Photograph by Kathy De La Torre
The photograph at left was taken by Alexandra Lowe of Gunn High School in San Jose. It is on display as part of the Olympiad of the Arts exhibit at Montalvo.
Students show winning photos at Montalvo
Olympiad of Arts started in 1928
By Shari Kaplan
Villa Montalvo's focus on promoting the arts--especially to open young people's minds to it--fits well with the theme of Olympiad of the Arts 2000, a competition open to students in all Santa Clara County high schools and colleges.
The competition was begun in 1928, by U.S. Senator James Phelan, the creator of Montalvo, and Dr. Henry Meade Bland, an English professor at then-San Jose State College. They hoped to encourage the arts and humanities by holding a quadrennial contest for students. Originally, it focused only on poetry. Following a hiatus during the Great Depression and WWII, benefactor Gwendolen Brooks Penniman revived the Olympiad in 1956, in collaboration with the Edwin Markham Poetry Society of San Jose.
The contest evolved to include literature, short stories, poetry, drama, musical composition, vocal music, sculpture, choreography, photography and the visual arts. Since 1984, it has been an annual event. The photographic portion, which this year drew 120 entries, completely fills the walls at the Gallery at Montalvo. Most are black-and-white photographs, with a handful of color images. There are also some computer-manipulated digital images.
The exhibit runs the gamut from Ansel Adamesque landscapes and dewdrop-covered flowers to engaging human portraiture of children, young adults and seniors. Plenty of images are open to interpretation as well, from a colorful montage on the topic of body art to a surreal trio of doorsteps rising from a field in the middle of nowhere.
"Many times students' work refreshes ideas in my mind that may have become 'old hat' ways of looking at things," says Max Crumley, a professional photographer and West Valley College photography instructor who juried the show with Wes and Cookie Hammond, also experienced photographers and art jurors.
"Students haven't come to a point yet where they've adopted a 'me, too' kind of attitude. Their work is always interesting," adds Crumley, who says he often feels inspired to try new things in his own work after looking at work in this exhibit, which he has judged for many years.
As for the photographs prepared with computer imaging software such as Adobe PhotoShop and printed on photo-quality paper, Crumley says he doesn't mind this alternative way to "print" photographs, especially since today's programs can do almost everything darkroom equipment can do to an image, such as dodging, burning, cropping, adjusting the focus or changing the contrast.
"A computer is as valid as the smelly, dark cavern of a traditional darkroom," he says, chuckling. He adds that for students whose schools lack the funding or space for a fully stocked darkroom and its necessary chemistry, they have no choice but to rely on a scanner and computer.
This year's award winners were Hiroko Muramatsu of De Anza College, Best of Show; Kelly Gerula of Notre Dame High School and Metzalli Guel of San Jose City College, Montalvo Awards of Merit in Photography; Crystal Randall of NDHS, Marilyn Kirby Award in Photography; Kevin Worth of San Jose High Academy, Elegant Image Award; Michael Oliveira of SJHA, Foundation Presentation Award; and Edith Chavez of Independence High School, Alexandra Lowe of Gunn High School, Crystal Randall of NDHS and Roscelia Rios of Notre Dame High School, Honorable Mention.
Olympiad of the Arts runs through May 7. The Gallery, at 15400 Montalvo Road, is open Wednesday through Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, call 408.961.5813 or visit www.villamontalvo.org on the Internet.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
