LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW

Photo exhibit celebrates the wintery white stuff


East Shore Road photographer Paul Murray won second place for his picture titled “My World,” a snapshot of a polar bear he encountered in the Arctic Circle. The exhibit, titled “Best in Snow,” is being sponsored at the library through March 7 by the Conanicut Island Art Association. PHOTO BY ANDREA VON HOHENLEITEN

East Shore Road photographer Paul Murray won second place for his picture titled “My World,” a snapshot of a polar bear he encountered in the Arctic Circle. The exhibit, titled “Best in Snow,” is being sponsored at the library through March 7 by the Conanicut Island Art Association. PHOTO BY ANDREA VON HOHENLEITEN

Even though it hasn’t been an especially white winter in Jamestown, local photographers are celebrating the cold weather through their lenses.

“Best in Snow,” a photography exhibit sponsored by the Conanicut Island Art Association, opened last week at the North Road library. The association’s president, Kingston photographer Kathleen Caswell, said the show’s name is a play on the term “best in show,” which refers to an art exhibit’s top prize. For “Best in Snow,” best in show was awarded to Bob Adams, a Wakefield resident whose photograph is titled “Dog Walk 3AM.” The piece depicts the snowy tracks of Adams and his late dog Poco during an outdoor excursion in the early morning.

“There was a real light coating of snow, and it’s basically her footprints and my footprints walking in the snow,” he said. “It’s a nice memory of having that dog. I thought that hit the theme pretty good.”

By winning the top prize, Adams will use his $300 prize to invest in his craft.

ABOVE Wakefield’s Bob Adams adjusts the photograph of his dog’s paw prints in the snow, which was named best in show by juror Chris Clancy. Adams’ footprints are alongside Poco’s in the snapshot. PHOTO BY ANDREA VON HOHENLEITEN

ABOVE Wakefield’s Bob Adams adjusts the photograph of his dog’s paw prints in the snow, which was named best in show by juror Chris Clancy. Adams’ footprints are alongside Poco’s in the snapshot. PHOTO BY ANDREA VON HOHENLEITEN

“Whatever I get, I put back into getting supplies or inks or papers,” he said. “Whatever I need to keep going.”

Including the photo of Poco’s paw prints, the exhibit features 49 pictures taken by 25 photographers. Fourteen of these artists hail from Jamestown. The winners were selected by juror Chris Clancy, a photographer who owns Gordon’s Ink, a print shop in West Greenwich. Clancy elected to hang all 49 photos that were submitted, which Caswell said resulted in an exhibit that depicts a white wonderland from all angles.

“They are a wide spectrum of winter at its finest,” she said. “I thought the work was exceptional.”

East Shore Road’s Paul Murray, a globetrotting photographer whose portfolio spans from pole to pole, was awarded second place for “My World.” The photograph of a young polar bear was taken by Murray while he was visiting the Arctic Circle, about 600 miles from the northernmost point on Earth. He had taken the 12-day trip with another photographer to document the top of the globe, particularly the polar bears that live there.

BELOW: This photograph by Elaine Porter is on display at the “Let it Snow” exhibit in the library. Titled “Fleeced,” the former president of the art association snapped this photo of a sheep in Jamestown.

BELOW: This photograph by Elaine Porter is on display at the “Let it Snow” exhibit in the library. Titled “Fleeced,” the former president of the art association snapped this photo of a sheep in Jamestown.

Murray encountered several polar bears on the trip. “My World” documents a bear that is seen looking back at his camera. The photo, he said, has an environmental message.

“The Arctic ice is contracting, it’s breaking up and dissolving into water,” he said. “That actually affects the bear’s ability to live and find food. The photo was an attempt to get a sense of the enormity of that world, and how this small bear has to work to simply stay alive.”

Third place was awarded to Charles Schmidt, a Hull Cove resident, for his picture titled “Colorado Dreamin’ on a Winter’s Day.”

Along with first, second and third place, two other Jamestowners were awarded for their photographs. Narragansett Avenue’s Jillian Barber was given an honorable mention for the photograph “Windmill Hill,” an image of the North Road historic district following a snowstorm.

“I love the subtle blues and shadow lavenders in the photo, and how the fence blends with the Newport Bridge,” Barber said. “Snow can accentuate form and color.”

Eileen McCarney Muldoon was given a president’s award for her photograph “DaNa Na.” Unlike the other 48 photographs, Muldoon’s picture is devoid of snow. Instead, it depicts a woman on a cell phone in Havana, Cuba.

Muldoon snapped the shot four years ago while she was scouring the Caribbean island for photographs. The “tonguein cheek” entry, which has a car for its focal point, tells a story, she said.

“There’s a woman in the background with a cell phone, which back then was highly unusual. It was meant as a story.”

Caswell, who is not displayed despite photography being her trade, honored the tropical scene with a special “I’m Glad There is No Snow” award.

“It clearly had nothing to do with snow,” she said, “but the presentation was just fantastic.”

“Best in Snow” will be at the library through March 7. Caswell is encouraging residents to visit the display during the next seven weeks.

“The whole purpose of the Conanicut Island Art Association is to bring art to the community,” she said. “I think that they’ll enjoy the photography from this segment of the membership.”