What is the Artisan of the Year Award?
This award was created by the 2023 Board of Directors to honor Margo Kent from Staunton, VA, the 1958 VPPA President, the first woman president of VPPA. She was well respected as an artist and was the first VPPA member to receive her Master of Photography degree from PPA (13th woman in PPA). In one of her editorial messages, Margo strongly advocated that professional appearance and demeanor were as important as the quality of the images for all who represent the VPPA. It was during her term that the Traveling Loan Collection began to be exhibited as a separate division, distinct from the general print display (both of which are retired today).
At Margo's direction, the Virginia degree and credit system was developed in 1962 to recognize exceptional ability in photography and service to the profession. By the 1960's Margo devoted a great deal of her time painting portraits or painting photographs, a specialty she developed.
Margo retired in 1981 and died in 2003 at the age of 88. Her art collection stands alone as the Augusta County Historical Society's largest collection to date.