The inaugural Ian Walsh Photography Competition has come to a close, with winners Suzy Lamont and Paige Palmer taking home top honours for their submissions at the awards ceremony held in Memorial Hall at City Hall on Wednesday night.
The theme of this year’s competition was Enjoying Kingston, and participants were asked to submit photos that captured the essence of the city. Nearly 100 photos were in contention for the top prizes in the Youth and Open categories – all with unique, authentic perspectives. The top three photos received prizes ranging from $100 to $2,500 – Paige Palmer, first place winner of the Student/Youth category, received $750 for her youthful submission, while Suzy Lamont, first place winner of the Open category received $2,500 for her winning photograph.
The Ian Walsh Photography Competition was established to honour a pillar of the Kingston community who was taken suddenly in 2014. With a generous spirit, good nature and gentle wit, Ian’s dedication and passion for the arts and the community of Kingston left a lasting impression on everyone he met. An accomplished business person, Ian was the co-owner of the Hotel Belvedere, charter Chair of Kingston Accommodation Partners, and a charter Board Member of Kingston WritersFest.
“It is through Ian’s passion and love from Kingston and the arts that we established this photo competition. We wanted a way to celebrate our friend who, sadly, left us too soon. We are thrilled with the interest from the community, with well over 200 entries showcasing the individual photographers’ interpretation of enjoying Kingston. Ian loved bringing community together.” – Murray Matheson, Executive Director of Kingston Accommodation Partners.
If you would like to see the nominated photos for yourself, an exhibition which has been on display since Feb. 4, will remain open in Memorial Hall until February 29.
The 2016 Ian Walsh Photography Competition will open March 1, 2016.