In-Sight Photography Project announces its first Annual Youth Photo Contest & Fair. For 30 years, In-Sight Photography Project has been nurturing the creativity of young artists in the Brattleboro community and across the country. Seeing an opportunity to give young artists an opportunity to have their work exhibited in the community and by professionals in the field, this year instead of our Annual Benefit Art Auction, we made a choice to ask the community to support an event that will directly benefit and promote the talented youth in our community.

First Annual Youth Photo Contest

The competition is open to youth 11-18 who live within an hour of Brattleboro. Contestants are invited to submit one image in each of the following categories: Analog Film, Artsic, People, Places, and The New England Experience. The deadline to submit images is August 20th. Images submitted into the contest will be exhibited in In-Sight’s gallery on September 1st through October 6th. Three winning images in each category will be selected by a jury panel to win awards in each category. The top award being a DSLR camera kit. Submissions are open now.

Cathy Cone

Cathy Cone, esteemed photographer and long-time In-Sight supporter, whose works are in the collections of IBM, Hallmark Fine Art Collections, American Express, among others, is the event’s honorary chair. As a long-time supporter of In-Sight and its students, Cathy says this is an opportunity for the community to encourage and help guide a young photographer’s dreams, especially now when the visual arts are so much in demand. She and In-Sight are convening a blue-ribbon jury panel, along with a “red-carpet” award’s ceremony and photo fair to include photo booths, demonstrations, games, and more that will take place at The Latchis Theater on September 30th.

The Jury Panel

In-Sight’s board of directors vice-chair and local photographer, Rachel Portesi, has helped Cathy assemble the jury panel.

The jury panel includes a mix of local and national photographers, including

• Cathy Cone
• Crista Dix (The Griffin Museum)
• Jon Gitelson (Keene State College)
• Michael Kirchoff (Analog Forever Magazine)
• Joan O’Beirne (Greenfield Community College)
• Geoffery Peckham (Tusen Takk Foundation)
• Dale Rio (The Halide Project)
• Aline Smithson (Lenscratch Magazine)
• Vaune Tractman (Olcott Family Award / The Print Center’s Annual International Competition)
• Tim Trelease (Deerfield Academy)

Additionally, viewers of the virtual show will be able to vote for one contest participant to win a “People’s Choice Award.”

Most photography contests require entrance fees, but this competition is unique because it is entirely free to youth thanks to the help of the community. In-Sight’s Youth Photo Contest & Fair has already received support from a growing list of individuals and businesses including Vermont Center for Photography, 802 Credit Union, Brattleboro Savings & Loan, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Members’ First Credit Union, The Richards Group, and Trust Company of Vermont.

About In-Sight

From its humble beginnings in the Brattleboro Teen Club, In-Sight’s programs have always uplifted youth to use photography as an expressive medium and language. Throughout our history we’ve offered an incredible breadth of programming, such as the Exposures Cross Cultural Program that brought youth from different cultures together to the current Photo Team Program specifically designed to help youth explore professional pathways. In-Sight’s approach to photography is to foster personal expression, artistic growth, and self-confidence.

In-Sight’s mission is to create opportunities for youth to learn and use the photographic arts as a technical and expressive medium fostering personal development and cultural engagement. In our vision all youth have equitable access to opportunities to express their creativity in the photographic arts in a learning environment and curriculum that supports the diversity of individuals, communities, and cultures. The programming includes core classes in analog film and digital photography, after school partnership programs, a Photo Team, and an Artist Residency. All of these classes are fully accessible through our sliding scale fee structure and all equipment is provided.

For more information you can visit our website, insightphotography.org, or give us a call at 802-251-9960.