This year’s exhibition will be juried by Dr. E. Gale Greenlee, who chose “Roots, Ground, Water, Seeds” as the theme, and encourages submissions relating to: connection with the land, familial ancestral roots, groundedness, life-giving ways of being, and activism as seeds of change.

Inspired by the Banff Centre’s Mountain Photo Competition, the AMPC is updating its submission process to a single-image and series submission format. The single-image submission application will be the most familiar to previous AMPC artists. In lieu of submitting images to themed categories, artists will be able to submit 1-5 standalone images aligned with the theme of “Roots, Ground, Water, Seeds” for $10 dollars. Building on last year’s exhibition featuring photographic series, AMPC is offering a series submission option where artists can share 6-12 images from a singular body of work for $15 dollars. Selected artists from this category will show six images from their submitted series, highlighting the AMPC’s vision to support the expansion of Appalachian narratives. The deadline for submissions is November 18, 2023. Artists will be notified of their acceptance on December 8, 2023 and will be expected to deliver their artwork to TCVA in Boone, NC, by January 20, 2024. Artists are responsible for transporting artwork to TCVA. TCVA will
provide complimentary return shipping via FedEx to exhibiting artists.

The 21st AMPC exhibition will open February 2, 2024 with a public reception that evening. People’s Choice voting will take place in-person in the gallery, and the winner will be announced on March 23, 2024 along with the Juror’s awards. The exhibition will be on view through June 1, 2023. The AMPC exhibition is hosted in conjunction with the BANFF Film Festival at Appalachian State University. There will be public programming on Saturday, March 23, 2024 which will include a panel discussion with the juror and exhibiting artists, a portfolio walkthrough, followed by a private reception.

The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Mast General Store. Additional support comes from Appalachian Voices, Bistro Roca, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Footsloggers Outfitters, Peabody’s, Stickboy Bread.

Juror’s Information

E. Gale Greenlee, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) is a writer-educator, an independent children’s literature and Black Girlhood Studies scholar, and a recent teacher-scholar in residence at the bell hooks center at Berea College. Born in Greensboro, NC, she is the granddaughter of farmers from rural South Carolina and a descendent of five generations of Affrilachians who called Western North Carolina home.  Broadly interested in pop culture, Black Appalachian literature, memory work and Black feminist legacy keeping, Gale is a longtime arts advocate whose childhood dream was to travel across the U.S. in an RV selling her art. Her public humanities work focuses on curating literary and cultural programs for community spaces, and she is committed to creating ethical collaborations and weaving art in her world. From teaching courses such as “Women of Color: Art, Justice and Joy” at The Ohio State University, organizing artist talks, co-curating a permanent installation at the bell hooks center, to writing about Black craft as a Center for Craft Archival Research Fellow, Gale works to amplify the artistic traditions of historically marginalized communities.

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Celebrating the 20-year history of the exhibition, artists Jessica Maceda, Byron Tenesaca-Guaman, and Alicia Green will be welcomed back to the AMPC to share their work. Jessica Maceda will share images, spanning more than a decade, documenting the landscapes of the area through the lens of a local community member. Byron Tenesaca-Guaman’s work highlights the “system of reciprocity that exists between humans and the mountains” in his homes of an ancestral community in the Ecuadorian Andes and the Cherokee Mountains of Southern Appalachia. Through candid portraits and action photography, Alicia Green’s work uplifts the local skater scene.

Representing the future possibilities of the competition and expanding Appalachian narratives, artists Raymond Thompson Jr., Ant M. Lobo, and Wendy Ewald have been invited to share their work. In his series, Appalachian Ghosts, Raymond Thompson Jr. “recontextualizes and re-presents archival photographs” documenting the construction of Hawks Nest Tunnel, built “to divert the New River near Fayetteville, WV,” and brings forth the importance of African-American narratives. Ant M. Lobo’s work shares intimate photographs and writings that share their experience revisiting Black Mountain College’s Lake Eden campus. Artist and educator Wendy Ewald will be exhibiting images from her series, Portraits and Dreams, which offers a unique methodology for empowering communities to tell their own stories through work created by her students in Letcher County, KY.

The 20th AMPC anniversary invitational exhibition will open at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts on Friday, March 3, 2023 with a public reception from 5 – 9 PM. The photographs will be on view through June 3, 2023. The AMPC exhibition is hosted in conjunction with the BANFF Film Festival at Appalachian State University. As part of the 20th AMPC anniversary celebrations, there will be public programming at the Turchin Center on Saturday, April 1, 2023 that will highlight the history of the AMPC programming in Boone as well as showcase current topics explored by Appalachian photographers:

12:00 – 1:00 pm Panel discussion with exhibiting artists – Celebrating Appalachian Photography.

