ANNOUNCING THE ACCEPTED ART & AWARDS FOR THE 29th ANNUAL JURIED EXHIBITION “THROUGH THE EYE OF THE CAMERA” AT THE A.E. BACKUS MUSEUM

The A.E. Backus Museum and Gallery is pleased once more to present the popular juried photography competition Through the Eye of the Camera. This year’s exhibition features 81 of the year’s best photographs drawn from professional and amateur photographers. Through the Eye of the Camera will be on view May 10 – June 21, 2024 at 500 North Indian River Drive in Historic Downtown Fort Pierce. The Members Opening Reception for the exhibition will be held Friday, May 10 from 6:00-8:00 pm with welcome and remarks at 6:30 pm. Members are admitted free; Not-Yet Members are $20. (All artists who participated in the competition are welcome to attend with one guest.)

This year there were 70 artists who submitted 194 entries in one of four categories: (1) Animal subjects; (2) Flora & Landscape subjects; (3) People/Portrait subjects; or (4) Open, for subjects that are not included in the three major categories. The jury panel conferred 36 awards for the Best of Show, Best Black & White Photography, Best Film / Traditional RAW Photography, and 1st-2nd-3rd Places and Awards of Merit in the category awards.
The top 8 award winners for 2024 are:
1. BEST OF SHOW – Paper Mill, Brunswick, GA by David Bence (Vero Beach)
2. FIRST PLACE, ANIMALS – Birds of a Feather by Louis Jawitz (Port St. Lucie)
3. FIRST PLACE, FLORA & LANDSCAPE – The Shroom Forest by Sharon Norris (Stuart)
4. FIRST PLACE, PEOPLE/PORTRAIT – Contemplation by Cynthia Garcia (Port St. Lucie)
5. FIRST PLACE, OPEN – Sunday Breakfast in Old Florida by John Furlong (Port St. Lucie)
6. BEST BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPH – Being – Journey #11 by David Bence (Vero Beach)
7. BEST FILM/TRADITIONAL RAW PHOTOGRAPH – Morning on the Edge by Maria Miele (Palm City)
8. DIRECTOR’S CHOICE – Motherhood by Bob Gibson (Tequesta)

During the exhibition on view through June 21, visitors are invited to share their own vote for their favorite work on display. The results will be counted for the annual “People’s Choice Award” given to the winner at the close of the exhibition.

“We’re very proud of our longstanding traditions of juried exhibitions, and how at their heart they have provided artists opportunities to be inspired, to expand their talents, and to be recognized and celebrated for their achievements,” says Backus Museum executive director J. Marshall Adams. “This is our 29th annual juried photography exhibition, and that’s kind of mind-blowing. At nearly three decades, it’s the younger of our two annual juried exhibitions! It’s a key example of how we extend the Backus legacy to new generations of artists and continue to nurture a vibrant creative community that benefits everyone.”

The competition is stiff for this exhibition because of the high quality of work submitted, and every year cash prizes are awarded for the most powerful pieces selected by the judges. Each year a new jury panel is assembled to provide independent eyes on the competition. This year’s judges include:
Tariq Gibran is the Curator of Art and Exhibitions at the Museum of Art – DeLand, Florida. With over three decades of experience in commercial, documentary, and fine arts photography, Gibran believes that art is essential in fostering human connection and the transformation of society. He has taught photography at Daytona State College, the University of Central Florida and Stetson University. Gibran holds an MFA in Visual Art from Vermont College of Fine Arts, a BS in Marketing from Clemson University, and an AS in Photography from Daytona State College.

Sharon Lee Hart is a South Florida-based artist currently exploring ecology, ephemerality, and time through experimental and cameraless photography. While maintaining an active studio practice, Hart serves as an Associate Professor of Art at Florida Atlantic University. With an environmental focus, she has also served as an artist-in-residence at Joshua Tree National Park (Joshua Tree, CA), The Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences (Rabun Gap, GA), and The Studios of Key West (Key West, FL). Her work is in several permanent collections including the King County Public Art Collection (Seattle, WA) and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas City, Missouri), and has been featured in solo and group exhibitions, both in the U.S. and internationally.

Kirk Ke Wang is a Professor of Art at Eckerd College, a painter, sculptor, photographer and a mixed media artist. Born in Shanghai, China, Wang received two MFA degrees from Nanjing Normal University and the University of South Florida. He has exhibited his art in galleries and museums locally, nationally and internationally, such as the Museum of Modern Art, PS1 in NYC, National Museum of Art of China in Beijing, Tampa Museum of Art, Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota Art Museum, and USF Contemporary Art Museum. His works have also been collected by museums and private collectors in the US and Asia. Wang maintains studios in Tampa and NYC and often travels internationally.
The full list of award-winners is below and online:
BEST OF SHOW Flora & Landscape Paper Mill, Brunswick, GA by David Bence
DIRECTOR’S
CHOICE Animals Motherhood by Bob Gibson
BEST B/W Open Being – Journey #11 by David Bence
BEST Film/RAW Flora & Landscape Morning on the Edge by Maria Miele

1st Animals Birds of a Feather by Louis Jawitz
2nd Animals Sparkle by Gregory McIntosh
3rd Animals Fierce by Joe Campanellie
merit Animals Soft Landing by Bill Capie
merit Animals Fine Feathered Friend by Val Bormanis
merit Animals Whispers of Pink by Maureen Mackenzie
merit Animals Winged Harmony by Maureen Mackenzie merit Animals Leaping for Joy by Holly Cannon

1st Flora & Landscape The Shroom Forest by Sharon Norris
2nd Flora & Landscape Summer Sky by Glen Allen
3rd Flora & Landscape Blue Hour Reflections on Driftwood Beach by Wayne King
merit Flora & Landscape Loxahatchee River by Bob Gibson
merit Flora & Landscape Lone Palm by Matt Erpenbeck
merit Flora & Landscape Launch of NASA’s Crew 6 on March 2, 2023 by Wayne King
merit Flora & Landscape Serenade of Light by Maureen Mackenzie
merit Flora & Landscape Tree Veins by Angelica Jaramillo
merit Flora & Landscape Brewster Flats by Gregory McIntosh

1st Open Sunday Breakfast in Old Florida by John Furlong
2nd Open Being – Journey #10 by David Bence
3rd Open Dancer 1 by Bobbie Brubaker
merit Open Finding Florida – Juno Beach by Bob Gibson
merit Open Bedroom Door by David Bence
merit Open The Staircase by Mark Smith
merit Open Helio Transit by Cassidy Balsitis

1st People/Portrait Contemplation by Cynthia Garcia
2nd People/Portrait Like a Girl by Hillary Wylie
3rd People/Portrait Existence by Xaque Gruber
merit People/Portrait Ana in Italy by Fred Benavidez
merit People/Portrait Hands by Glen Allen
merit People/Portrait Roz in Charge by Mark Stall
merit People/Portrait The Garlic Peddler of Guanabocoa by Mark Stall
merit People/Portrait Orthodox Crossing by Xaque Gruber

A complete list of all 81 accepted entries is also available online on the Museum’s website at BackusMuseum.org.