“Rarefied Light” on view Oct. 5 through Nov. 25 at Anchorage Museum

“Rarefied Light,” an annual juried exhibition showcasing the best of Alaska’s fine art photography, debuts Oct. 5 at the Anchorage Museum. This exhibition is organized by the Alaska Photographic Center and will travel throughout the state.

This highly competitive exhibition drew 641 submissions by 109 Alaska artists. Juror Cig Harvey of Maine selected 61 photographs by 36 different artists for the exhibition.

Harvey awarded Best of Show to Eagle River photographer Maggie Skiba for “Taurus,” a pigment ink print on cotton rag. This is the second time Skiba has taken home “Rarefied Light’s” Best of Show award. She’s known for using plastic toy cameras and Holga cameras to create contemporary art with a vintage feel.

“Due to the high caliber of work submitted, it was extraordinarily difficult to select the Best of Show and Honorable Mentions, but in the end the work of Maggie Skiba exemplified the spirit of the award, as both form and content were so beautifully realized,” Harvey said.

Honorable Mentions were given to artists Brian Adams, Laura Avellaneda-Cruz, Oscar Avellaneda-Cruz, Hal Gage, Loren Holmes, Matt Johnson and Janice Parsley, all from Anchorage.

After the exhibition closes in Anchorage Nov. 25, it will travel to Bear Gallery,Fairbanks (Dec. 7-30); Kenai Peninsula College (Jan. 11- Feb. 7, 2013); andKodiak College Campus Center (Feb. 15-March 8, 2013).

ALASKA PHOTOGRAPHIC CENTER

The Alaska Photographic Center is a statewide organization formed in 1983 with a mission to promote fine art photography in Alaska. Learn more online at www.akphotoctr.org.

ANCHORAGE MUSEUM

The Anchorage Museum is the largest museum in Alaska and one of the top 10 mostvisited attractions in the state. The museum’s mission is to share and connect Alaska with the world through art, history and science. Learn more online at www.anchoragemuseum.org.