15th Annual Fran Achen Juried Photography Exhibit

July 5 – 28, 2024

Photographers of all levels are invited to submit their photography for consideration in the 15th Annual Fran Achen Juried Photography Exhibit to be held in July.

The gallery exhibit will be held during the month of July, 2024 in the Cultural Arts Center Gallery. The photographs in the exhibit will be displayed on the walls of the gallery and, concurrently, in an online virtual exhibit that will appear at the WAA website.

New this year: a free commemorative PDF catalog containing all of the photographs chosen for the exhibit will be produced and made available for download.

All are welcome to enter. Submissions must be received no later than Wednesday, May 29. Complete information appears later on this page. This is a juried acceptance exhibit — only accepted photographs will be displayed.

A reception featuring the presentation of awards will be held Sunday, July 7 at 1:00 P.M. at the Cultural Arts Center where light refreshments will be served. Voting for Viewer Choice will continue throughout the run of the exhibit and its winner will be announced Sunday, July 28.

Jeff McDonald, the exhibit’s 10-year chair and a longtime WAA board member, said, “The Fran Achen exhibition is an annual highlight. Fran Achen was a revered member of the community and an exceptional photographer. His collection of images continues to inspire. This exhibit, named in his honor, is an excellent opportunity to showcase the outstanding work created by both established and aspiring area photographers. The participation and support of many skilled artists from all over southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois is greatly appreciated and is the reason for this program’s continued success. Each year brings a new crop of inspired work.”

Admission to the exhibit and its reception are free of charge, open to the public, and all are invited. The gallery is open Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12:00 P.M. (Noon) to 4:00 P.M. The exhibit runs from Friday, July 5 through Sunday, July 28.

The Whitewater Arts Alliance believes art plays a significant role in transforming the cultural fabric. It brings people together, fosters dialogue and reflection, and creates a sense of pride and ownership.

Exhibit Web Page

  • (this page): whitewaterarts.org/fran-achen-2024

Contacts

AWARDS

  • First Place Award: ($150)

  • Second Place Award: ($125)

  • Third Place Award: ($100)

  • Viewer Choice Award: ($75)

  • Honorable Mention Certificates

Key Dates

  • Entries, fees, and image files due: Wednesday, May 29, 2024

  • Notice of acceptance: Wednesday, June 5, 2024

  • Accepted artwork delivery dates:
    Monday, July 1 from 4pm to 6pm, Tuesday, July 2 from 4pm to 5pm

  • Gallery Exhibit Dates: July 5 - 28, 2024

  • Reception and awards presentation: Sunday, July 7, 2024 (1pm – 4pm), program at 2pm

  • Artwork pickup dates: Sunday, July 28, 2024, (4pm) or by arrangement

  • Viewers’ Choice Award Announcement: Sunday, July 28

ENTRY FEES

$30 for current WAA members, $35 for non-members. This fee includes up to 4 photographs. An entrant may optionally enter 2 additional photographs (up to a total of 6) for an additional fee of $20. Photographs must receive an acceptance to be included in the exhibit.

Entry Process

1 ) Submit Entry Form with Payment:

  • Fill out Online Entry Form by clicking the ENTER button below and following the prompts.

2) Submit Photograph JPEG Image Files:

  • Submitted image file format: JPEG; maximum dimensions 2000 pixels x 2000 pixels; maximum file size 5MB. This can be confusing at first and we are happy to help. Please direct questions to waa.franachen@gmail.com

  • Name the .jpg files so they match the titles of your entries and include your name in the file name. For example, if your name is Mary Jones and the title of one of your images is “Whitewater Rural Scene”, name the corresponding .jpg file “mary-jones-whitewater-rural-scene.jpg” (without the quotation marks).

  • Images files submitted with the entry should be the image itself, without matting or framing.

  • The .jpg images may not contain visible watermarks, signatures, or other identifying information. (This restriction only applies to the emailed images and is for judging purposes.)

  • Attach the images to an email and send it to the “Contact Email Address” (listed above).

3) Watch for Acceptance Email:

  • Acceptance notifications will indicate images selected for inclusion in the exhibit.

