“A MOMENT ON THE CANAL IN AMSTERDAM”: This photograph by David Kelly Crow of Lawrence Township was awarded Best in Show at “Mercer County Photography 2026,” on view through October 11 at Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie in Cadwalader Park.
Ten Mercer County photographers received a total of 12 awards at the September 19 Reception for “Mercer County Photography 2026” at Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie. The biennial juried show, on view through Sunday, October 11, showcases a diverse array of landscapes, street scenes, portraiture, still lifes, abstractions, and more by 41 photographers from throughout Mercer County. Most of the show’s photographs are available for purchase.
Following welcomes by Trenton Museum Society President Deborah Gorczycki and exhibition coordinator Liz Aubrey, Mercer County Executive Dan Benson delivered a message of support of the area’s arts and culture community and announced the awards.
Juror Aubrey J. Kauffman, a well-known Mercer County photographer, educator, and exhibitor, selected photographs for Best In Show and Honorable Mention.
Commissioners from the Mercer County Cultural & Heritage Commission collected the Purchase Award winners, whose pieces will be added to Mercer County permanent art collection and displayed in county buildings.
The awards given were: Best In Show, A Moment on the Canal in Amsterdam, David Kelly Crow, Lawrence Township; Honorable Mention, Bottles in Window, Gary Saretzky, Lawrence Township; Honorable Mention, Solitary, Anita Bhala, Pennington; and
Honorable Mention, Preparation, David Kelly Crow, Lawrence Township.
Purchase Award winners include Staff Meeting II, George Olexa, Ewing; Light Garden, George Olexa, Ewing; Firenze, Robert Hartman, Pennington; Il Pleut Dans La Nuit: Princeton at Night, Margery Mark, Princeton; Defending Territory, Kevin Frankenfield, Lawrence Township; Cacti Pots in a Miami Backyard, Luca Graziosi, Ewing; My People, Sarita Wilson, Ewing; and Fall Garden Abstract, Anastasja Panek-Tobin, Lawrence Township.
The Mercer County Photography program is made possible by funds from the Mercer County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Kauffman is an award-winning photographer living and working in Ewing. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from New Jersey City University and completed his Master of Fine Arts in visual arts at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of Art and Design. His work has been exhibited throughout the region, with notable exhibitions at The Newark Museum, Rider University Art Gallery, The New Jersey State Museum, The Morris Museum, Seventh and 2nd Street Gallery in New York City, and The Biggs Museum of American Art. His photographs have also been shown at Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts. His work is included in several permanent collections, including the New Jersey State Museum, Rider University, and Johnson & Johnson’s Corporate Headquarters in New Brunswick. His art is also held in numerous private collections.
Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie is located in Cadwalader Park, Trenton and is open Thursday through Saturday, 12 to 4 p.m., and Sundays, 1 to 4 pm. Admission is free, with donations appreciated in support of the museum’s programming. For more information, visit ellarslie.org or call (609) 989-1191.