Uganda pictures landed the 2nd place prize. Tom Chambers took the first prize, deservedly so! (This is one competition that does give fairly generous cash prizes.)


I didn’t make it to the opening reception, but I did swipe this picture from PhotoSpiva’s Facebook page. In it you can see my two images that were accepted.

The judges always seem to enjoy working on this show. The juror this year was Deborah Klochko, Director of the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego, California.

Here’s what Keith Carter had to say about the exhibit when he juried it in 2006:

“At the end of the day when all is said and done, I tell you unashamedly that I love exhibitions such as this. It shows the magnificent democratic tradition of image making is alive and well!”