1:30 – 3:00 pm Portfolio Walkthrough with participants from the 18-19th Annual AMPC.

3:00 – 4:00 pm – Documentary screening of Portraits and Dreams by Wendy Ewald.

4:00 – 6:00 pm – AMPC Private Reception.

Mark your calendars to participate in a community celebration of Appalachian visual heritage and identity. There will be a People’s Choice Award that will begin on March 3, 2023, the day the show opens and will close on March 31, 2023, the day before the reception, so be sure to cast your vote!

The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Mast General Store. Additional support comes from Appalachian Voices, Bistro Roca, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Footsloggers Outfitters, Peabody’s, Stickboy Bread and Smoky Mountain Living.

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Jodie Castellani  and the image Radioactive, Fenced In (below) took top honors, receiving the designation of Best in Show. Jodie will take home a cash award of $1,000 furnished through competition proceeds.

Rhonda Kingen’s image The Color of Summer (below)  is the public’s pick in this year’s Footsloggers’ People’s Choice Award and will receive a $350 cash award furnished by Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters.

19th Annual Winners List

In the table below, we have listed all the winners for top honors, categories, and special mentions.

19th Annual Winners Gallery

The photographers who participate in this competition each year  help to make the Student Outdoor Learning Expeditions through ASU’s Outdoor Programs an experience of a lifetime for many students. Thank you for your unwavering support and enthusiasm!

The post 19th Annual AMPC Winners Announced appeared first on Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition.

This year’s finalist images can be viewed online in the 19th Annual Finalists Gallery.

The exhibition of finalists may be viewed in person at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. Voting for the People’s Choice Award opens on Friday, March 4 at 5:00 p.m. and closes on April 1 at 5:00 p.m.

Once voting for the People’s Choice Award ends, competition organizers will announce this year’s award winners on this site and our Facebook page.

Congratulations to this year’s finalists and thanks to everyone for submitting such great images! Your entry fees not only help raise funds for Appalachian State University’s Outdoor Programs SOLE Trips for students, but also show the world the unique people, places, and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians.

For more information about this photography competition, please contact us  or call ASU Outdoor Programs at 828.262.2475.

The post 19th Annual AMPC Finalists Announced appeared first on Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition.

A partnership between Appalachian State University Outdoor Programs, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, and Virtual Blue Ridge, the AMPC celebrates the unique people, places, and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians. Attracting entries from across the United States, the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition has grown into one the region’s most prestigious photography competitions with almost 1,000 submissions last year and viewed in person by thousands of people at the Turchin Center for Visual Arts in Boone, North Carolina. The AMPC is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Mast General Store, with support from Appalachian Voices, Bistro Roca, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Footsloggers, Peabody’s, Nikon Professional Services, and Stick Boy Bread Company.

Competition organizers are excited to announce this year’s Blue Ridge Parkway category theme, “The Power of Nature,” sponsored by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and Nikon Professional Services. The chief architect of the Blue Ridge Parkway once said, “The idea is to fit the Parkway into the mountains as if nature has put it there.” For 469 miles through the Blue Ridge, visitors have a chance to see up-close the power and beauty of the ancient mountains. This year, photographers should submit images of the Blue Ridge Parkway and it’s connection with nature at its best: gorgeous, powerful, and inspiring.

The winning image in this category will receive a $250 cash award, provided by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and a camera from Nikon Professional Services.

Previous themes include “A Place to Play,” “Where the Parkway Meets the Sky,” “Beyond the Blacktop,” “People on the Parkway,” “Weather on the Parkway,” and “Nature’s Escape.”

Another exciting category for the AMPC this year, highlighting our commitment of raising awareness of the natural environment through this competition is the Our Ecological Footprint category, which is intended to document environmental concerns in the Southern Appalachians. Photographers are encouraged to capture an image that represents our ecological footprint in a creative and poignant way. Appalachian Voices and the Mast General Store are partnering to present this award which will go to the photographer who best captures the spirit of this category with a $500 cash prize package.

Additional competition categories this year include Best in Show, which wins a $1,000 cash prize, the People’s Choice Award presented by Footsloggers which will receive a $350 gift certificate, and the following categories of Culture, Adventure, Flora and Fauna, and Landscape, will each win $250 prize packages from the Mast General Store.

