Sprint photography contest winners announced

SUSSEX COUNTY-The Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council and Sprint announced the winners of the eleventh annual directory cover competition at the artists' reception on Tuesday, Nov. 16. Selected for the 2005 cover of the countywide directory is Don Freeman's photograph Americana—The Newton Town Green. The cover for the 2005 Sparta-Lake Mohawk directory will be a photograph by Don Gerberg called Summer Fun. Glenn Lewis, community relations director for Sprint, said his company is pleased to see the significant increase in participation by the art community. Sprint strives to select designs that reflect the character of the county. Don Freeman, a resident of Oak Ridge, is an amateur photographer who is self-taught. He is a member of the Sparta Camera Club and the Photographers of Sussex County. Freeman has exhibited his work at the NJ State Farm and Horse Show for four years and participates in area craft shows. His work can also be seen on his web site at elegantimagesbydon.us. Freeman's work is done with 35 mm and medium format cameras. His subject matter is largely landscapes and nature with a specialty in covered bridges. He has photographed 208 bridges in 15 states and Quebec. He has done slide presentations for the Historical Societies of Jefferson and Wharton as well as other interested groups. Don Gerberg, a resident of Sparta, has been involved in photography most of his life. When he was a teenager, his brother gave him his first camera. From 1968-72, he and his wife served as Peace Corps Volunteers in Uganda where he shot hundreds of pictures of game and the game parks. He spent almost 30 years photographing houses as part of his residential real estate career. Gerberg lives at Lake Mohawk where he finds his inspiration in the early morning view of the sunrise and the lights at dusk. His hobby has become an addiction to capturing landscapes on 35 mm film. He admired his father who had a true photographer's eye and considers Gary at Photographs in Sparta his mentor. Gerberg has exhibited his work at the Drue Chryst Gallery in Sparta; his prints are available there and at the Sparta Book Store. His sales almost cover the cost of his hobby. For further information, contact the Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council at 973-383-0027.