16 Oct ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF ANNUAL ESSEX COUNTY PARKS PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
Published on October 16, 2024
Roseland, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. presented awards to the nine winners in the Annual Essex County Parks Photography Contest on Tuesday, October 11th. Winners were awarded in Adult, Youth and Professional categories.
“We congratulate the winners of the Essex County Parks Photography Contest and thank all the contestants for sharing what they experienced in our historic Parks System,” DiVincenzo said. “Events like these encourage our residents to visit our open spaces and share their artistic talents. All these photographs capture the beauty, highlight the diversity and natural splendor of our parks, reservations and recreation facilities,” he added.
The artists, and the awards they received, are as follows:
Adult Category
- John Shiever from Cedar Grove received first place in the Adult Category for “Grover Cleveland Park.”
- Beth Calamia Sheckel from Montclair received second place in the Adult Category for “Branch Brook Park.”
- John Levai from Upper Montclair received third place in the Adult Category for “Yanticaw Park.”
- Rachel Dykstra from Montclair received an honorable mention in the Adult Category for “Kip’s Castle Park.”
Youth Category
- Alexandra Barrios from Newark received first place in the Youth Category for “Branch Brook Park.”
- Thomas Carey from West Caldwell received second place in the Youth Category for “Orange Reservoir.”
- Asher Gamble from Bloomfield received third place in the Youth Category for “Watsessing Park, Great Egret.”
- Jayslin Cespedes from Newark received an honorable mention in the Youth Category for “Prudential Concert Grove, Branch Brook Park.”
Professional Category
- Arthur J. Ballinger, III from Cedar Grove received first place in the Professional Category for “Verona Park, Sunrise.”
The Essex County Parks Photography Contest was sponsored by the Essex County Environmental Center and judged by members of the Essex County Photography Club. Anyone with a camera was encouraged to participate. Entries were judged in three categories: Youth for ages 17 years and younger, Adult for ages 18 and older and Professional for those who have sold their work through commercial channels, shown their photographs in exhibits or galleries, received at least two awards for their photography or have a membership in a professional craft association. All photographs should have been taken within the boundaries of the Essex County Parks System during the past year. Entries were judged on creativity, technical superiority, composition, and the photograph’s depiction of the uniqueness of the Essex County Parks System.
All photographs were on display at the Essex County Environmental Center during September and October.
Sponsoring the contest and providing prizes for the winners were the Essex County Photography Club, Madison Photo Plus, Milburn Camera, Jerry’s Artist Outlet, Green Point Juicery, Montclair Art Museum, The Learning Express, Glass Roots, Liberty Science Center, Paper Mill Playhouse and author Abigail Gross.
The Essex County Park System was created in 1895 and is the first county park system established in the United States. The Park System consists of more than 6,000 acres and has 23 parks, five reservations, an environmental center, a zoo, Treetop Adventure Course, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf courses, two miniature golf courses, golf driving range, fsix off-leash dog facilities, a castle and the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens.
