Throughout the Month of September in Visitor Center Gallery

Pawtucket: Over 500 submissions have been received for the City of Pawtucket’s 21st Annual Photo Contest and are on display throughout the month of September in the Visitor Center Gallery, 175 Main Street, Pawtucket, RI.   From these entries, twelve winning photos, will be selected by a panel of local professional photographers.  Following tradition, one winning photo will be chosen by Mayor Donald R. Grebien for the distinct honor of being used for the 'cover shot'.  All winning photos will be used in the City of Pawtucket's 2020 Photo Calendar. 

The contest was open to residents and non-residents alike, following the contest theme, but the photo must have been taken in Pawtucket.  After a public call for photo contest themes was advertised this past January, approximately 10 theme suggestions were received. The theme selected for this year’s contest was “Pawtucket Works” submitted by Jax Adele of Pawtucket.

This annual contest provides an opportunity to bring awareness to the daily life, historic locations and the ever-changing landscape of Pawtucket through the lens of a camera.

Also participating in this contest is the entire 5th grade population from the 10 elementary public schools in the City of Pawtucket.     Their photos are the culmination of a 6-month project in which photographer, Richard Benjamin, along with photographer, Herman Brewster and Patricia Zacks from The Camera Werks visited and worked with the students in their classrooms.  Using a PowerPoint presentation and some photo basics, students were instructed to use their imagination, follow the contest theme and explore their community using a disposable Fuji film camera.  Individual creativity was strongly encouraged and the contest theme was subject to the students’ interpretation.  The result from this workshop is what is on exhibit today.   Participating students were from Agnes Little, Baldwin, Cunningham, Curvin-McCabe, Fallon Memorial, Flora S. Curtis, Nathanael Greene, Potter-Burns, Henry J. Winters and Varieur Elementary Schools in Pawtucket. 

All photos will be on display at the Blackstone Valley Visitor’s Center throughout the month of September.  Mayor’s Choice Award will receive $100 cash prize, First Place will receive $75.00 cash prize, 2nd Place will receive $50.00 cash prize with remaining winners receiving gift certificates.  All winning photos will be used in the City of Pawtucket’s 2019 Calendar.    Winners will be announced by Mayor Donald R. Grebien on Sunday, September 29 at 4:00pm at a public reception where they may meet the contest judges at the Blackstone Valley Visitor’s Center, 175 Main Street, Pawtucket. This year's judges featured Butch Adams, Richard Benjamin, Herman Brewster, Christy Christopolous and Aaron Usher.

This contest and project was made possible by the generous support of its sponsors: The City of Pawtucket, the Pawtucket School Department and The Camera Werks of Providence.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patricia Zacks
401-273-5367