The 31st Green Mountain Photo Show returns to the Red Barn Galleries at Lareau Farm September 12 through October 11. The show opens with a public reception Sunday, September 12, from 5 to 7 p.m. The show is free to the public and sponsored by Northfield Savings Bank and Mad River Valley Arts. There will be a scavenger hunt for younger exhibit-goers to find things in the photographs.
This year’s show was open to professional and amateur photographers alike. Each artist could submit up to three photographs. The show was not juried and was open to everyone. The majority of photographers in the exhibit are Vermonters, though photographers from across the country are also included. Vermont landscapes and photos depicting nature in the region feature prominently. Many images will be familiar to local residents, such as swimmers preparing to jump off the covered bridge on Bridge Street in Waitsfield, Sugarbush trails in winter and summer at the Inn at the Round Barn. Two small photo collages by Susan Lee depict scenes of the Mad River Valley throughout the seasons, from riding the Single Chair up Mad River Glen to biking, foliage and, of course, cows.
The photos are printed in a variety of ways, from canvas to metal, some framed with glass, others not. This year, for the first time, the annual exhibit includes two walls of small photographs, approximately 14 inches in each direction. Curator Gary Eckhart says smaller works are popular, as they tend to be more affordable and visitors can fit them in a suitcase. “It’s a good way for people to start collecting work,” he said. All of the photographs on display are for sale.
Photos range from black-and-white to brilliant color and cover both realist and abstract styles. Some photos are digitally manipulated. The photos “cover everything from botanicals to landscapes in every season of the year,” Eckhart said. “The quality of the work is higher than in other years,” he said, adding; “it’s consistently good all the way across the board.” The annual photo show is the only one of its kind in The Valley and wraps up Mad River Valley Arts 2021 season.
