“We look forward to this show every year,” said WFAA President Paula Savage, “Photographers from as far away as the Metroplex and Oklahoma City bring their art to this annual exhibition. We are expecting up to 150 individual pieces of photography in the gallery and they must fall into one of 5 categories.” The categories are as follows: Land, Lake or Cityscapes, Animal, People, Still Life, and Manipulated Imagery.
The winners of the show will receive cash prizes totaling $1,750, so the competition will be fierce. “Prize money has increased significantly from last year, and the quality of work at this annual show is exemplary,” said Paula.
This year there will be an added component to the exhibition. There will be a pop-up show of high school students’ photography. Many of the area schools will be encouraging their students to bring in their best work. Winners of the students show will receive gift certificates, and Best of Show will receive a membership to the association, and a certificate that allows him/her to show two pieces of their art at the gallery in the month of November.
The judge, Earl Nottingham, chief photographer for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, has agreed to judge both the adult show and the pop-up show.
The gallery is located in the Historic Holt Hotel on the corner of 8th and Ohio Street. “If you haven’t made it in to check out the art, now is the time,” Paula said, “The art is changed out every month to keep it fresh. Of course, this month it will be all photography, but the other 11 months of the year there is an eclectic mix of art from glass work, pottery, fiber art, drawings, paintings, sculptures and, of course, photography.”
According to Paula, the WFAA was founded in 1949 and is a nonprofit organization that is 100% operated by volunteers. The gallery facilitates the artists to sell their individual art. The gallery does not retain a percentage of sales, thus allowing the artists to keep the full amount of each sale.
The association has run the gallery since 2011 with it opening under the name of Wichita Falls Art Association Gallery in 2012. The WFAA is dedicated to promoting the visual arts in the North Texas area. Their mission is to promote local artists and to encourage interest and appreciation in the visual arts. The association provides a medium in which the public can view various forms of art by local artists.
All levels of artists are welcome to join the association and encouraged to show their art at the gallery, as well as, other shows and venues the members participate in throughout the year. The association has over 100 members to date.
-cindy thomas
