Life's greatest scenes can't be Photoshopped or embellished otherwise. So, maybe a true-to-life photographic exhibit is the proper remedy for our collective CGI hangover. Head over to the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, where 146 of the Tampa Bay area's most gifted photographers exhibit their work in the 10th annual Members' Show at the museum through Sept. 4. In the largest members’ show FMOPA’s 10-year history, both professional and amateur photographers competed for eight cash prizes in six categories (plus Members’ Choice and Best of Show). Rory Brennan of Cedar Key earned the $300 Best of Show award for Cancer Ward, Paraguay (pictured above). The winning photograph was taken when Brennan, a fundraising writer/photographer, accompanied the National Cancer Coalition on a trip to Paraguay. The Coalition delivers donated chemotherapy drugs to help treat cancer patients. Brennan is donating his prize money to the Coalition. Chris Hoyer of Lutz won the Members’ Choice Award for Sweet Dreams, London. In the documentary category, Roy Rodriguez won for The Conversation; Kirk Ke Wang's Passage of Time won in the travel category; Jim Reiman’s Jason won for portraiture; Robert Dana’s Water Lilies was judged best in the Nature/Landscape category; Melissa Harris' Pinned Glass won the Details category; and David Audet‘s Fan, Fur: La France scored in the Creative Mediums/Processes category. Judith Hall, Travel, Michael Schuhmann, Andrew Malbin, Katherine Stetson, and Jennifer Mace won Honorable Mention Awards.
On the judging panel were Steven Katzman, a photographer who recently had a portfolio of his work purchased by the George Eastman House International Center of Photography; Ted McLaren Photo/Media Coordinator for the St. Petersburg Times. and Noel Smith, Curator of Latin American and Caribbean Art at USF’s Institute for Research in Art.
A non-profit museum that collects and exhibits photographic works as well as presenting classes and lectures, FMOPA also holds free programs to bring photography and visual literacy to at-risk children. Located at 200 N. Tampa St. (on the corner of Jackson Street and Ashley Drive), it is open to the public 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday. Entry into the museum is a suggested $4 donation. 813-221-2222 or visit www.FMoPA.org.
