Friday, the Hays Art Council will host the Winter Gallery Walk between 7 and 9 p.m. in the Chestnut Street District of downtown Hays.<\/p>\n
The anchor for this year’s walk is the\u00a031st\u00a0Annual Five State Photography\u00a0Exhibit featuring artists from Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado. \u00a0This year’s\u00a0competition was judged by Charlie Riedel, Associated press photographer.<\/p>\n
Riedel has been a staff photographer with the Associated Press since 2000. Through his national and international assignments, he has received numerous awards and recognition for his editorial and creative photographs. Among those works are images from the Summer & Winter Olympics, Gulf Coast oil spill, hurricane Katrina, World Trade Center attacks, Kentucky Derby and the Super Bowl. His work has been named to several \u201cPhotos of the Year\u201d lists, including that of Time Magazine.<\/p>\n
Nearly 450 works entered in this year\u2019s competition but only\u00a0160 works were\u00a0selected for the exhibition. The photos were judged in\u00a0three categories — nature, people and open.<\/p>\n
The Hays Arts Council was established in 1967 and was the first arts council in the state of Kansas. They have been putting on Gallery Walks for 30-35 years, according to Brenda Meder, the executive director.<\/p>\n
The Art Walks are held four times throughout the year, with one taking place in the spring, summer, fall and winter seasons. Art studios and stores open their doors for thousands as they stroll through Downtown.<\/p>\n
The Art Walks are a great way to take in the arts and music while spending time with friends and family in the Chestnut Street District. Along with multiple downtown locations, the Sternberg Museum of Natural History and Moss-Thorns Gallery at Fort Hays State University also host art exhibitions in conjunction with the gallery walks.<\/p>\n
In addition to the photographs, the gallery walk also features the work of FHSU staff and students’ art work at the residence of Mirta Martin, president of Fort Hays State University, on the FHSU campus.<\/p>\n
Martin’s residence is new to the gallery walk list this year. Besides showcasing FHSU staff and students’ art work, the home also will feature interior design students’ work “freshening up” the residence for Martin as the new university president.<\/p>\n
The President’s home, on College Drive, will be open from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., giving those attending the downtown portion of the walk time to visit campus on their way.<\/p>\n
Participating locations and contributors:<\/strong>
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\nThis is a regional fine art competition featuring artists from Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado. The juried competition was judged by Associated press Photographer Charlie Riedel. The Exhibit features 160 photographic works from professional and amateur photographers alike.<\/p>\n