October 2009

The winning entries in the tenth annual South Loop Neighbors (SLN) Photo Contest and Show are on view at Café Mediterra, 728 S. Dearborn St., this month and will be on display at the Harold Washington Library Center, eighth floor north exhibit case, 400 S. State St., in November and December.

“Subsequent venues are now being scheduled,” said Greg Borzo, photo chair and SLN director. “The show, which includes all of the top winners and 15 finalists, will be on tour through next summer” until the next show.

Like previous shows, this year’s exhibit debuted at Chicago Community Bank’s Dearborn Station branch; in September, it was on display at Epic Burger, 517 S. State St.

The top winners were: Grand prize ($500), Garage on 8th Street by Christie Chew-Wallace; first prize ($250), Printers Row by Jonathan Michael Johnson; and second prize, Light Night Pool by Mel Theobald.

“The three top winners this year were all professional artists who happen to live in the neighborhood, which is an indication that the South Loop still lives up to its reputation as a community that attracts artists and creative people,” said Helen Kaplow, SLN vice president.

“The overall show, including the 15 finalist photographs, represents a healthy mix of professional artists in various media and amateur photographers who simply enjoy the lifestyle, culture, and history of the South Loop. It is not required that photographers are residents of the South Loop, but simply that their photographs depict the South Loop.”

The contest included a greeting card category, and the four photos selected in that category included two of the top winners as well as Printers Row Roots by Ann Tracy and River City by Ron Schramm. Each of these four pieces netted its photographer $50.

“The South Loop Neighbors Photo Contest and Show is poised to grow,” said Borzo. “There is great interest in the history, architecture, and diversity of South Loop, and the South Loop is a paradise for photographers. By establishing a tour for these 20 winning photographs, we ensure that many more people are able to view them.”

The photographic greeting cards are available for purchase at Sandmeyer’s Bookstore, 714 S. Dearborn St.; the Dearborn Station branch of Chicago Community Bank (at Polk and Dearborn Streets); and at all events sponsored by the SLN. More information about the SLN is available at www.southloopneighbors.org.

—Marie Balice Ward