5-State Photography Exhibition on display through February

BY NICK McCOY

The Hays Art Council is hosting the 39th annual 5-state Photography Exhibition, which features photographs in three different categories; nature, people, and open – submitted by individuals from Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Nebraska. It is also an opportunity for both amateur and experienced photographers to submit their works for a chance to win a cash prize.

“Anybody that considers themselves a photographer is eligible to submit work,” Hays Art Council Director Brenda Meder said. 

The exhibition saw a large number of individuals from different states enter their works, with 549 participants just this year. 

“We’re really very proud of how it ended up,” Meder said. “Not only in the numbers we got, but the way the exhibition ended up on the wall.”

With the number of photographers who submitted their works this year, there also came some returning faces. Terry Bottort has been submitting his photos to the exhibition for about ten years now.

“I always wondered if I had anything that might be good enough to show,” Bottort said. “The first year I entered, I took some photos I had printed and submitted them on the last day. One of the two was accepted.”

The photography exhibition is a great opportunity for both new and experienced photographers to submit their works and show off their talent for people to see and to have a chance at winning a $1,500 cash prize. 

The exhibition opened on December 3rd and will close on February 10th. It is available to visit and see during the Hays Art Council’s regular business hours.