Experience "Spotlight On Photography" at the Banning Art Gallery

The Banning Art Gallery is open free to the public Tuesday through Saturday with their new exhibit "Spotlight on Photography,” featuring the works of So Cal Photographers: Michele Morton, Greg Vojtko and Steve Rich.

Along with the show the gallery is hosting a photo competition "Focus on Photography" with entries being accepted June 18 through June 30th.The Banning Art Gallery still has plenty of artwork, including paintings, hand woven baskets, whimsical ceramic pieces, hand crafted jewelry and more.

For their current exhibition however, they have put the spotlight on three talented local photographers. The galleries “Spotlight on Photography” exhibition is on now through July 29th.

Michelle Morton is the novice of the three featured photographers, having begun working in photography after retiring as a nurse and family nurse practitioner. Proud daughter of Navy parents, she was born on Coronado Island California. "My artistic expression comes in the form of Inverted Photography and Fine Art Photography,” she states. Her photography can be found in several So Cal Galleries. She is also displayed in the Banning Art Galleries 2021 calendar and other gallery publications.

Award Winning Photographer Steve Rich was born and raised in Southern California. Rich has over 30 years experience as a commercial advertising and fine art photographer. He works with both digital and film formats. He is one of the few photographers still working in the darkroom to produce archival silver gelatin prints that may be tinted or hand colored. He hand tints some of his pieces which cause the viewer to take a closer look at is photography and the subject matter. He has an uncanny ability to capture light on his works whether in black and white or color. Steve prefers to shoot his images as a series, giving a broader sensibility and understanding to the subject matter.

Inland Empire photographer Greg Vojtko has nearly four decades experience as a newspaper photojournalist and corporate communications photographer. Combined with his education in fine arts the photographic results show with stunning results. His recent focus has been largely on local pieces: from sunrise ventures to capture the windmills of Cabazon, to a captivating three panel panoramic view of the Pass area mountains covered in snow.

The public is invited to a free public meet and greet reception for the featured trio to be held at the gallery July 10, 5 to 7pm.Along with the meet and greet the winners to the galleries photography competition will be announced.

Continuing with the theme of photography the Banning Art Gallery is hosting a competition “Focus on Photography.” The gallery will begin accepting entries on Friday June 18 and will accept contestants until June 30.

The entries are open to anyone 18 years of age and older. Entries can be about any subject matter with in guidelines and will fit in two categories: natural photos or altered state photography. Natural photos are considered to be ones produced using only basic cropping balance, tint tones and contrast. Any photos manipulated using extreme contrast, altering effects, digital pens and such will fit into the altered states portion of the competition.

Entry forms guidelines and rules are available online at CulturalAllianceofthePass.org http://www.banningculturalalli... , at the Banning Art Gallery on FB and at the Banning Art Gallery, 42 W Ramsey Ste C (next to the Fox theater.

The public is invited to visit the gallery as jurors to vote in the first round of the competition June 22 to July 2, Tuesday through Saturday 11am to 3 pm. You may vote once in each category every day the gallery is open. The top three winners from each category will advance to the finals which will be judge by guest judges and announce on July 10, at the reception.