Shutterbugs in First-Ever Scenic Hudson Photo Contest

POUGHKEEPSIE/HUDSON VALLEY – Building on tremendous participation in its first-ever photo contest, Scenic Hudson has arranged for two exhibitions to be mounted at the Muddy Cup, a popular coffee shop at 305 Main St., Poughkeepsie. The first exhibition will feature works by contest participants who provided framed examples of their work. The second exhibit will showcase a collection from the top 100 works selected as the best from the photo contest.

Grand opening of exhibition to include naming winners, providing prizes

The first exhibition will open on Wednesday, July 9, with a free reception from 6-8 p.m. The exhibit will run through Thursday, July 31. The second exhibition will launch with a free grand opening reception on Friday, Aug. 8, from 6-8 p.m. The show will run through Sunday, Aug. 31.

Contest winners will be announced at the Aug. 8 exhibition's grand opening. Winners will be selected in six categories, with each winner receiving an Olympus FE-310 compact camera with 5x zoom. A grand prize winner will receive an Olympus E-410 SLR with two zoom lenses, gadget bag, wireless remote, 1 GB memory card and extended warranty. Cameras and related equipment provided by co-sponsor Artcraft Camera & Digital of Poughkeepsie, Kingston and New Paltz. All winners also will receive a signed copy of "A Photographer's Life 1990-2005" by renowned photographer, and Hudson Valley resident, Annie Leibovitz.

2,500 images entered in contest

More than 700 photographers of all ages – amateur and professional – entered nearly 2,500 images in Scenic Hudson's photography competition "Capturing the Magic of the Hudson River Valley." The contest celebrates works capturing the Hudson Valley's legendary beauty, and all the images can be viewed in a special gallery at www.scenichudson.org.

The photo contest follows an art competition Scenic Hudson did last spring for kids and teens that garnered more than 400 paintings, drawings, sculptures and photos.

"We knew the combination of the Hudson River Valley's incredible beauty and the passion of people who love it would create an inspired contest. Still, the outpouring of entries and the creative talent displayed just amazed us," said Jay Burgess, director of Communications for Scenic Hudson. "Scenic Hudson's work is all about connecting people and communities to the Hudson River, and this contest underscores how much people cherish the river and the land along its shores."

About Muddy Cup

Muddy Cup strives to offer our community a place to go to share their art, their voice and their opinions on life and the world. Space is available to anyone who wants to share their craft, whether it be a singer, writer, musician, sculptor or poet. Muddy Cup locations are in Poughkeepsie, Albany, Schenectady, Catskill, Hudson, Kingston, New Paltz and Beacon, with stores coming soon to Saugerties and Newburgh. www.muddycup.com

Scenic Hudson works to protect and restore the Hudson River and its majestic landscape as an irreplaceable national treasure and a vital resource for residents and visitors. A crusader for the valley since 1963, we are credited with saving fabled Storm King Mountain from a destructive industrial project and launching the modern grass-roots environmental movement. Today with more than 10,000 ardent supporters, we are the largest environmental group focused on the Hudson River Valley. Our team of experts combines land acquisition, support for agriculture, citizen-based advocacy and sophisticated planning tools to create environmentally healthy communities, champion smart economic growth, open up riverfronts to the public and preserve the valley's inspiring beauty and natural resources. www.scenichudson.org

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