Bloglander

The scenery and landscapes of the Inland Northwest are beautiful sights to behold no matter the season. These western vistas are one of the many reasons we choose to live here.

The phrase "why we live here" is the theme of this year's Annual Manual, the Inlander's yearly guide to arts, culture, entertainment, the outdoors, food, shopping and more; all the things that make our home special. To illustrate that sentiment, we asked local photographers to submit images that encompass why we live here, as part of a contest to choose the cover image for the 2016-17 edition of the Annual Manual. 

In the end, it came down to the winning photograph submitted by Megan Kennedy, of a local couple she photographed in Spokane's High Bridge Park. 

But so many of the submissions we received — nearly 200 — were just as worthy, capturing all the other facets of the region's diverse urban and rural landscapes. So for this weekend's Fall Arts Tour, (get the details on all the other things to see, hear and do at that link, or in this week's issue) and the ongoing Create Spokane Arts Month, we're showcasing some of our favorite photographs submitted for the contest at the Marmot Art Space just across the street from the Inlander offices. 

This Friday, Oct. 7, from 4:30-8 pm is the artist reception, and on Saturday, Oct. 8, the gallery is open from 5-9 pm. If you can't make it this weekend, the show is on display through the month of October, with gallery hours on Friday and Saturday, from 5-9 pm, or by appointment.

In the show, you'll see about three dozen images that were submitted for the Annual Manual cover contest by the following photographers: Nick Brommer, Megan Kennedy, Stuart Danford, Valerie Fink, Jennifer DeBarros, Alan Birdsell and Joanie Christian.