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Kentucky Heritage Council
Kentucky Heritage Council / Preservation Kentucky Photo-Essay Competition underway
9th Annual Kentucky Heritage Council / Preservation Kentucky Photo-Essay Competition challenges students to explore The Art of Historic Preservation
Release Date Contact: Diane Comer
IMMEDIATE 502-564-7005, ext. 120
March 6, 2007 diane.comer@ky.gov
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Looking at historic buildings as works of art and recognizing the skills required to successfully preserve and adapt them to new uses is the challenge posed for the 9th annual Kentucky Heritage Council / Preservation Kentucky Photo-Essay Competition, open to all Kentucky school students. The 2007 theme, The Art of Historic Preservation, is intended to encourage students to think about historic buildings in a new light and consider the artistry required not only for construction but for their preservation and continued use.
Participants are required to select and photograph a historic building or structure in their community and then write an essay, based on the theme, describing its historic significance and its current and future value to the community. Essays and photographs created by the students can also reflect their own work as “artists.” To encourage students to become preservation advocates, each participant is also required to submit a copy of his or her essay to a local decision-maker – such as a mayor, city council member, county judge-executive or magistrate – before it will be considered for competition.
Cash prizes will be given for first-, second- and third-place entries in three categories: Primary (Grades 1-5), Intermediate (Grades 6-8) and Secondary (Grades 9-12). Special awards will also be given to recognize entries that most capture the Unbridled Spirit of Kentucky. Winners in each category will be recognized during a celebration in May, National Historic Preservation Month, in conjunction with the annual presentation of statewide Ida Lee Willis Memorial Foundation Preservation Awards. All participants will receive a certificate of recognition and the school submitting the most entries will also receive an award for participation. Entries must be postmarked no later than March 31.
“We are consistently amazed by students’ creativity in interpreting the theme as well as in the intense emotion they share through their essays as they describe historic buildings that are important to them,” said Becky Shipp, Heritage Council site development program manager. “It is not unusual for the students to identify places that are not already included in our agency’s databases, and in this way they also make an important contribution to our programs and our understanding of Kentucky’s historic places.”
For an entry form and a complete list of contest guidelines or to view winning essays from previous years, see the Preservation Kentucky Web site, http://www.preservationkentucky.org. Or for more information call Becky Shipp at 502-564-7005, ext. 133, or email becky.shipp@ky.gov.
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An agency of the Kentucky Commerce Cabinet, the Kentucky Heritage Council / State Historic Preservation Office is responsible for the identification, protection and preservation of historic and cultural resources throughout the Commonwealth, in partnership with other state and federal agencies, local communities and interested citizens. This mission is integral to making communities more livable and has a far-ranging impact on issues as diverse as economic development, jobs creation, affordable housing, tourism, community revitalization, environmental conservation and quality of life. www.heritage.ky.gov
Preservation Kentucky is a membership based, non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Kentucky's historic resources through education and advocacy. Preservation Kentucky provides an important link between the public and private sector and between local communities, state government, and national government and organizations. By working for the restoration and adaptive reuse of historic properties today, the economic benefits of historic preservation will help to safeguard the unique Kentucky landscape for future generations. www.preservationkentucky.org
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