Judson University to host Elgin photo exhibition

Submitted by Judson University

Judson University will host the “Elgin 1440” photography exhibition in the Draewell Gallery, in the Harm A. Weber Academic Center on Judson’s main campus, 1151 N. State St., Elgin. A reception for the exhibit will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 23, in the gallery.

The exhibition is a contest for Elgin-area residents “meant to capture life in Elgin within a one-day period,” according to the webpage for the City of Elgin.

To be eligible for the exhibit, all contestants were required to submit a photograph taken between June 6 and Aug. 4 for them to capture the perfect shot. This is a significant change from guidelines in previous years, which allowed only a single day (1,440 minutes) for participants to take their photos.

In keeping with this year’s theme, “Timeless Elgin: Preserving the Past, Celebrating the Present, Defining the Future,” contestants were asked to to photograph Elgin’s old homes, new construction, city celebrations, community festivals, and more in an effort to capture the spirit of the city.

The 1440 exhibit has been sponsored by the City of Elgin and the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission for the last eight years. This is the third consecutive year that Judson’s Draewell Gallery has hosted the exhibition.

Each year the quality of the photography has improved and the exhibit has become an event that the community eagerly anticipates. Although the theme of the exhibit changes annually, along with the shoot dates, the photographers are asked to explore the city of Elgin through the camera’s lens.

The exhibit will be hosted in Judson’s Draewell Gallery Monday, Sept. 23, through Friday, Oct. 4.