Local Arkansas announces winner of statewide photography contest

The Sentinel-Record/Mara Kuhn - Heath Netzley of Little Rock, center, accepts prizes for Darren Houston of Little Rock, as Drea Poteete, owner of Spa City Cycling, left, and Brian Marcus, with Local Arkansas, look on at Cedar Glades Park on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017. Houston won the Natural Arkansas November photography contest on Instagram.
The Sentinel-Record/Mara Kuhn - Heath Netzley of Little Rock, center, accepts prizes for Darren Houston of Little Rock, as Drea Poteete, owner of Spa City Cycling, left, and Brian Marcus, with Local Arkansas, look on at Cedar Glades Park on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017. Houston won the Natural Arkansas November photography contest on Instagram.

Businesses in league with Local Arkansas gathered at Cedar Glades Park on Saturday to present the winner of the Natural Arkansas November photography contest and to test out bicycles from Parkside Cycle and local member Spa City Cycling.

Local Arkansas, an advertising and marketing operation designed specifically for locally owned businesses, hosted a statewide photography contest throughout the month of November designed to showcase the natural beauty found throughout the state, said Bryan Marcus with Local Arkansas.

"This is a great time of year to be outside in Arkansas and we thought this would be a fun way for people to enjoy the state's many natural resources," Marisa Rodgers, program director of Local Arkansas, said in a news release.

Over 100 nature and bicycling enthusiast filtered in and out of the park, visiting with Local Arkansas team members, test driving high-end bicycles and chowing down of food from itz gud füd.

Approximately 247 photographers from across the state submitted their shots to the contest and from those submissions, a panel of some of Arkansas' favorite outdoor enthusiasts selected the winner, Marcus said.

A prize package valued at around $2,000 dollars was given to the winner of the photography contest. The package included an Orbea MX Max 29er mountain bike from Spa City Cycling, a gift card to Nativ, a jersey and hat from Visit Hot Springs and a four-hour kayak or bike tour courtesy of Ouachita Kayak Tours, he said.

The winner, Darren Houston, of Little Rock, shot the winning photograph on his Nikon 3200. Houston was unable to attend the event but his friend, Heath Netzley, accepted the prize on his behalf.

"Darren said he entered the contest because he loves the outdoors and nature. He saw the contest and decided to post his photo on Instagram.

"He told me winning felt surreal. He did not expect to win and only submitted his photo on a whim," Netzley said.

Local Arkansas is meant to promote and encourage local commerce in the natural state. The reward card encourages cardholders to shop local by offering incentives and discounts, a release said.

The initiative recently launched statewide and Rodgers said the contest was a great way to bring attention to their mission of Local Arkansas.

Local on 12/04/2017

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