Rochelle Wolberg, curator/director at the Mounts Botanical Garden, Palm Beach County’s oldest and largest public garden, recently announced the winners of Mounts’ 11th Annual Photography Contest, which was open to amateur photographers of any age.
This year, in conjunction with the garden’s current exhibit “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea,” Mounts added a new Environmental category to photograph how disposable plastics and other trash befoul Palm Beach County’s natural landscapes and waterways.
The winners of this year’s contest include: Best in Show, Jo Ann Ricchiuti of South Palm Beach; Plant Life, Melanie Valentine of Lake Worth; Animal Life, Jo Ann Ricchiuti of South Palm Beach, People in the Garden, Alma Patricia Dietz of West Palm Beach; Scenic/Landscapes, Martin Cohen of Lake Worth; Nature Close-ups, Stephanie Ovdiyenko of Royal Palm Beach; and Environmental, Connie Wagner of South Palm Beach.
Except for the Environmental category, all photographs were taken within the boundaries of Mounts Botanical Garden. The guest judge was respected nature photographer Alan Chin Lee.
The winning Best in Show photographer received a Garden Family & Friends membership and a $100 Mounts gift certificate. The other prize winners received Mounts gift certificates, and the Environmental winner received a monetary award.
Mounts is located at 531 North Military Trail in West Palm Beach. While the “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea” exhibit is on display through early June, admission to Mounts Botanical Garden is free for members and children 4 and under; $15 for nonmembers; $5 for children (5-12); and group tours are $18 per person (5 and older). For more info., call (561) 233-1757 or visit www.mounts.org.
