Southside's Marylord Named National ImageMaker

A huge honor was bestowed to a Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond young person this month. Marylord, a member at Southside, was selected as a 2019 Boys & Girls Clubs of America ImageMakers National Photography winner.

Marylord’s work entitled “James What Is That Smell?” was selected as the top photograph in the Fashion & Style category for the 10-12 age group. Marylord’s photo depicts another Club member, Kymora, posing in front of a well-known mural along Richmond’s Canal Walk.

“I thought the painting on the wall was funny but I didn’t know how to add fashion to it. I asked my program instructor Ms. Liz how to make it a fashion picture and she gave me some suggestions,” recalled Marylord. She was able to take the suggestions and use her creativity to snap the winning image.

“Marylord is a great kid, very quiet but talented!” said Chevonne Booker, senior program director at Southside. “She is was so humble when she found out she had won a national competition. We’re all very proud of her and her accomplishments.”

The ImageMakers National Photography Program and Contest enables Club youth to engage in self-expression through photography while developing future career skills with best in class mirrorless technology. This year-round program encourages Club members to learn and practice black-and-white, color, digital and alternative process photography. This year’s contest, sponsored by Sony Electronics, resulted in 888 submissions from 665 clubs throughout the US and Clubs based on military installations abroad.

Marylord (right) and Jasmine (left), both from Southside, were regional finalists in the National Arts contests

ImageMakers provides innovative and high-quality arts programming that stimulates learning and academic success; inspires creativity; explores future careers; and encourages self-expression, critical thinking and problem solving. Arts programming helps build design thinking and in turn supports youths' STEM interest, which supports Sony's and Boys & Girls Clubs of America's commitment to expanding youth exposure to future technology and possible career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

To learn more about the ImageMakers National Photography program, and to view artwork from this year's winners, visit https://arts.bgca.net/gallery/p/2019/c/a.