Michael Graves' playful jumble of boxes and towers forms the main branch of the Denver Public Library -- one of 70 Doors Open Denver architectural sites for 2011.
If you’re constantly snapping photos of Denver’s strikingly diverse and, at times, seemingly random collection of architectural treats (think steel-and-concrete monoliths next to Old West pool halls and Victorian mansions), your favorite contest may have just arrived.
Doors Open Denver announced its third annual photography competition today, and the prize is positively tantalizing: the grand prize winner will snag a Sony Alpha 55 Digital SLR camera, and First and Second Place entries in each category will receive enlargements from local sponsor Mike’s Camera.
Doors Open Denver, of course, is the annual don’t-miss event for architecture and urban history fans that invites people inside our most interesting buildings — along with some unexpected treasures. You can pop into one of the 70 designated sites this year or sign up for one of the guided tours. And this year’s theme, “Modern Architecture: ’50s & Beyond,” promises a few new twists.
Doors Open Denver takes place this Saturday and Sunday (April 16-17), 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and kicks off from Union Station in LoDo, but you can get a map online and tour at your convenience. Check it out online.
Cost: Free, but tickets for guided tours are limited to four per person and two tours per day, per person.
Read the full text of today’s press release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Denver Office of Cultural Affairs and
The Denver Architectural Foundation announce
third annual Doors Open Denver Photography Contest
DENVER, CO — APRIL 12, 2011 — The Denver Office of Cultural Affairs and The Denver Architectural Foundation invite the public to focus on their favorite Denver modern architecture during the third annual Doors Open Denver Photography Contest.
The Doors Open Denver Photography Contest is a chance for individuals to find and photograph their favorite modern sites, post their images to a website and have them reviewed by a panel of judges and the public. The judges will select a Grand Prize winner that will receive a Sony Alpha 55 Digital SLR Camera and First and Second Place entries in each category will receive beautiful enlargements from our sponsor, Mike’s Camera (see Entry Rules for details on the prizes at www.mikescamera.com).
Judges will review and select winners in the following categories:
Interiors
Exteriors
Building Details
Doors
A People’s Choice winner will also be selected based on website voting. Be aware that some sites have restrictions on interior photography; please ask for permission.
The entry deadline is April 30, allowing participants to take photos during the Doors Open Denver event on Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17. Doors Open Denver is a FREE annual event that highlights Denver’s architecture and built environment by opening over 70 buildings to the public. The 2011 theme is Modern Architecture: 50’s & Beyond. Visit www.DenverGov.org/DoorsOpenDenver for full event details.
Entry Rules:
· Photos are not limited to 2011 Doors Open Denver sites, but they must be of modern architecture (1950 to present).
· Each person may enter one photo in each of the four categories.
· Upload your images at www.DenverArtsInteractive.org.
· Entrants must be 18 years or older.
· By uploading your photo(s), you agree that your name and image(s) can be displayed and used in Doors Open Denver marketing and promotion without charge or copyright infringement, and that the image(s) uploaded are your original photographs and appropriate for public viewing.
Grand Prize: Sony Alpha 55 Digital SLR Camera
First Place (in each category): 30×40 Mounted Print
Second Place (in each category): 20×30 Mounted Print
Competition Judges:
Marcus Farr is an architectural photographer. He has a master’s degree in architecture from Rice University, a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a bachelor’s degree in visual art from Drury University. Farr studied architecture/fine art at The Academia in Florence, Italy. He is a LEED accredited professional and received the Urban Initiatives Award from the Rice Design Alliance. Farr currently operates a fine art/architectural photography studio documenting the built environment and is a principal at Wet | Land.
Dennis Humphries, AIA, is a principal at Humphries Poli Architects, P.C., the 2008 AIA Western Mountain Region Firm of the Year. He currently serves as an instructor at the University of Colorado College of Architecture and Planning and is chair of The Denver Architectural Foundation.
Brit Probst, AIA, is a principal at Davis Partnership Architects in Denver. Over the last 21 years he has been involved in many prominent new buildings in Denver. These include the Frederic C. Hamilton Building at the Denver Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, the Daniel L. Ritchie Center, the Wolf Law Building at the University of Colorado and 1600 Glenarm in downtown Denver. Probst is an ardent advocate of sustainable design.
Alex Christianian is the VP of Operations at Mike’s Camera, which operates three specialty photo-imaging superstores in the Denver- Boulder area. He is an avid photographer and his interests include after-capture imaging and digital image manipulation processes, as well as modern and contemporary art. Christianian attended the University of Colorado-Boulder and has a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Political Science and also serves on Denver Art Museum – Contemporaries committee.
The mission of the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs is to advance the arts and culture in the City and County of Denver.