4) Prepare Accepted Photographs for Gallery Display (accepted photographs only):

  • Gallery display requirements are listed below.

5) Deliver Photographs to WAA Gallery during the listed times.

6) Pick up work during the listed times.

ENTRY INFORMATION

All accepted entries will be displayed physically in the Cultural Arts Center Gallery, virtually on the WAA website, and permanently in a free, commemorative PDF catalog.

Eligibility

  • Photographs which have received awards (place winners or honorable mentions) in previous Fran Achen Photography Competitions are not eligible for entry.

  • Entered photographs must be entirely the original work of the entrant. By submitting an entry, entrant certifies the completed work as being entirely their own and in full compliance with all rules of this exhibition.

  • The image must originate as a photograph, that is, an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface (photographic film or an electronic image sensor).

  • Images may not incorporate elements produced by anyone but the entrant. For example, stock agency images, artwork created by others, replacement skies included with image editing software, and computer-generated AI images are not allowed as the image itself or as any part of the final image or composited image. Note: sky replacements are permitted if the replacement sky is the work of the entrant, as described above. Show Chair may request to examine original out-of-camera (RAW) files prior to naming award winners.

  • Other than the restrictions stated above, there are no further restrictions on camera, physical darkroom, or computer/digital darkroom techniques. Creative photography which is the work of the entrant is highly encouraged.

  • Photographs must be appropriate for viewers of all ages. Artwork that is overtly sexual, racist, violent, libelous, slanderous, demoralizing, or discriminatory in nature is strictly prohibited.

  • Whitewater Arts Alliance will make all curatorial decisions and reserves the right to refrain from displaying, or to display separately, images it finds to be inappropriate for its website or for the Cultural Arts Center gallery.

Size/Presentation/Format

  • The minimum image size is 10” x 10” (100 square inches), not including mat and frame. The maximum width of the final finished piece (including any matting and framing) may not exceed 36 inches (this is due to the size of the display panels used in the gallery).

  • Photos may be printed on paper and framed under glass or acrylic. Metal prints and gallery-wrapped canvas prints are also acceptable. Other methods of display are also permitted and we highly encourage creativity. However, the presentation must be rigid and have a finished appearance worthy of gallery display. Wire hangers on the backs are required.

  • Prints for the gallery display may be signed, or not, as the artist sees fit.

  • Entries submitted without wire hangers, or which are otherwise unsuitable for hanging, will not be accepted.

  • A completed photo information tag is to be attached to the back of each entry. Tags may be downloaded below under Resources.

  • Exhibited photographs must remain in the gallery until the end of the show.

Usage Rights

  • Artist maintains full copyright to their photographs.

  • Artist grants WAA permission to use the photographs for WAA promotional and educational purposes, to display the photographs on WAA’s website in an online virtual show, and to include the photographs in a free, downloadable commemorative PDF exhibit catalog.

Commission on Sales

  • The WAA Commission Policy for sales applies during the show. The WAA receives 20% of sale from WAA members and 30% of sale from non-members. WAA collects and submits sales taxes.

Resources

Fran Achen  |  1916 - 2004

The Whitewater Arts Alliance honors Fran Achen's contribution to Whitewater by sponsoring the Annual Fran Achen Juried Photography Exhibit.

Fran Achen was a longtime Whitewater resident, teacher, and local photographer. He is most remembered for his photographic collection which chronicles the history of Whitewater.

Born in Kenosha in 1916, his interest in photography began after high school. He spent almost two years delivering cars for the Nash automobile factory. "It seemed like such fun to explore America, so that started my interest in photography and geography, which became my major in college," he said.

In 1938, when Fran enrolled at Whitewater State Teachers College, it was the first year enrollment went over one thousand. Fran remembered being the last one to register, making the enrollment that year 1,008 students. While an undergraduate student at the college, he served as a photographer for both the Royal Purple and the former Minneiska yearbook, as well as working as a freelance photographer for the Janesville Gazette, making "a buck a picture" which helped to pay his way through school.

While attending college, Fran met his wife, Lydia. They were married for 55 years and had three children - Chap, Randi, and Jim.

