Tryon Palace More Than Doubles Prize Money for Preservation Month 2020 Photo Contest

TODAY, Tryon Palace has generously offered to sponsor the 2020 HISTORIC HOMES PHOTO CONTEST, more than doubling the prize money offered. The contest celebrates May as Preservation Month, and the New Bern Preservation Foundation has extended the contest through May 31. The top prizes in each of the three categories are now $250, plus extras. Amateurs, dabblers, and serious photographers are all welcome to participate.

Bill McCrea, Executive Director of Tryon Palace, said, “While we’re closed, we’re doing what we can to offer the ‘Tryon Palace experience’ to our community by offering virtual programming. As soon as we heard about this opportunity, we had to get involved as it’s an extension of the experience we offer, allowing our community to be a part of history.”  

The 2020 Historic Homes Photo Contest is a family activity that can get us moving again after sheltering in place. The Tryon Palace sponsorship has allowed the Foundation to raise the first place cash prize to $250.

Along with a check for $250, first place winners will also a free print of their winning photograph, up to 24” by 30” in size, courtesy of ASAP Photo and Camera in Greenville, NC. They’ll also get a copy of Discover New Bern, the NBPF’s popular book on our town, and an annual membership to the Foundation.

Second place winners will receive a check for $75, a Discover New Bern book, and an annual membership to the NBPF. Third place/Honorable Mention winners will get a check for $25, a Discover New Bern book, and an annual membership to the Foundation.

Each of the three categories will have a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner.

The three contest categories are:
Exterior Shots: all or details of residential or commercial buildings 50 years old or older within the City of New Bern. Living beings are acceptable in the shots, but the main focus should be the architecture.
Interior Shots: shots of architectural details or still life compositions featuring architectural details.
Youth Photographer Shots: shots of the exterior or interior of historic homes or buildings taken by a photographer who is 16 years old or younger.

“We wanted to honor New Bern’s architectural heritage with a fun activity families could do together,” said Lee Purcell, Vice President of the New Bern Preservation Foundation. “Preservation Month seemed to be the best time to do this, encouraging folks to get out and about here in town as things begin to return to normal.”

The judges for the contest are a panel of five accomplished photographers who will review the entries and decide the winners at the conclusion of the contest. Entries must be emailed no later than 5 pm on June 1, 2020 to be considered. There will be an event to award the prizes in person, but we are waiting to see where and how it will take place, depending on prevailing conditions.

To find out more, visit www.newbernpf.org, and preservenewbern on Instagram, or call us at 252-633-6448. NBPF is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization.