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FROZEN: Cold, Quiet, Pure
Juror's Statement
It’s a good day to write about the concept of “Frozen” as the last few days here in the Boston area have been cold and drizzly. My Fall coat is out of my closet as a hint of winter lifts the leaves along. New England’s weather is complicated. We’ve had snow in April some years here, but that’s usually not the norm. More than likely, snow and ice will accompany some of Frozen’s exhibition run. Make sure to be there!
The submissions to “Frozen” were exceptional. My observation of the submissions was that many photographs were of abstracts and abstracted nature. Included subject matter also were animals, birds, and idyllic landscapes and street scenes with people playing, walking, or gathering. I struggled to pare down photographs to the assigned allotments given to me for the website and gallery spaces, as I was like a kid in a candy shop! I know this is because my aesthetic embraces a very wide berth of styles and methods. My personal collection of photographs bears witness to this fact. What can I say but that photography is the seat of my vitality.
Congratulations to all who submitted to this call for entry. Now that I’ve seen all your work, I will never forget your photography. I’ll keep an eye out for you in our photo world. Or you can look for me.
My gratitude goes to Zach Hoffman for his patience with me and for asking me to meander through PhotoPlace Gallery’s submissions to “Frozen.” What a fulfilling experience it was!
One last thought to share with you before I go. Look up Henry D. Thoreau’s A Winter Walk, as you are all kindred spirits. You can find it here: https://www.thoreau-online.org/a-winter-walk.html
— Paula Tognarelli, October 29, 2025
Banner image: Peter Wach
About the Juror
Paula Tognarelli recently retired after a long run as Executive Director of the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, MA. As the executive director she produced approximately 54 exhibitions per year having started as an intern in 2001. She graduated from Boston University’s Masters in Art Administration program in 2003. Prior to a museum career, she spent 25 years in the printing industry contributing greatly to the graphic arts industry’s efforts of moving analog processes to completely digital workflows.
Paula frequently reviewed at national and local portfolio events and jumpstarted hundreds of photographers’ careers. She has also juried and curated well over 100 exhibitions for other institutions nationally and internationally.
Call for Entries
For FROZEN, we seek photography that captures the distilled essence of winter—its clean lines, soft textures, and silent spaces. Think snow-covered hills at dawn, delicate frost crystals, breath turning to mist, frozen rivers, or the quiet geometry of ice.
Whether stark and minimal or rich with detail, we welcome work that celebrates winter’s ability to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. All photographic approaches are encouraged—black and white, color, traditional, experimental, and everything in between.
We look forward to seeing how you capture the frozen world.
We are honored to have Paula Tognarelli as the juror for Frozen. She will select up to 35 images in our Middlebury, Vermont Exhibition gallery and another 40 images for our Online Gallery. All 75 images will be reproduced in the exhibition catalog and remain permanently on our website, and be promoted on social media with links to photographers' URL.
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