2011 Juror- Karen Irvine

Karen Irvine is curator of the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College, Chicago. She has organized numerous one-person exhibitions including: Anthony Goicolea, Shirana Shahbazi: Goftare Nik/Good Words; Jason Salavon; Paul Shambroom: Evidence of Democracy; and Alec Soth: Sleeping by the Mississippi. Thematic group exhibitions include Audible Imagery: Sound and Photography; The Furtive Gaze, works by artists who use the camera as an instrument of surveillance; Camera/Action: Performance and Photography; and Anticipation, exploring strategies of slowness and suspense in time-based art. She is a part-time instructor of photography at Columbia College, Chicago. She received her MFA in photography from FAMU, Prague, and a Masters of Arts degree in art history at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

2011 Awards

Up to $2,000 in cash will be given by the juror. Awards will be made in the following amounts:

• First Place $1,000
• Second Place $500
• Third Place $300
• 2 Honorable Mentions ($100 each)

History

Originating in 1975, The Paducah Summer Festival Photo Competition has grown from a fledgling contest to Paducah Photo, the region's most prestigious annual photographic event. It is open to all without restrictions on size or content. It provides photographers with an outlet for their art, encouragement for growth in their vision and presentation and cash rewards for works of exceptional merit.

Each year from the hundreds of works submitted, 60 to 80 images are selected for exhibition by a highly qualified juror, with 8 to 10 of them receiving cash awards.

There is an opening reception for the annual show with free food and beverage, a juror's critique and awards presentation.

Now's the time to submit your best recent photos and join in. Who knows... you might just be this year's $1,000 first place award winner!