A new group made up of familiar faces is putting out a call for photographers to focus their lenses on Yakima's abundance of light.

Dubbed the Yakima Light Project, several organizations including Allied Arts of Yakima Valley, Yakima Valley Museum, Larson Gallery, Yakima Symphony Orchestra and Committee for Downtown Yakima, as well as local arts advocates, are joining together in what will be an ongoing effort to shine a spotlight on one of Yakima's greatest natural assets -- its 300 days of sunshine.

"Light is the original, true commodity we have," says artist Laurie Kanyer, one of the organizers of the project. "Because we have 300 days of this a year, it's something to be celebrated.

"When we talk about the 'Palm Springs of Washington,' that's not unique or true," she adds about one of Yakima's unofficial slogans.

Concentrating on the downtown core, the Yakima Light Project's long-term plan includes encouraging businesses to integrate design or decorative elements with the theme of light, making a push toward solar projects that utilize the sun and erecting a major art installation that would become a focal point for downtown. The goal is to make Yakima a destination city known as "the light city."

But first, the Yakima Light Project is asking for photographers to submit images that take on the subject of light in Yakima. The selected images will be featured in a gallery show in January and published in a book that greater explains the light project.

While photographers nationwide are invited to submit images, those photographs do have to be Yakima specific. Entries, however, are not due until the end of the year, giving photographers -- local and visiting -- a chance to shoot in the summer, fall and early winter.

For a detailed prospectus for the juried show and book, call Allied Arts of Yakima Valley at 509-966-0930 or visit www.alliedartsyakima.org.

-- Kim Nowacki