1998 – Mimi entered a photo contest held by her husband’s employer. Her picture of Jack O’Lantern mushrooms was one of the winning photos out of over 500 entries and was hung in the companies’ Englewood, CO. headquarters building. She participated in her first Great Backyard Bird Count, a joint project of Cornell University’s Laboratory of Ornithology and the Audubon Society, and has continued to do so every year since. One of her bluebird photos was in their yearly website photo gallery.
1999 – Mimi, along with her husband Terry, certified their property with the Ohio Division of Wildlife as a Backyard for Wildlife Site and with The National Wildlife Federation as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat.
2004 – Participated in a Digital Nature Photography Workshop at the University of Akron led by Ian Adams, Environmental Photographer.
2005 – Had several bluebird photos published in The Ohio Bluebird Society’s Spring Bluebird Monitor.
1998 to 2005 – Each year she entered photos in the Medina County Fair’s Amateur Photography Division where she’s won a number of first, second, third and honorable mention ribbons over the years.
2006 - Mimi started exhibiting her photos for sale at the Herb Store in the historic district of Medina, Ohio. US Bank on North Court Street in Medina was remolding and made an agreement to use Mimi's photo as their art work. The Medina County Park District’s Nature Photo Exhibit at Wolf Creek Environmental Center displayed all 3 of her entries. Mimi decided to move up to the Medina County Fair’s Advanced Photography Division where she received 9 ribbons out of 10 entries.
2007 – Became a member of the Medina County Art League and exhibited 3 photos in their Aquarius Exhibition. Her photo of a Red-tailed Hawk was selected as 1st Place winner in the Wildlife category in the Medina County Park District’s Nature Photo Exhibit. Her photo of a Black-capped Chickadee was selected to be in the Great Backyard Bird Count Photo Gallery. She received 6 ribbons out of 10 entries in the Medina County Fair’s Advanced Photography Division. In June, 5 of her bird photos were published in the Medina Gazette. In November she received 1st and 2nd Place
ribbons in Photography at the Hinckley Arts and Craft
Fall Arts Show.
2008 – The families’ property was certified by the University of Kansas as a Monarch Waystation for the conservation of the Monarch Butterfly. The Medina Gazette, in an article about bird watching and the Great Backyard Bird Count, published several of Mimi’s photos. Her photo of a Red-breasted Nuthatch was chosen to be in The Great Backyard Bird Count Photo Gallery. During the Medina County Ice Festival several of her photos were exhibited at the new home of the Medina County Convention & Visitors Bureau and she received a 2nd Place ribbon. MCCVB started using a number of the photos to promote Medina County in their printed material and on their website. One of her photos was chosen to be in the BAYarts’ Artist by Nature juried show in March. Another photo, "Warm Welcome", was chosen to be part of BAYarts’ 3rd Annual Juried Photography Show, 2008 Captured. The judges for the show were from the Cleveland Plain Dealer; nationally and internationally recognized Dale Omori, Deputy Director of Photography/Multimedia, and John Kuntz, a staff photographer, twice named Photographer of the Year for Ohio. Her “Warm Welcome” also received an Honorable Mention by guest juror artist/professor Mark Soppeland for the Fresh & Spooky Fourth Annual Juried Art Show at Summit Artspace. Became a member of BAYarts and Artists of Rubber City.
2009 - Mimi’s photo Female & Male Eastern Bluebirds enjoying fresh winterberries and mealworms was chosen to be in The Great Backyard Bird Count Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Audubon 2009 Photo Gallery. Several of her photos were on Exhibit during the 2009 Medina County Ice Festival. The photos were part of the Medina County Convention & Visitors Bureau December 2008 Photo Contest. Mimi’s photo “Early Morning Snow” received 1st Place in the Professional Category and her photo “Gramercy Gallery” received 3rd Place in the Professional Category. Mimi’s photos “Fall Into Winter” and “A Gentle Touch” were chosen to be part of BAYarts Artistic by Nature Juried Show 2009. Judges were Paul St. Denis –AWS, OWS, NWS – Faculty Emeritus at the Cleveland Institute of Art and Mitzi Lai – Art instructor at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Member Oil Painters of America.
2010 - Mimi’s photo “Fall into Winter” received an Award of Merit -Medina County Art League 2010 Aquarius Exhibition. Her photo of a Male Eastern Bluebird was chosen to be part of The Great Backyard Bird Count Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Audubon 2010 Photo Galley. Mimi’s photo of a Male and Female Eastern Bluebird enjoying fresh winterberries, mealworms and homemade suet that was chosen in 2009 for the GBBC 2009 Photo Gallery was chosen from over 6000 entries to be one of the 6 photos to promote the GBBC on The Audubon’s Website Great Backyard Bird Count Homepage 2010 and In the Audubon Advisory January 15, 2010 Vol 2010 Issue 1. Her photo "Mourning for Terry" was Chosen to be part of Artist of Rubber City 20th Annual Juried Show. Mimi’s photo Medina County Farmers’ Market won 1st Place and her photo Rt. 42, 3, 18, 57 received 2nd Place in the Professional Division of the 2010 Medina County Convention & Visitors Bureau Photo Contest. 2010 –
MarySandmannPhotography.com
BackyardBluebirds.com