After graduating from college, Fran taught social studies for a year before being called up for military service in World War II. He served almost four years as the commanding officer of an entirely African American medical unit whose primary duty was to recover wounded soldiers from the front lines. Fran recalled years later that the Rhineland and Central Europe campaign was very successful and remembered crossing the Rhine River just two days after its capture.

When the war was over he pursued his interest in photography by working in a studio in Madison, and later by purchasing a photography studio in downtown Whitewater, where he worked for 11 years.

In 1956, after selling the studio, Fran continued to serve the community as a teacher at Whitewater High School where he taught his favorite subject, geography. He later became assistant audio-visual director for the Janesville school system. Fran retired in 1979. However, he never retired his camera. He continued to photograph the life and events in and around the Whitewater area.

In the 1980s, Fran donated nearly 400 custom printed and mounted photographs to the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library. The University of Wisconsin - Whitewater also has an extensive collection of Fran's photos. Although his photo taking slowed down in his later years, he was never afraid to flip the shutter on what he believed could be a lasting memory or a special photograph.

14th annual (2023) awards

  • 1st Place : Michael Knapstein : “After the Storm”

  • 2nd Place : Howard Rothstein : “Cardinal on Snowy Spring Morning”

  • 3rd Place : Annette Knapstein : “Botanical V”

  • Honorable Mention : Cindy Vondran : “Butter Paddle”

  • Honorable Mention : Doug Richter : “Crown Shyness”

  • Honorable Mention : Doug Richter : “Shadow Sojourn”

  • Honorable Mention : Fletcher Crone : “Pursuit”

  • Honorable Mention : Howard Rothstein : “Bleeding Heart Studio Portrait”

  • Honorable Mention : Jim Hayes : “Farm Truck”

  • Honorable Mention : Jo Christofferson : “Hummingbird Art”

  • Honorable Mention : Jo Christofferson : “Monterey Bay”

  • Honorable Mention : Michael Havice : “Denise Smith 7896”

  • Honorable Mention : Michael Knapstein : “Hay Bale”

  • Honorable Mention : Polly Marzahl : “Sighted”

  • Viewer’s Choice : Polly Marzahl : “Leader of the Pack”

13th Annual (2022) Awards

  • 1st Place (Best of Show) : John Messley : “Ice Fisherman”

  • 2nd Place : Paulette Marzahl : “Illusion of Fluidity”

  • 3rd Place : David Bueschel : “Mister Machine”

  • Honorable Mention : Fletcher Crone : “Tranquility of Mind”

  • Honorable Mention : Gary Galger : “Childhood Dreams”

  • Honorable Mention : Paulette Marzahl : “Time Travel”

  • Honorable Mention : James E. Meldrum : “Summer Afternoon”

  • Honorable Mention : John Messley : “Trestle”

  • Honorable Mention : Karl Mohr : “Baltic Mill”

  • Honorable Mention : Karl Mohr : “Horse Drawn Combine”

  • Honorable Mention : Karl Mohr : “Rock Cut Kestrel”

  • Honorable Mention : Howard Rothstein : “Indigo Bunting”

  • Honorable Mention : Howard Rothstein : “Trillium Studio Portrait”

  • Viewer’s Choice : Lisa Taylor : “Round Prairie Sunrise”

12th Annual (2021) Awards

  • 1st Place (Best of Show) : Karl Mohr : "Bewildered Eagle"

  • 2nd Place : Paulette Marzahl - "A Frigid Dawn Breaks"

  • 3rd Place : David Bueschel - "Safe at Home"

  • Outstanding Youth : Fletcher Crone - "Solitude"

  • Honorable Mention : Everett Long : "Holiday Cactus Closeup (Sclumbergera)"

  • Honorable Mention : Paulette Marzahl : "Power To The People"

  • Honorable Mention : James E Meldrum : "Old Soldier"

  • Honorable Mention : James E Meldrum : "Summer Echo"

  • Honorable Mention : John Messley : "Middle Earth Door"

  • Honorable Mention : Bernie Newman : "Rainforest"