A panel of professional photographers will review all entries and narrow them down to approximately 50 images that will be displayed in exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, March 4 – June 4, 2022. From those images, the judges will select the final winners which will be showcased during the exhibition.

The AMPC website, designed and maintained by Virtual Blue Ridge, features the competition’s archives of finalist images. The Galleries section of the site offers one-click access to every finalist image since the competition’s beginning, making the AMPC archives one of the most comprehensive juried galleries of the Southern Appalachians.

Thank you for your support this year and Happy Shooting!

About Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition:

The AMPC is a partnership between Appalachian State University’s Outdoor Programs and The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. AMPC is made possible through the sponsorship of Virtual Blue Ridge, the premier online resource for the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Mast General Store. AMPC receives generous support from Appalachian Voices;  Bistro Roca, Inventive American Cuisine; the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation; Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters; Peabody’s Wine and Beer Merchants; Nikon Professional Services: and Stick Boy Bread Company. For more information about this photography competition, please visit appmtnphotocomp.org, or call Outdoor Programs at 828.262.2475.

The post 19th Annual AMPC Has Begun! appeared first on Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition.

Mike Baker  and the image End Times (below) took top honors, receiving the designation of Best in Show. Mike will take home a cash award of $1,000 furnished through competition proceeds.

Jim Rusk’s image Moonwalk (below)  is the public’s pick in this year’s Footsloggers’ People’s Choice Award and will receive $350 cash award furnished by Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters.

18th Annual Winners List

In the table below, we have listed all the winners for top honors, categories, and special mentions.

18th Annual Winners Gallery

The photographer’s who participate in this competition each year  help to make the Student Outdoor Learning Expeditions through ASU’s Outdoor Programs an experience of a lifetime for many students. Thank you for your unwavering support and enthusiasm!

The post 18th Annual AMPC Winners Announced appeared first on Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition.

This year’s finalist images can be viewed online in the 18th Annual Finalists Gallery.

The exhibition of finalists may be viewed in person at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. Voting for the People’s Choice Award opens on Friday, March 5 at 5:00 p.m. and closes on March 19 at 5:00 p.m.

Once voting for the People’s Choice Award ends, competition organizers will announce this year’s award winners on this site and our Facebook page.

Congratulations to this year’s finalists and thanks to everyone for submitting such great images! Your entry fees not only help raise funds for Appalachian State University’s Outdoor Programs SOLE Trips for students, but also show the world the unique people, places, and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians.

For more information about this photography competition, please contact us  or call ASU Outdoor Programs at 828.262.2475.

The post 18th Annual AMPC Finalists Announced appeared first on Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition.

“We are thrilled to be celebrating our 18th year of the AMPC” states Rich Campbell, Associate Director for Programs with Appalachian State University’s University Recreation and the Competition Director for the AMPC. “We have built a long history of celebrating the people, places, and pursuits of the Southern Appalachians through photography. This has been a very challenging year, and we were thrilled with the response we received by the number of people submitting images this year. Now, more than ever, I think people really appreciate the abundant outdoor resources that the AMPC celebrates every year.”

Shauna Caldwell

Shauna is an artist from Boone, NC. She received BFAs in both Studio Art and Art Education.

In addition to working as Assistant Director of Arts Education and Outreach at Appalachian State University, she is currently pursuing a MA in Appalachian Studies and a graduate certificate in Non-Profit Administration.

Her roots in Appalachia and relationship with the environment shape her creative work.

Visit Shauna’s website for more information.

Eric Heistand

Eric is a visual storyteller with a love for capturing redemptive moments and unlikely heroes. An outdoor enthusiast, Eric’s photography began as an extension of chronicling his adventures on rock walls and ski slopes.

Nimble movement over mountainous terrain has shaped Eric’s embrace of a “fast and light” photography ethic. Eric moved from the Colorado Rockies to the Appalachians 12 years ago. He has grown to love the misty mountains of North Carolina.

“Don’t be fooled by their smaller size, compared to other great mountain ranges,” says Eric. “These mountains easily hide beautiful treasures within their dense and complex canopy. A friendship with a local can open up secret passages and vistas that aren’t marked on any map.”

Exhibition Information

This year the Turchin Center will be offering limited access to the Mezzanine Gallery where the AMPC will be exhibited. Groups of up to 10 people will be able to reserve spots to browse the gallery and see the exhibition. Additionally, AMPC organizers will organize specific AMPC appointments for viewing.

