2 Bucks County Photographers Win Top Prizes In Phillips' Mill Show

NEW HOPE, PA — In a show that received photograph submissions from 18 states and two countries, two Bucks County artists and one Montgomery County photographer received awards.

Awards in the 2022 Juried Phillips' Mill Photographic Exhibition were announced April 2, with a celebratory ceremony on the historic 18th-century mill's grounds. The exhibition opened the following day.

Two artists from Chalfont won awards, of the eleven total photographers receiving accolades.

Photographer Jeff Reeder won an award for "Best Body of Work honoring numerous pieces of his, including "Continuance 1NYC," "Deliver Me," "Fonthill #318," "Hallow #2," and "Interweave." "Fonthill #318" pays homage to the local landmark.

Another Chalfont artist, Kym Baldwin, received the Spencer Saunders Award for the photograph "Whose Face is in the Mirror." That award honors the show's founder.

"Finally, a post-COVID, kick ass show that demands the viewers show up with their attention turned up to 10!" Saunders said, reflecting on the day.

Souderton resident Bob Thompson also won an honorable mention accolade for his photograph, "Philadelphia Subway."

The year's winners were chosen by Bob Krist, an esteemed travel photographer. The opening also celebrated the juried photography show's return to the Mill after a two-year pandemic hiatus.

Delicious refreshments and live jazz provided by the Neil Podgurski / Noah Jarrett Duo rounded out the afternoon of art and community, too.

"When we started to build this show in the early '90s, there wasn’t much of a photographic community in our area," Saunders said. "That’s certainly not the case almost 30 years later, with 1,143 images submitted to this year's esteemed juror, Bob Krist, the acclaimed National Geographic and Smithsonian photographer."

New Hope is also surrounded now by active photo clubs with interesting educational, informational programming and smaller contests presented all year.

"The prestigious juried Phillips’ Mill Photographic Exhibition has become an annual rite of passage for talented photographic image makers," Saunders said. "We are proud to announce that fine art photography is thriving at the Phillips’ Mill. And I thank all of our dedicated Mill Photo committee members — photographers all — for making this show possible!"

The following photographers won awards:

• Best in Show: Barry Good, "Thoughts of Those Passed"
• Best Body of Work: Jeff Reeder, "Continuance 1NYC," "Deliver Me," "Fonthill #318,"
  "Hallow #2," and "Interweave"
• 2nd Place: Andrea Swenson, "Aegean Dreaming"
• 3rd Place: Cheryl Bomba, "I Rise"
• Honorable Mention: Will Thompson, "Walking Out of a Dream"
• Honorable Mention: Bob Thompson, "Philadelphia Subway"
• Allen’s Camera Award: Dede Pickering, "Puff"
• Patrons’ Award: Ted Ellis, "My Fish"
• Patrons’ Award: Ron Cooper, "Lauren Greyhawk"
• Patrons’ Award: Arlene Renee Finston, "The Hands of Time"
• Spencer Saunders Award: Kym Baldwin, "Whose Face is in the Mirror"

A complete list of accepted artists and additional information about the show is available on the Phillips' Mill website.

The Phillips' Mill Photographic Exhibition runs through April 22, with the gallery open Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 2619 River Rd.

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