In May the Downtown Management District (DMD) kicked off the AUTHENTICO Photo Contest. The public was invited to express, through photography, what makes Downtown El Paso (DTEP) AUTHENTICO to them.
Over the course of the last four weeks the DMD received nearly 100 photos from over 30 participants.
Our panel of local celebrity judges (Estela Casas of KVIA, cartoonist Nacho L. Garcia, photographer Brian Wancho, and Mike Martinez and Patricia Martinez of 93.1 Kiss FM) chose 3 winners who clearly expressed the cultural authenticity of our downtown.
Winners will receive gift certificates to varied DTEP businesses totaling five-hundred dollars collectively with their photographs published online for the public to enjoy.
Third place winner, Christopher Enriquez, is a 25 year old full-time student with an adventurous attitude. He told us why he thinks DTEP is so AUTHENTICO, “It’s so rich in culture and beauty! There’s so much entertainment and adventure, from the Union Plaza District to San Jacinto Plaza, it’s a stroll like no other.”
Second place winner, Esther Duncan, 47, is a stay-at-home mom, and an aspiring photographer. Esther (a native El Pasoan) returned to El Paso with her family after her husband retired from the Army.
“I am always inspired by the great street photography in New York, so I knew I had to take a photo with a cab in the scene. I don’t think you’ll find a ‘Border Cab Co.,’ anywhere else. Our border is what makes us unique and special,” she said.
First place winner, Patrick Craig, 45, a physical therapist, husband and father of three, told us he enjoys walking the streets of El Paso, (primarily downtown) photographing street life. “I try to include people in most of our photographs as they are the core of the city, the people are unique to our cityscape,” Craig said.