  • Honorable Mention : Bernie Newman : "Spectrum"

  • Honorable Mention : Michael Nowotny : "The Driver"

  • Honorable Mention : Phyllis Stokes : "Courthouse Ceiling"

  • Honorable Mention : Phyliss Stokes : "Fancy Fence"

  • Honorable Mention : Phyliss Stokes : "Lizard on Face"

11th Annual (2020) Awards

  • Best of Show - Ellen Mecca : "Time"

  • Youth/Teen - 1st Place : Leo Strand : “Grazing at Dawn”

  • Youth/Teen - 2nd Place : Crystal Chan : “The Perching Dragonfly”

  • Youth/Teen - 3rd Place : Leo Strand : “Pumpkins for Lunch”

  • Youth/Teen - Honorable Mention : Crystal Chan : “The Forlorn Nymph”

  • Amateur 1st Place - Phyliss Stokes : “Blue Shoes”

  • Amateur 2nd Place - Christine C. Hayes : “Moroccan Artist”

  • Amateur 3rd Place - David Yochum : “Depot #2”

  • Amateur Honorable Mention - Phyliss Stokes : “Tea Time”

  • Amateur Honorable Mention - Sandy Ott : “Sunflowers”

  • Amateur Honorable Mention - Patricia Knox : “Cycling Sister”

  • Amateur Honorable Mention - Phyliss Stokes : “Three Hands”

  • Accomplished 1st Place - Chappy Achen : “Rattlesnake Bluff”

  • Accomplished 2nd Place - David Bueschel : “White Pigeon”

  • Accomplished 3rd Place - William Eklund : “Otter Creek”

  • Accomplished Honorable Mention - Robert Buell : “Remote Church Iceland”

  • Accomplished Honorable Mention - Everett Long : “Purple-Eared Green Hummingbird”

  • Accomplished Honorable Mention - Gary Galger : “Linear Reflection”

  • Accomplished Honorable Mention - William Eklund : “Faithless”

  • Viewers’ Choice - Phyliss Stokes : “Blue Shoes“

10th Annual (2019) Awards

  • Best of Show : David Bueschel : "Once a Farm"

  • Accomplished - 1st Place : Gary Galger : "Desolation"

  • Accomplished - 2nd Place : Karl Mohr : "Freeport Area Farm"

  • Accomplished - 3rd Place : Cindy Vondran : "Twilight Mill"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : William Eklund : "Dreamline"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : William Eklund : "Mill Race"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : Mary Ellsworth : "Spring Snow"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : Gary Galger : "Geometry"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : James E Meldrum : "The Cosmic Steam Engine"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : Donald Parsons : "Micro Crystals #1"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : Cindy Vondran : "Passing Time"

  • Amateur - 1st Place : Robert Buell : "Winter Trees"

  • Amateur - 2nd Place : Rita Carpenter : "Le Vieux"

  • Amateur - 3rd Place : Melanie Hayes : "Blooming Creek"

  • Amateur - Honorable Mention : David Bueschel : "Time Was"

  • Amateur - Honorable Mention : David Bueschel : "Jaguar"

  • Amateur - Honorable Mention : Ellen Mecca : "Batteries"

  • Amateur - Honorable Mention : Jason Miklik : "Ektachrome Composition #6"

  • Youth/Teen - 1st Place : Hogan Alexander : "Foggy Morning"

  • Youth/Teen - 2nd Place : Hannah Keziah C Agustin : "Downtown"

  • Youth/Teen - 3rd Place : Cambell Alexander : "Infectious Purple"

  • Youth/Teen - Honorable Mention : Cambell Alexander : "Raspberry Bloom"

  • Viewers' Choice: Cindy Vondran : "Twilight Mill"

9th Annual (2018) Awards

  • Best of Show : Jeff McDonald : "Sturgeon Bay Light"

  • Accomplished - 1st Place : William Eklund : "Test 4 Echo"

  • Accomplished - 2nd Place : Mary Ellsworth : "Hen and Chicks"

