Brigham City Museum Announces 2021 Photography Competition Awards

Brigham City Museum Announces Photography Competition Awards

The Brigham City Museum of Art & History is pleased to announce the winners of its 2021 Photography Competition, “Waterways”. Barry Parson’s Drought took first place, followed by Jay Hudson’s Twilight at Arcata Marsh in second place, and Lara Lee Bosch’s In the Storm taking third place. Merit awards were given to Amanda Porter’s Salt Grooves, Cindy McConkie’s Refresh, and Kevin Schley’s Untitled 3. Maria Ellen Huebner and Andrew McAllister served as jurors for this year’s competition. 

This year’s theme, “Waterways”, is meant to reflect the aims of “Think Water Utah”, a statewide collaboration and conversation on the critical topic of water presented by Utah Humanities and its partners. “The talent on display in this year’s entries is breathtaking,” said Alana Blumenthal, Museum Director. “Water is such a personal concept, and I think that shows in the variety of interpretations we received. We are proud to add these pieces to the statewide conversation about the science and art of water”.

Our jurists took a thoughtful approach to their task. They selected entries that balanced the classical ideals of landscape or portrait photography with technical mastery and nuance that represented a cross section of different backgrounds in art and technique. “We looked for the anomalies among the entries,” said McAllister. “Which images represented a novel approach to a common subject? What was the artist trying to invoke?” They focused on each artist’s approach to this year’s theme. “How do these entries reflect water in Utah and which photos communicated it better when the subjects were similar?” said Huebner. “It’s interesting to think about how many of these photos were taken within a mile of each other”. 

Barry Parsons has won numerous photography competitions, and serves as the President of the Northern Utah Camera Club. “I am thrilled to win first place in this photography competition,” said Parsons. “The Brigham City Museum has always had a special place for me having grown up in Brigham and visiting the museum as a kid. I loved the idea that water has always been a theme for a lot of my photographs, even as it was my main theme for my masters project for my MFA. I really enjoy the competitions that the museum puts on. It is a favorite thing for my entire family to participate in. I enjoy being in a photographic competition with my kids, and they love trying to outperform their dad and sometimes they do”.

The museum will host an in-person reception on Thursday, October 14 at 6:00 PM to award this year’s winners and celebrate all the artists who entered the competition. RSVP by phone at 435-226-1439, email museum@bcutah.org, or Facebook messenger. The ceremony will be simultaneously broadcast via Facebook Live at facebook.com/brighamcitymuseum. 

COVID-19 Protocols:
Museum staff take the health and well being of their visitors seriously. We encourage visitors who are not vaccinated to wear masks.  Hand sanitizer and soap are accessible in the gallery and restrooms. 

About the Brigham City Museum of Art & History
The Brigham City Museum of Art & History is northern Utah’s cultural hub, offering temporary exhibitions on art (contemporary and historical) and history. The museum’s mission is to collect, preserve, and interpret art and materials that tell stories of human experiences and of the land. 

The museum is a department of Brigham City Corporation and receives added support from the Box Elder Museum Foundation. It is located at 24 North 300 West. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Guided tours are available by appointment.  Admission is free. Visit brighamcitymuseum.org for more information. 

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Please contact Museum Director Alana Blumenthal at ablumenthal@bcutah.org or Curator of Education Mary Ann Urban at maurban@bcutah.org or call 435-226-1439 for more information.