By the late 1970s, the volume of excellent photographs being entered in the Mercer County Artists exhibit inspired the Commission to host a separate Mercer County Photography show. This biennial exhibition is open to anyone 18 years or older who lives, works or attends school in Mercer County, NJ. A variety of county arts venues have partnered with the Commission in presenting this exhibit.

Photographic processes of any sort may be entered, including black and white, and color photography, non-silver processes including tin-type and cyanotype and direct exposure processes such as solar prints. Artwork based substantively on photos, including book art, computer-derived or hand-made photography collages, and similar media will be considered.

Photographers accepted into the show have the opportunity to win some of the more that $1,000 in prizes, including both Merit and Purchase Awards. Works purchased by the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission will become a part of the County's permanent art collection.

Photographers interested in receiving a prospectus for upcoming Mercer County Photography Shows can email their name, full street address (with city and ZIP code), and a telephone number to LTramo@mercercounty.org . Please put "MCPhoto" in the subject line of your email.

2024 Mercer County Photography Exhibit 

Location: Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie

Exhibition Dates: October 12 - December 1, 2024

Click to Download the 2024 Prospectus

 About the Juror: 

Gary D. Saretzky, archivist, educator, and photographer, taught photography and the history of photography at Mercer County Community College from 1977 to 2012. He also served as Monmouth County Archivist (1994-2019) and Coordinator of the Public History Internship Program, Rutgers University History Department (1994-2016).  His past photography exhibits include “Dreams of Italy” at Ellarslie in 1998 and a retrospective at the Rider University Art Gallery in 2007. Substantial collections of his photographs of blues musicians are at the Blues Archives at the University of Mississippi and the Trenton Free Public Library. Saretzky has self-published two books of his photographs of blues musicians and as a photographer is a member of the Blues Hall of Fame. He co-curated the Margaret BourkeWhite: In Print exhibit at Rutgers in 2006 and the 2024 Grant Castner photo exhibit at the New Jersey State Museum. Saretzky lectures regularly on the history of photography, has published more than 100 journal  articles and reviews, and continues to photograph. 

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2022 Mercer County Photography Exhibit 

Location: Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie

Image: Hands Up!, by Samuel Vovsi, received the Juror’s Award

Trenton Museum Society presents this biennial exhibition, supported, in part, by the Mercer County Culture & Heritage Division, through a grant from the NJ State Council on the Arts. The show is a co-sponsored project of the Division and Trenton City Museum

Congratulations to the following photographers on their awards:

Best In Show: Anita Bhala 

Juror’s Award: Samuel Vovsi 

Honorable Mentions: Heather Palecek, Mark Stermer, and David W. Timothy; 

Mercer County Division of Culture & Heritage Purchase Awards: Cheryl Bomba, Judy Filipponi, Joseph Gilchrist, Dominic Guarino, Heather Palecek, Asia Popinska, Barbara K. Suomi, and Jennifer Tungol

About the Juror: 

Juror Amie Potsic, MFA, is an established photographer and installation artist. Ms. Potsic has extensive experience curating and executing exhibitions and installations in museums, galleries, and corporate environments. Her areas of specialization include vintage and contemporary photography. Ms. Potsic earned her MFA in Photography from the San Francisco Art Institute and BA’s in Photojournalism and English Literature from Indiana University, where she graduated with Distinguished Honors and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society. She also studied at the University of The Arts in Philadelphia and the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC. Ms. Potsic has held faculty appointments at the University of California at Berkeley, Ohlone College, and the San Francisco Art Institute. She has been a guest lecturer at the International Center of Photography, the University of the Arts, Tyler School of Art, and The Delaware Contemporary. Ms. Potsic has also exhibited her own award-winning artwork internationally with 18 solo exhibitions and over 100 group exhibitions.