[013] The Heritage Center Serves As Host For Tennessee-Themed Photo Exhibit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 12, 2010
CONTACT: Jennifer Butt, The Heritage Center, 615-217-8013 or jbutt@mtsu.edu

THE HERITAGE CENTER SERVES AS HOST FOR TENNESSEE-THEMED PHOTO EXHIBIT

(MURFREESBORO)—The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County is currently serving as host for an exhibit of 32 winning photos of the 2008-2009 Scenic Tennessee Photo Contest.
Co-sponsored by The Land Trust of Tennessee, the contest’s theme is "Lands Worth Preserving." According to organizers’ reports, the purpose of the contest is three-fold: to celebrate Tennessee's dwindling farmlands and other scenic landscapes; to highlight the role of land trusts in protecting such landscapes; and to showcase the photographers' art in framing these views and capturing their meaning.
Marge Davis, vice president of Scenic Tennessee, coordinated the contest.
Judges for the contest were Jeanie Nelson, executive director for The Land Trust of Tennessee; Joy McKenzie, chairwoman of the Department of Photography at Watkins College of Art and Design; and Nancy Rhoda, a retired photographer from The Tennessean.
"Scenic Tennessee has been promoting and advocating for protection of the scenic character of Tennessee both rural and urban for over 20 years," explained Leslee Dodd Karl, president of Scenic Tennessee.
Visitors to The Heritage Center, 225 W. College St., may view the exhibit now through the end of August. The Heritage Center is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday (closed for major holidays) and features an Exhibit Gallery and guided walking tours of the courthouse square on the hour. Group tours are available Monday through Saturday by advance reservations. Admission is free.
Jennifer Butt, program assistant for The Heritage Center, said the bi-yearly photo contest is an opportunity for those who love Tennessee and the art of photography to highlight the irreplaceable uniqueness of Tennessee and its scenic beauty
The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County is a joint venture between the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, Main Street Murfreesboro/Rutherford County Inc., the City of Murfreesboro and the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU. Additional support comes from Rutherford County government and State Farm Insurance.
For more information about the contest, please visit www.scenictennessee.org.
For more information about the Murfreesboro-based center, please call 615-217-8013 or e-mail heritage@mtsu.edu.


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With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.