SAAC announces photography competition winners.

The South Arkansas Arts Center announces the winners of The Viewfinder Photography Competition, which are on exhibit in the Price and Merkle galleries through Monday.

An artist’s reception was held on Saturday night and competition judge Terrance Armstard, news editor at the News-Times, was on hand to make his winning decision and announce the rest of the awards for the show.

This year’s winners are as followed:

• Best of Show Emma Hayes, “Fe de Frank”

• First Place Michael Donnella, “Earls of Leicester”

• Second Place Lee Morgan, “Really, Dad?”

• Third Place - Paul Waschka, “Lonely Highway”.

• Honorable Mention - Steve Rainwater, “Green Machine”; Keith Dodson, “Sleeping Beauty” and Laura Raines, “No Jumping”

“I captured ‘Fe de Frank’ deep the mountains of Nicaragua last summer,” Hayes said. “My mom and I, along with the rest of my church family, have gone every summer for the past three years. I’ve taken countless pictures of people, buildings, coffee and nature over there. You name it, I captured it.”

Boasting over 90 photographs by more than 60 local and regional photographers, this year’s entries included landscapes, animals, still life compositions, faces and nature, as well as many other subjects.

Contributed Viewfinder: High school student Emma Hayes, who’s also enrolled in a SAAC art class, and Assistant Executive Director John Lowery are shown with her winning photo, “Fe de Frank.” Contributed.