While today’s wind chills are well into the sub-zero category across Michigan’s Great Southwest, the sun is shining brightly on the photographic career of a young Berrien Springs woman thanks to yet another prestigious selection from her body of work today.
Molly Pate, who works for Berrien RESA, and who has become quite prolific in her photographic talent over the last several years has won Senator John Proos’ “Pure Michigan Summer Photo Contest,”in some heated competition.
Her amazing photo of a sailboat on a calm Lake Michigan at sunset has garnered first place honors in the Senator’s photo contest competition, and it’s not the first time that her work has been selected for public dissemination. She’s earned a space on Indiana Michgan Power Company’s annual Cook Nuclear Plant emergency preparedness calendar for at least the last two year’s running and her work has been featured on the Pure Michigan website on several occasions as well.
Proos says, “Her inspiring photo will be on display in the Michigan Capitol for 2018 after receiving nearly 1,000 votes on Facebook and through an online poll.”
The top finishers in the photo contest were:
- First Place: Molly Pate of Berrien Springs — “Sunset Sail at South Haven Beach”
- Second Place: Madeline Gordon of Edwardsburg — “Sunflower Field”
- Third Place: Randy Willis of Benton Harbor — “Rainbow over Vineyard”
The St. Joseph Senator, serving his final term in office, says, “The purpose of this photo contest was to give Southwest Michigan residents a way to showcase their artistic talents and capture the amazing outdoors and activities that make Michigan such an incredible place to live.” He adds, “We had an unbelievable response — with more than 100 photos submitted. Thankfully, we had an outstanding judging panel that was able to choose 10 incredible finalists, and the people selected a beautiful image that truly illustrates summer in Michigan.”
The 10 finalist photos are available on the John Proos Supporters Page. Each finalist photo received one vote for each “like” it received on Facebook and one vote for each vote it garnered on a poll on Proos’ Senate website.
The finalist photos were also displayed in the district at the Carnegie Center for the Arts in Three Rivers and at the Box Factory for the Arts in St. Joseph.
Molly Pate’s winning photo will receive a hanging ceremony in the Michigan Capitol after the New Year.
Molly is a lifelong resident of Berrien Springs, and recently rejoiced in the crowning of her daughter Olivia Pate as Miss Berrien Springs fro 2018, a title she earned herself back in 1989 when she was Molly Shuler.
The photo accompanying this story in Molly’s award-winning photo that will hang in the state capitol after the New Year.
