SANDPOINT — It’s no easy task to capture a theme as broad as the influence of weather on mankind in a single piece of artwork.

Nevertheless, that’s exactly the topic local photographer Randy Fritz had to encompass when he learned about the National Weather Center Biennale, an international art exhibition based in Norman, Okla.

One of the photos he submitted turned out to be a wise choice — exhibit organizers selected one of his submissions from more than 700 candidates as a featured photograph. Fritz and his wife, Sue, traveled to Oklahoma before the exhibit’s April 22 opening for an artists’ reception and judging for the top awards.

“At first, I figured that we’d skip (the exhibition), but I’m glad we went,” Fritz said. “It feels really good to be recognized for your talent.”    

It was a stroke of luck that brought the winning photo to Fritz’s memory. Several years ago, he and Sue were driving along a Washington road when they noticed a storm system forming in a vast field in the distance.

The clouds were intimidating in scale, and they were moving toward a small residence in the middle of the field. That’s when Fritz knew that he had to capture the moment with his digital camera.

“We were just going home and saw this shaping up, and I thought to myself, ‘I’m getting a photo of that,’” he said. “It would only have bothered me later that night if I passed it by.”

When Fritz saw the details about the National Weather Center Biennale, he was reminded of the photo by the painting used in the exhibition’s promotional materials. In many ways, the photograph was an ideal distillation of the exhibition’s themes: it was a beautiful shot of a weather-related phenomena, and it was definitely going to impact the lives of the people inside that house.

After Fritz learned his photograph had been selected for display in the gallery, he was initially hesitant to make the trip. At his wife’s insistence, however, they commissioned local artist Ward Tollbom to frame the piece and flew to Oklahoma. Both were glad they did. The trip provided the opportunity to meet with dozens of artists and share their thoughts and experiences.

“It was such a special trip,” Sue Fritz said.

After the artists reception and the opening of the exhibition, a team of judges came in to select the best paintings, sketches and photos for top honors. While Fritz’s photo wasn’t selected, he was still honored to have his photo displayed in the gallery and reproduced in a commemorative book.

“(The organizers) were almost apologetic when it came time to judge,” he said. “They told us they considered us all winners.”