We also have an ambitious virtual calendar lined up, including a signature event on March 20, 2021 where we will announce all of the winning images, and a compelling panel discussion about Contemporary Appalachian Photography with esteemed panelists Clarissa Sligh, lydia see, Megan King, and Madison Hye Long on March 24, 2021.

The AMPC exhibition opens on March 5 and runs through June 5, 2021.

The post Jurors for 18th Annual AMPC Announced! appeared first on Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition.

A partnership between Appalachian State University Outdoor Programs, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, and Virtual Blue Ridge, the AMPC celebrates the unique people, places, and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians. Attracting entries from across the United States, the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition has grown into one the region’s most prestigious photography competitions with almost 1,000 submissions last year and viewed in person by thousands of people at the Turchin Center for Visual Arts in Boone, North Carolmina. The AMPC is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Mast General Store, with support from Appalachian Voices, Bistro Roca, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Footsloggers, Peabody’s, Nikon Professional Services, and Stick Boy Bread Company.

Competition organizers are excited to announce this year’s Blue Ridge Parkway category theme, sponsored by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and Nikon Professional Services, which is “Blue Ridge Parkway: Nature’s Escape.” In this difficult year, we have all been impacted by COVID-19. In the face of fear and uncertainty, many have sought refuge in the country’s natural places, where open spaces allow for natural social distancing. The Blue Ridge Parkway offers countless locations where visitors can escape life’s stresses and immerse themselves in beautiful Appalachian scenery. Photographers should submit images that capture scenes of the Parkway’s use as a refuge of escape into the peaceful open spaces of the Appalachians.

The winning image in this category will receive a $250 cash award, provided by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and a camera from Nikon Professional Services.

Another exciting category for the AMPC this year, highlighting our commitment of raising awareness of the natural environment through this competition is the Our Ecological Footprint category, which is intended to document environmental concerns in the Southern Appalachians. Photographers are encouraged to capture an image that represents our ecological footprint in a creative and poignant way. Appalachian Voices and the Mast General Store are partnering to present this award which will go to the photographer who best captures the spirit of this category with a $500 cash prize package.

Additional competition categories this year include Best in Show, which wins a $1,000 cash prize, the People’s Choice Award presented by Footsloggers which will receive a $350 gift certificate, and the following categories of Culture, Adventure, Flora and Fauna, and Landscape, will each win $250 prize packages from the Mast General Store.

A panel of professional photographers will review all entries and narrow them down to approximately 50 images that will be displayed in exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, March 5 – June 5, 2021. From those images, the judges will select the final winners which will be showcased during the exhibition.

The AMPC website, designed and maintained by Virtual Blue Ridge, features the competition’s archives of finalist images. The Galleries section of the site offers one-click access to every finalist image since the competition’s beginning, making the AMPC archives one of the most comprehensive juried galleries of the Southern Appalachians.

Thank you for your support this year and Happy Shooting!

About Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition:

The AMPC is a partnership between Appalachian State University’s Outdoor Programs and The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. AMPC is made possible through the sponsorship of Virtual Blue Ridge, the premier online resource for the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Mast General Store. AMPC receives generous support from Appalachian Voices;  Bistro Roca, Inventive American Cuisine; the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation; Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters; Peabody’s Wine and Beer Merchants; Nikon Professional Services: and Stick Boy Bread Company. For more information about this photography competition, please visit appmtnphotocomp.org, or call Outdoor Programs at 828.262.2475.

The post 18th Annual AMPC Has Begun! appeared first on Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition.

Michael Kaal  and the image “Fabio” (below) took top honors, receiving the designation of Best in Show. Tom will take home a cash award of $1,000 furnished through competition proceeds.

William Mauney’s image “Sugar Mountain Brocken Spectre” (below)  is the public’s pick in this year’s Footsloggers’ People’s Choice Award and will receive $350 cash award furnished by Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters.

17th Annual Winners List

In the table below, we have listed all the winners for top honors, categories, and special mentions.

17th Annual Winners Gallery

Your participation this year will help to make the Student Outdoor Learning Expeditions through ASU’s Outdoor Programs an experience of a lifetime for many students. Thank you for your unwavering support and enthusiasm!

AMPC is funded through the generous contributions of our partners, sponsors and supporters. You can provide needed operational support to AMPC by choosing to make a donation and/or offering us feedback on your user experience.

If you, or someone you know, would like to participate as a competition sponsor or supporter, please contact Rich Campbell, Competition Director, at 828-262-2475.

Click here for AMPC press & media resource information.

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