Tuesday, June 30, 2020

The Fond du Lac Public Library challenged local artists and photographers to submit illustrations for the fourth annual My Favorite Fondy Calendar Contest. The 2021 wall calendar will go on sale this fall as a library fundraiser.

The contest asked entrants to express their love of the region through images. A panel of local judges reviewed entries and selected images virtually for the cover, months and notes pages in a blind review, in which entrants’ names were hidden, and all submissions were given equal weight.

Entrants were limited to three submissions. One person – Ryan Cords, 28, of Fond du Lac – had all three of his photos selected by judges, and his “Beautiful Sunrise” photograph was chosen for the 2021 cover. Cords used a Canon EOS R to make his images. While not yet a professional photographer, he would like someday to sell his landscape and nature photos.

“I started photography around Christmas time of 2018 and quickly fell in love with it,” Cords said. “Since then I have been watching all the photography videos I can. Whenever I have free time I am editing and taking pictures of my kids, nature or landscapes, really anything that catches my eye.”

A winners’ slide show is available here. They are, in order of calendar appearance:

  • Cover and June: “Beautiful Sunrise” by Ryan Cords
  • January: “Early Morning Snow” by Bob Freund
  • February: “Dad at Dusk” by Avery Jahnke
  • March: “Looking Up” by Ariana Jimenez and “Partly Cloudy” by Kendra Menominee
  • April: “Fire in the Sky” by Courtney Raabe
  • May: “Summer Bubble” by Emily Waisanen
  • July: “Serenity Now” by Ryan Cords
  • August: “Bee Happy” by Ariana Jimenez
  • September: “Red Autumn Leaves” by Susan Ringer
  • October: “Kiekhaefer Sunset” by Keetra Baker
  • November: “Stuck in the Cold” by Ayden Fowler
  • December: “Snowy Solace” by Ryan Cords
  • Notes pages: “Whoooo-dee-who – A Friend Along the Fond du Lac Loop Trail” by Joan Smet, “Pier, Puppy and People on Lake Winnebago” by Susan Ringer, “Childhood Memories” by Alexis Dreger, “Good Morning, World” by Joellyn Dahlin, “Vibrant View” by Matthew Nett and “Calm After the Storm” by Linda Olig.

The 2021 calendar will be sold at the Main Library downtown and at Chapter 52 Bookstore, 52 Sheboygan St., in early fall until supplies last.