  • Accomplished - 3rd Place : Karl Mohr : "American Homestead"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : Everett Long : "Snowy Egret in Breeding Plumage"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : James J Marsala : "Wheels of Change"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : David Throgmartin : "Great Horned Owl"

  • Amateur - 1st Place : Joseph Suchy : "Fire and Ice"

  • Amateur - 2nd Place : Sandy Ott : "Barn Ghost"

  • Amateur - 3rd Place : Robert Buell : "Winter Scene - Bark River"

  • Amateur - Honorable Mention : Robert Buell : "The Forest Floor"

  • Amateur - Honorable Mention : Signe Trewyn : "Morning's Work"

  • Youth/Teen - 1st Place : Cambell Alexander : "Resting Butterfly"

  • Youth/Teen - 2nd Place : Morgan Janovec : "Scintillam"

  • Youth/Teen - 3rd Place : Linnea Tabaka : "On the Web"

  • Viewers' Choice: Melanie Hayes : "Fall in the U.P."

8th Annual (2017) Awards

  • Best of Show: Jeff McDonald : "Touch the Sky"

  • Accomplished - 1st Place : Everett Long : "Pelican and Patterns"

  • Accomplished - 2nd Place : James Meldrum : "Solitary"

  • Accomplished - 3rd Place : Heather Browning : "Abandoned Ship"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : William Eklund : "See Both Sides"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : Jim Marsala : "End of Summer"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : Jeff McDonald : "River Walk"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : James Meldrum : "Winter Calm"

  • Amateur - 1st Place : Robert Buell : "Autumn in Vermont"

  • Amateur - 2nd Place : Sylvia Linton : "Milkweed in Flight"

  • Amateur - 3rd Place : Jessica Osorio : "Dancing in the Violets"

  • Amateur - Honorable Mention : Robert Buell : "Fall Sumac"

  • Amateur - Honorable Mention : Rhonda Kolander : Maddona and Child"

  • Amateur - Honorable Mention : Sandy Ott : "Gracie"

  • Amateur - Honorable Mention : Johnathon Stutzman : "Camouflaged Owl"

  • Amateur - Honorable Mention : Judy Wildermuth : "End of Day"

  • Youth/Teen - 1st Place : Aydon Clikeman : "Glacier"

  • Youth/Teen - 2nd Place : Aydon Clikeman : "Songbird"

  • Youth/Teen - 3rd Place : Aydon Clikeman : "Jenna"

  • Viewers' Choice: William Eklund : "The Woodshed"

7th Annual (2016) Awards

  • Best of Show: William Eklund : "Dawn of Days Gone By"

  • Accomplished - 1st Place : Jeff McDonald : "Wooded Prairie in Winter"

  • Accomplished - 2nd Place : Mary Ellsworth : "Solomon's Seal"

  • Accomplished - 3rd Place : Alan Smith : "Golfers Dream"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : Ryan Ebert : "Shake it Off"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : Shelley Fox : "Autumn Masquerade"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : Everett Long : "Walk into Fall"

  • Accomplished - Honorable Mention : Terry Mayer : "Undisturbed Tranquility"

  • Amateur - 1st Place : Patricia Ehlers Ogren : "Bedroom in Hot Weather"

  • Amateur - 2nd Place : Robert Buell : "Lilies"

  • Amateur - 3rd Place : David Yochum : "Generations"

  • Amateur - Honorable Mention : Dolores Engel : "Magnolia"

  • Amateur - Honorable Mention : David Flemming : "Port Wen"

  • Amateur - Honorable Mention : Debra Hall : "Snowbirds"

  • Amateur - Honorable Mention : Judy Wildermuth : "Fresh from the Rain"

  • Youth/Teen - 1st Place : Aydon Clikeman : "Emma"

  • Youth/Teen - 2nd Place : Aydon Clikeman : Reflect

  • Youth/Teen - 3rd Place : Hogan Alexander : In the Coffee Shop

  • Youth/Teen - Honorable Mention : Cambell Alexander : "Don't Look Down"

  • Youth/Teen - Honorable Mention : Julia Long : "His Royal Highness"

  • Viewers' Choice: Aydon Clikeman : "Emma"


 

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