This past Saturday marked the end of the first contest that I organized for the Visual Artist’s Collective of Henry County.  I was both sad and relieved that it finally came to an end.

I have volunteered and been a member of this organization for about 4 years now and never been in an official leadership position until this year.  Naturally, being president offers a vastly different viewpoint than that of contributor and I now see the organization under a new light.  While the exhibit and contest presented some unique challenges, I believe that in the eyes of the contestants it was a success.  A total of 24 artists submitted nearly 70 entries and the exhibit spans two floors of Redz .  Approximately 400 patrons voted for Best of Show offering up the $1,000 top prize to Scott Ash, a photographer based in Peachtree City, GA.

For me personally, having entered my work, I was fearful that being selected as a winner would tarnish the reputation and standing of the organization.  The contestants never knew that internal battle going on behind the scenes.  Thankfully I have a wonderful wife to support me and the other officers serving in the VAC are supportive of my decisions as well.

The owner of Redz was another foundation on which to lean on.  Not only did he offer up his wonderful restaurant, which was almost made to house art, but he assisted with landing sponsorship dollars, in turn, making my life easier.

The next photography contest will be much different and much better.  It will be juried and we will have a selection process to narrow down entries to only the very best.  Additionally, I will have more of a committee to help with the overall process, including the promotion.  I will have better and more defined deadlines for each component of the contest.

All in all, it was a great experience and I would not trade it for the world.  Artist’s thanked me for putting on such a great event and that meant the world to me.