Sarah Curtis won Best in Show for her photo, “Bright Eyes.”Sarah Curtis
The Tuscarawas County-based Focus Point photo club, in partnership with the Tuscarawas County Center for the Arts, announced winners for the annual 2025 photography contest and exhibition.
Twenty-three local photographers submitted 214 photographs for display and review by three photographer jurors, Terry Barnhill, Shellyn Leeper and Dennis Valentine, who selected 24 photographs to receive awards in five categories: animals/nature/insects, landscape/cityscape, people, open and reflections.
This amateur competition and exhibition also is a learning experience for everyone involved. Several factors must be considered when selecting a photo for a contest including composition, subject matter, various elements of processing (editing), presentation and how the photo is matted or framed.
The following artists were honored with awards:
—Sarah Curtis won Best in Show for her photo, “Bright Eyes.”
—Michelle Wittensoldner was awarded first place in the animal/nature/insect category, third place in the people category and third place in the open category.
—Richard Schnuerer was awarded second place in the animal/nature/insect category, an honorable mention in the open category and second place in the reflections category.
—Bill Roloff was awarded third place in the animal/nature/insect category.
—Susan Cramer-Stein had the most wins, with two honorable mentions in the animal/nature/insect category, a first place and an honorable mention in the open category, a third place in the reflections category, and third place in the landscape/cityscape category.
—Julie A. Murray was awarded first place in the people category and an honorable mention in the reflections category.
—Bonnie Bauerbach was awarded second place in the people category.
—Jennifer Case was awarded an honorable mention in the people category and second place in the open category.
—Dan Lux was awarded first place in the reflections category and first and second places in the landscape/cityscape category.
—John S. Murray was awarded an honorable mention in the reflections category.
—Marc Davis was awarded an honorable mention in the landscape/cityscape category.
—Lisa Fisher was awarded an honorable mention in the landscape/cityscape category.
The exhibition is on display in The Foland Gallery of the Tuscarawas County Center for the Arts, 461 Robinson Drive SE, New Philadelphia. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.
Many of the photos are available for sale, and the exhibit will culminate in a free public closing reception Saturday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. Awards will be presented at 2 p.m., after which participants may take their photographs home. Refreshments and piano music by Christine Rober will be provided. The exhibition is sponsored in part by the Ohio Arts Council, Troyer and Associates, and the Kimble Foundation.
Focus Point is a local photography club for all lovers of photography. Find them on Facebook.
