2024 Photo Expo Winners Announced

The 2024 Photo Expo took place on Saturday, September 14, 2024. Featuring over 100 of the 215 submitted photos, this event showcased the talent of 65 local photographers. Under the theme “Best Kept Secret,” participants captured unique and special places within Russell Township.

The jury for this year’s competition included Myriam Cobb, Curator for Global Affairs Canada Visual Art Collection; John Healey, Artist and Instructor at the School of Photographic Arts: Ottawa (SPAO); and Lynda Clouette-Mackay, Curator for Centre Culturel Le Chenail. 

The winning selections were determined after lengthy discussions on the theme, its relevance to Russell Township, and the way in which the images captured their attention and imagination for the future. 

The 2024 winning photographs:
View the photos on the website

• Portrait: First Skate, Not the Last – By Hannah Mitchell
• Landscape: The Bridge – By Amelia Tamas (youth)
• Best Overall: Hidden Boots – By Laura Lichty
• Best Youth: Balance – By Elizabeth Bahl-Séguin (youth)
• Jury’s Choice: Hello There – By Paula Brown

The jury also selected 7 photos for honourable mentions:

• Joy – By Christine Mentzel
• Flock of Birds in the Early Fall at Sunset – By Denis Tanguay
• Hard at Work for Us – By Ella Moore Charland (youth)
• Cotton Candy Skies – By Emma Pineo (youth)
• Owl on the Hunt – By Mark Hatherall
• Russell Museum Barber Shop – By Roland Piette
• Follow Me to the Castor – By Tim Bolton-Gowling

The five winners will each receive a $400 CARFAC (Canadian Artists’ Representation / Le Front des artistes canadiens) fees in recognition of their artistic contributions. Their photos will be added to the outdoor photo expo along the recreational trail located at the start of the trail at 901 Notre-Dame Street in Embrun. All 12 winners and honourable mentions will receive a subscription to PhotoEd Magazine to continue nurturing their artistic talents.

To promote public participation at the expo, Russell Township introduced the "Crowd Favourite" prize. Visitors were invited to vote for their favourite photograph, and the winning piece, Blue Heron by Norm Fortin, earned a $50 gift card to Euphie d’ici which is located in Embrun right next to the outdoor photo expo along the recreation trail.

Thanks to a subsidy from the Ontario Arts Council, the support of SPAO Centre and 8 80 Cities, and a partnership between the Russell Agricultural Society and Russell Township, this year’s expo saw over double the participation. We are thrilled to witness the growing presence of the arts in our Township and eagerly anticipate the 2025 edition. Keep capturing those hidden gems with your cameras throughout the year!