'Rejected' photographers rejoice in show of their own

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - More than three dozen photographers who were rejected from the State Fair Fine Arts Competition aren't taking no for an answer; they are having their own exhibition later this week to share their creations with the world.

From animals to humans and the surreal to the sublime, their photos paint a picture of life in Minnesota and beyond.

Now the people behind the images are finding acceptance through rejection.

"Its kind of a thumb of the nose to the fair, but it's really cool to see how these things work," Rejected! Exhibition co-founder Tomas Alvarez said.

Every year, the state fair accepts a dozen or so photographs to be displayed and judged.

But after some of this year's rejected photographers started posting their pictures on social media, they decided to have a show of their own.

"It's really important for people to be appreciated for the art they produce. So what we've done is essentially create another opportunity for people who've been rejected once to show their work again," Alvarez said.

The 45 photos in the first Rejected! Exhibition run the gamut from cars in Cuba to local landmarks.

But because there's limited space for the exhibit at the Minneapolis Photo Center, some photographers who were turned away from the fair were rejected from the new exhibition as well.

"Hey, everybody can't be a winner," Alvarez joked.

While none of the photographs won a blue ribbon, perhaps just being seen at all is a victory of its own.

"There's something fun about it. There's a little 'gotcha,' sort of like, 'but we can do this too,'" Alvarez said.

The Rejected! Exhibition starts on Friday at the Minneapolis Photo Center and will run through October 20.