William Mark Sommer, No Phones, 2015, Medium Format Film Photograph, Archival Ink Print., 14 x 11 x 1 in

WINNER OF 2026 JUROR'S CHOICE AWARD

William Mark Sommer is a multidisciplinary traveling visual artist who engages with the American landscape through creating a range of projects, books, and installations that utilize photography to illuminate narratives of nature, preservation, and empathy. Over the past twenty years, Sommer's creative practice has facilitated the development of meaningful relationships with diverse places, ecologies, and communities, while also deepening his self-understanding through metaphorical and metaphysical investigations in photography. Through these ongoing creations, Sommer seeks to foster connections to the land, examine how human actions shape environments, and highlight the unique narratives expressed through place, identity, and connection.Within his practice, Sommer has participated in residencies, publications, and exhibitions that have featured his art worldwide. Inspired by Steinbeck's travels across America, I felt compelled to embark on my own journey. In September 2015, I began an open-ended solo trip all around the Pacific Northwest. The anticipation of the unknown was ever-present, with countless new places to discover and only the road and a map to guide me across 2,600 miles of travel.