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Southern Exposures youth photo contest a huge success!
Valley Land Fund Youth Photo Contest – Most Entries in 10 Years!
Jim Tabak, President of The Valley Land Fund is pleased to announce that this year’s youth photo contest, Southern Exposures, has been a huge success! With over 600 photo images submitted by 95 students from across South Texas, we are happy to report that Southern Exposures is the largest turn-out for the youth photo contest in over 10 years.
Local professional photographers, Larry Ditto, Esperanza Chapa, and Marilyn La Mantia will preside over selection of prize-winning images.
Larry Ditto is a full-time professional nature photographer living in McAllen, Texas. He is a former winner of the Valley Land Fund Photography Contest whose work has appeared in many publications. Larry has judged several prestigious nature photography contests including the South Texas Shootout and the Coastal Bend Wildlife Photography Contest.
Esperanza Chapa became a budding naturalist at her father’s ranch in Guanajuato, Mexico at an early age. She received a bachelor or visual arts degree from Universidad Autonomia de Nuevo Leon in the spring of 1993. As a graphic artist she has run the gamut from mass production commercial graphic design to high-end custom book designs. Nature photographer and naturalist best describe Esperanza’s interests. In 2003 she became a founding member of the Texas Nature and Environmental Photographers Organization.
Marilyn Moseley LaMantia is an award winning photographer and artist specializing in illustrations and photography for children's books and textbooks. She attended Texas Christian University and Pan American University, with an initial background in Fine Art. She later augmented her education with Commercial Art and Science. As a native of the Rio Grande Valley and the daughter of a Veterinarian an early appreciation for the flora and fauna of this special area developed within, and she hopes to influence people to love and preserve it through her art and photography. She is a founding member of the McAllen Parks and Habitat Coalition's steering committee, working to protect local wildlife habitat.
A total of $4,200 in cash prize money is available in 8 subject categories and 3 age divisions. Subject categories include Birds, Connecting People to Nature, Digital Art, Humor, Landscapes and Plant Life, Mammals, Other Wildlife, and Water Features for Wildlife.
Finalists will be notified on August 9 and entrants will gather for an evening of celebration including award presentations, live music, and winning image displays at Quinta Mazatlan on August 19. Winning images may be viewed on the Valley Land Fund website: Valley Land Fund
Valley Land Fund co-sponsors Green Living Poetry Contest!
The Valley Land Fund, in conjunction with the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, the Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival, and McAllen Arts Council’s ArtE Magazine, is proud to co-sponsor the Green Living Poetry Contest this year as part of the McAllen Green Living Festival, which will be held Saturday, October 9, 2010 at the McAllen Convention Center.
Drawing inspiration from one of nine award-winning nature and wildlife images available on the Valley Land Fund’s website, poets of all ages are encouraged to submit their poems to the Chamber of Commerce. The poetry contest is open to both youth and adults. Winning poems will be published in the spring issue of ArtE Magazine.
“Education is a key component to conservation,” said Valley Land Fund Executive Director, Grant Ellis. “This poetry contest is a great way to showcase the natural world of the Valley by linking photography with the written word. This is a wonderful example of one art form inspiring another.”
The deadline for entry is September 17th, 2010. You must choose one of the nine photos on the Valley Land Fund’s website to write about.
Submit your poem today!
PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST BOOKS STILL AVAILABLE!
El Monte del Valle; Images of South Texas
Coyote, bobcat, green jays and roadrunners, Oh my! You can still order copies of El Monte del Valle; Images of South Texas, the eighth in a series of books from the award winning photos of the Valley Land Fund Wildlife Photo Contests.
Featuring over 200 full-color wildlife images and write-ups on the winning landowners and photographers from the 2008 contests, this coffee table book will be the gift to give this holiday season, to your friends, family and clients. Photos are captioned with the subject name and interesting facts, making them educational as well as beautiful. They document the diverse array of birds, mammals, insects and arachnids, reptiles and amphibians that reside and thrive in the habitat provided by our Valley private landowners.
Dedicated to the Rafael and Carmen Guerra Family, El Monte del Valle was published in 2009. A limited amount of the books are still currently available.
This $50 book can be purchased at a substantial discount for advance purchases of twenty books or more. To place a book order contact VLF at (956) 686-6429 or visit the website at www.valleylandfund.com.
The Valley Land Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1987, strives to preserve, enhance and expand the native wildlife habitat of the Rio Grande Valley through education, land ownership and the creation of economic incentives for preservation.
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