MSHDA and SHPO Announce New Michigan Historic Preservation Month Photography Contest

Enthusiasts Encouraged to Illustrate "Old is the New Green" in Photos Featuring Michigan's Architectural Heritage; Contest Offers Chance to Win "Green"

LANSING, Mich., May 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Officials from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) today issued a call for entries from both amateur and professional photographers to showcase Michigan's architectural heritage by entering the "Old is the New Green" photo contest between May 1 and June 1, 2010.

During the month of May, State Historic Preservation Offices and communities around the country celebrate historic and cultural resources. National Historic Preservation Month is sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The National Trust has declared this year's theme to be "Old is the New Green," in recognition of the significant role historic preservation plays in more environmentally and economically sustainable development.

"What better way to show our appreciation of Michigan's rich architectural history than through photo documentation from those that have an eye for the unique and the creative skills to capture it on film," said MSHDA Executive Director Keith Molin.

By submitting one or more Old is the New Green-themed photos, you'll become eligible to:

• Have your photography displayed on the Michigan.gov/shpo Web site
• Be featured in media coverage supporting the contest
• Be highlighted on SHPO and MSHDA social media sites
• Be entered to win a Meijer gift card donated by the Michigan History Foundation, or one of three weekend getaway prizes to the Westin Book Cadillac in Detroit, the Park Place Hotel in Traverse City, and Stafford's Perry Hotel in Petoskey. The Book Cadillac Hotel is a 2009 winner of the Governor's Award for Historic Preservation, and both the Park Place Hotel and Perry Hotel are listed in the State Register of Historic Sites. The getaway prizes were donated by the three hotels.

"We hope to spread the word throughout Michigan that preservation is inherently green by supporting sustainability," said State Historic Preservation Officer Brian Conway. "By reinvesting in our historic legacy, we are supporting a vision of environmental stewardship that is celebrated by the SHPO and MSHDA."

Photos must be received between May 1 and June 1, 2010. Submit photos via email to [email protected] or by mail to: Michigan State Housing Development Authority, ATTN: Amanda Tuckey, PPMR, 4th Floor 735 E. Michigan Ave, P.O. Box 30044 Lansing, MI 48909. Complete rules and details of the contest are available at http://www.michigan.gov/mshda/0,1607,7-141-54317-236223--,00.html.

Eight regional winners will be selected to receive either a gift card or one of three grand prizes. Winners will be notified the week of June 7, 2010. Following the close of the contest, a panel of judges comprised of contest administrators, historic preservation experts and professional photographers, will select top photo entries received from each of eight Michigan regions, including: Southeast Michigan, Southwest Michigan, Mid-Michigan, Thumb, West Michigan, Bay Area, Northern Lower and the Upper Peninsula. NOTE: The regional selections will be based on the address of the entrant, not the location of the photo. A regional winner will then be drawn at random from the pool of selected photos.

The State Historic Preservation Office is part of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority is dedicated to building a thriving and vibrant future for Michigan. MSHDA provides tools and resources to improve people's lives through programs across the state. These programs assist with housing, build strong neighborhoods, and help create places where people want to live and work. MSHDA's programs work in four areas: affordable rental housing; supporting homeownership; ending homelessness; and creating vibrant cities and neighborhoods. For further information on this or other MSHDA programs, go to www.michigan.gov/mshda.*

*MSHDA's loan and operating expenses are financed through the sale of tax-exempt and taxable bonds as well as notes to private investors, not from state tax revenues. Proceeds are loaned at below-market interest rates to developers of rental housing, and help fund mortgages and home improvement loans. MSHDA also administers several federal housing programs.

SOURCE Michigan State Housing Development Authority