Dubois County Museum photo contest voting underway in Jasper

Voting is underway at the Dubois County Museum in Jasper, and the outcome now rests partly with the people who walk through the doors at 2704 N. Newton Street. Each visitor gets a ballot and can pick a top three in both the Youth Category and the Adult Category, turning the museum’s third annual photo contest into a countywide vote on what deserves to be remembered, displayed and celebrated.

This year’s theme is “Your Favorite Photo,” and the contest drew 92 entries, a slight increase from 90 last year. The museum opened the competition to amateur photographers ages 5 to 17 in the youth division and ages 18 and older in the adult division, with each entrant allowed up to three framed 8x10 photos. A $5 fee was charged for each photo entered.

The public vote is running through May, with the museum’s announcement saying ballots would be accepted through May 30 and its May newsletter saying visitors have the full month to vote. One ballot per person per day is allowed with paid admission or a museum pass. Winners will be announced June 2 through the museum’s Facebook page and local media.

The contest gives Dubois County residents a chance to shape more than a list of winners. It also shines a light on the museum’s volunteer-driven work preserving the county’s artifacts and stories. The nonprofit says it operates entirely with volunteer labor and is funded through memberships, admissions, donations and gifts, with support from the Dubois County Visitors Center.

The museum’s 2025 contest showed how much local interest the event can draw. That year’s field included four youth entries and 86 adult entries, and the public-choice winners were Susie Kutch, John Dillon and Laurie Wilhite in the adult category, along with Allie Lueken and Luis Bradford in youth. B.C. Baggett and Robert McCarty served as judges then, and they are back again this year, giving the contest a familiar local stamp as residents decide which images best capture Dubois County’s places, traditions and identity.

The museum’s public hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for high school students, $2 for middle and elementary students, and free for children 4 and under and current museum members.