ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Local kids ages 9-17 are invited to participate in Found It!, a youth photography contest organized by ReMix It, a West Asheville art supply store.
The contest will run from Friday, July 10, to Saturday, Aug. 1. Three winners will be chosen from each age group – 9-11, 12-14 and 15-17 – and printed, framed and hung up on the ReMix It gallery wall, beginning Labor Day weekend. Winners will also receive gift cards to ReMix It. All photo entries will be displayed in an online gallery.
Participants are limited to one photo per person. Parents are asked to submit photos on behalf of their child at www.remixitavl.org/found-it.
Contest criteria
There will be three local photographers serving as judges for FoundIt!: Ricardo Tejeda of Show and Tale Creative, Emma Anixter of Little Wild Things Photography and Sandlin Gaither of Sandlin Gaither Photography.
Photos will be judged on three criteria:
- Does it feel like it could only be from here?
- Does it tell a story?
- Does it show creativity and a unique perspective?
To help guide photographers to their perfect shot, ReMix It suggested three prompts to consider for the contest:
- What’s your favorite hidden spot in your neighborhood?
- What’s something you can only find in Asheville or your town?
- What place or person makes your neighborhood feel like home?
Finding artistic expression for community kids
According to ReMix It executive director Amanda Wilde, Found It! was designed as a way for local kids to show their love for their community after Tropical Storm Helene.
“It came about because I think that we’re a city that has a lot of pride,” Wilde said. “After the hurricane, I was looking for a way for people to express their love of their home, and also activating the youth and letting them know that we’re listening. I think photography is a cool medium to try and most people have access to it now with all of our fancy phones.”
Wilde saw the competition as a way to promote the spirit of ReMix It, which is an art supply store for “creative reuse.” Many of the supplies in the shop are donated craft materials, used art materials or unusual bits and bobs, which ReMix It customers bring to new life in their artwork. Framing Found It! around photography was important to Wilde because of the accessibility of cameras.
“That’s part of our mission. Like, what do you have around you and what can you use?” Wilde said. “I think accessibility was a big part of it because then we are not asking people to spend their own money or materials, and we’re able to kind of just recognize the youth in a different way. You can kind of tell your own story with the photo.”
For more information about ReMix It and the Found It! competition, visit www.remixitavl.org.
