Eye of the Beholder Returns
Micaylee Cassidy & Virginia Maloney stand in front of the Eye of The Beholder Exhibit.
In 2024, the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center held its first interactive photography contest for its patrons. With healthy competition between the community, the exhibition showcased framed photography from Jones Beach coinciding with the year’s events like the Great North American Solar Eclipse and New York State Park’s Centennial Celebration. The display debuted July 25th, until Labor Day weekend, after about six months of development; it was an astounding success!
Curators Micaylee Cassidy and Virginia Maloney, who initially featured Jones Beach in the Eye of the Beholder Photo Contest, now will welcome Hempstead Lake State Park into its second year. Their initiative is to introduce JBENC as a hub for environmental art while allowing the community to interact safely with its local flora and fauna. Virginia notes the “enthusiasm, especially after the exhibit opened, made us realize we needed to do it again.”
Micaylee explains “A community was built around this event. We were putting up the stories of people who participated in ‘My favorite Jones Beach memory is…’ and I stepped back- it kind of looked like a heart!”
A heart-shaped display of handwritten submissions, which included memories like sunset walks and building sandcastles.
A framed photo is surrounded by objects that reflect the photo contest’s weekly themes.
The 2025 contest will entail a grand opening exhibition at the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center in June, displaying winners for monthly topics, as well as some other applicants. Topics will be revealed at the beginning of each month: March, April, and May. In contrast to last year, winners will only be able to triumph in one category. To avoid bias, staff from both parks will also be exempt from submissions, yet still free to vote over Instagram and Facebook.
All information will be available on the JBENC Website. All photographers ages 10 and older are welcome to participate, regardless of technology or experience. It is encouraged to keep checking the information on social media throughout the month, to see what other programs will be happening.
For March, our theme is In Flight.
