“Wow these are fantastic, I’m not sure I want to do this now.” ”How are we supposed to pick just one? Can we have a tie?” ”These are just too good.” These were among the murmurings overheard during the judging session at Gallery ‘N’ Gifts for this year’s Photo Contest.

More than 50 photographers joined the fun for the winter edition of the contest, with 175 entries in seven different categories. It took quite a while, but the judges finally submitted their choices and you are invited to view the entries and see the results through February.

Our Summer “Take Your Best Shot” contest will be held in August, with submissions due the last week of July. Check www.galleryngifts.com after March 1 for contest rules and categories.

Best of Show Jessica Martin “Princess in the Woods”
Animals: 1st Jessica Martin, 2nd Susan Burt, 3rd Terry Dickerson, HM Gil Valencia, HM Patty Cox
Black & White: 1st Matthew Clark, 2nd Katherine Bowman, 3rd Gary Grela
Details & Macros: 1st Matt Miller, 2nd Kiera Judkins, Jessica Martin, HM Nancy Wilkinson
Landscape & Nature: 1st Shridan Morigeau, 2nd Susan Burt, 3rd Sonja Bronsen, HM Garrett Palmer, HM Joanne Cable
People: 1st Jessica Martin, 2nd Megan Bowman, 3rd Sylvia Sattler, HM Laurie Rott, HM Larry LaCom
Travel & Architecture: 1st Garrett Palmer, 2nd Dago V, 3rd Polly Sherritt, HR Kim Downey, HM Kathy Valencia
Youth Photography: 1st Morgan Lewis, 2nd Austin Garrett, 3rd Mikailey Judkins, HM Kira Pankow, HM Anna Boesler

First and Foremost, We want to Thank all those that attended our First Friday/Photo contest awards! What a great turn out! Lots of smiles and everyone seemed to enjoy the wonderful photos.. The Youth bumped it up this year, what talent in our younger group. Imagination in taking photos is important and you can definitely see that.. Good Job Youth!

"Take Your Best Shot" Photo Contest. 
If you’re interested in entering, our next contest will be in February with submission dates the last week of January 2018.

2017 Take Your Best Shot Photo Contest Winners:

Best of show/ Jeanne Riesen "Morton Mansion"

1st place travel/ James Carmichael "Up 21"

1st place Flowers/ Joanne Hays "Tulip Fields"

1st Youth: Bella Dohnke "The Shoes"

1st place :Landscape/ Larry La Com "Yosemite Falls"

1st place: Altered Images /Susan Neiman "Water color'

1st place : Animals /Anna Dohnke "flight".

2nd place winners
Autumn Shackelford / youth, Christine Odom /Altered, Anna Dohnke/animals,
Erika H Elliott/elements of design, Gary Grela/ Flowers, Jenifer Selbrede/ Travel, 
Jean Skaggs/Landscape.

3rd place
Francoise Renard /Animals, Francoise Renard/Flowers, Mikailey Judkins/Youth,
Gary Grela/elements of Design, Jeremy Cable Jr/Youth, 
Diana Palmer/Altered images
Romelle Kemp/Landscape.

Honorable Mention
Dee Boose/travel-landscape, Joe Alverez/Altered, Diane Barber/Animal, 
Susan Neiman /Elements of Design, Susan Neiman/ Flower, Carson Odneal/youth, 
DJ Judkins/Travel

Over 100 artists of all ages and talents came out for our Chalk on the Walk event for 2017! All proceeds go towards art supply donations to local area schools. Teachers, get your wish lists ready! 

TVAA wishes to thank our 2017 Chalk on the Walk sponsors and donors, as follows:

Sponsors: California Portland Cement-Energy Star Outreach, Tehachapi Candle Co., John the Plumber, The Loop Newspaper, Bank of the Sierra, Skylark North Glider School, Mike and Lara Berard, Seanco Custom Wheelchairs, Catherine Smirnoff (handweaver), Michael B. Jones, DDS, Jeannette Pauer (Coldwell Banker Realty), Snow Orthodontics, Monica's Junk Iron and Joshua Orrantia.

Donors: California Portland Cement-Energy Star Outreach, Kohnen's Country Bakery, Hitching Post Theater, Monica's Junk Iron, Willie Rae Vasquez, Lucia Sandy, 31 Flavors Ice Cream, KMart, Jake's Steakhouse and McDonalds.

Visit our Facebook page for a look at photos from the event. 

Every April TVAA hosts the All Tehachapi Youth Art Contest at Gallery 'N' Gifts and every year we're in awe of the beautiful submissions by our talented young artists. The talent and passion for art shown by these students is what drives members of TVAA to continue their work in raising funds to help support the artistic dreams of Tehachapi's youth.

Artisan Festivals, Silent Auctions, Photo Contests, Candy Sales and Chalk on the Walk are all fun community events which raise funds for high school art scholarships and art supply donations to local area schools. We feel it's important to foster creativity and are always trying to come up with new ideas to support and encourage artists of all ages. Interested in becoming a member of Tehachapi Valley Arts Association? Visit our "About Us" page!

Here's a list of the 2017 Youth Art Contest winners:

Best of Show, grades kindergarten through eighth: Cora Shea Sweeny

Best of Show, grades ninth through twelfth: Audi Alcaraz

 

Kindergarten, first and second grades:

1st place: Greta Haas

2nd place: Warren Woolf

3rd place: Summer Kitt

Honorable mention: McKay Pack

Third and fourth grades:

1st place: Katheryn Donnel

2nd place: Milo Pack

3rd place: Sadie DeVey

Honorable mention: Hailey Fitch

Fifth and sixth grades:

1st place: Grace Keller

2nd place: Naomi Donnel

3rd place: Su Pollard

Honorable mention: Kiera Judkins

Honorable mention: Sophia Kendrick

Seventh and eighth grades:

1st place: Natalie Whiteside

2nd place: Mikailey Judkins

3rd place: Jacqueline Torres

Honorable mention: Trinity Madden

Ninth through twelfth grades:

1st place: Christine Dieken

2nd place: Ethan Tenderholt

3rd place: Autumn Shackelford

Honorable mention: Glenn Reoyo

 

Tehachapi has an incredible amount of amazing photographic talent and a lot of it is on display for the month of February at Gallery 'N' Gifts for the 12 annual Photo Contest. With images ranging from prickly hedgehogs to amazing deep sea critters and photos from all over the world, fifty seven photographers bombarded the judges with 165 photo entries...and the winners are:

Best of Show: Susan Neiman

Animals: 1 Jessica Martin; 2 Adrian Walter; 3 Susan Miles; HM Anne McLean, Susan Neiman, Mikailey Judkins

Black & White: 1 Vincent Hernandez; 2 Heather Tingley; 3 Jennifer Selbrede; HM Caleb Weston, Thomas Medaris

Details & Macros: 1 Chris Naftel; 2 Vincent Hernandez; 3 Dennis Cowden; HM Chris Naftel

Flowers: 1 Joanne Hays; 2 Mikailey Judkins; 3 Ashley Coles; HM Chris Naftel

Landscape & Nature: 1 Susan Neiman; 2 Susan Neiman; 3 Jean Reisen; HM Christine Odom, Jennifer Selbrede

People: 1 Adrian Walter; 2 Thomas Medaris; 3 Heather Tingley; HM Jim Carmichael

Travel & Architecture: 1 Adrian Walter; 2 Jim Carmichael; 3 Hillorie Thomas; HM Jan Skaggs, Thomas Medaris

Youth Photography: 1 Kiera Judkins; 2 Rachel Stillman; 3 Grace Miller; HM Diana Partridge, Jeremy Cable