A Celebration of Photography

NEW CANAAN — “Spectra `99,” the Second National Photography Biennial competition at Silvermine Guild Galleries, will open with a public reception on Sunday, October 17, from 2 to 5 pm. The exhibit will then continue through November 14.

Sponsored by Reuters Foundation, the competition drew over 1,100 entries from coast to coast this year. Juror Tom Gitterman, the director of Gallery 292 in New York, selected 90 works for exhibition and awarded five prizes. Mr Gitterman will give a Gallery Talk at 2 pm on October 17, and docents will give gallery tours of the exhibition on two Sundays, October 24 and November 7, at 2 pm.

Also on view at Silvermine is a “Director’s Choice” exhibit of work by the nationally recognized photographer O. Winston Link. Mr Link is well known for his portrayal of locomotives and the romance of an era past.

“This exhibition celebrates the art of photography,” Mr Gitterman said of “Spectra ‘99.” “There are images that may broaden your understanding of what a photograph is and suggest the endless possibilities of the medium... as well as those that reaffirm its inherent strengths. There are images that may expand your notion of what is appealing as well as those that pay homage to our traditional ideal of beauty. Hopefully the viewers will be both challenged and rewarded,” he concluded.

Silvermine Galleries are open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm, and Sunday from 1 to 5 pm. The galleries are part of the Silvermine Guild Arts Center, located at 1037 Silvermine Road. For additional information, call 966-5617.