Washington Trust and RI Monthly are pleased to announce that Katie Gendreau, of Bristol, R.I., has been selected as the January 2012 winner of the "I Luv RI" photography contest. Katie's breathtaking photograph "Rough Surf at Sunrise" depicts the waves crashing over the Beavertail State Park coastline in Jamestown, Rhode Island. The photograph, which appears in the January 2012 issue of Rhode Island Monthly magazine, was one of more than 350 entries in the monthly photography contest.

"I Luv RI" January 2012 "Rough Surf at Sunrise" (Photo: Business Wire)

"The 'I Luv RI' campaign was designed to celebrate all that's great about the Ocean State," stated Elizabeth B. Eckel, Washington Trust's Senior Vice President of Marketing. "This photograph truly represents one of the Ocean State's most beautiful spots and one of the many reasons Rhode Island is such a wonderful place to live, work, and visit."

"As a landscape photographer, I am endlessly inspired by Rhode Island's beautiful coastline. I shot 'Rough Surf at Sunrise' on a very dreary November morning at Beavertail State Park. There was a storm offshore and the surf was as high as I've ever seen it; waves were pounding the rocks and all I could hear was the constant thundering roar of the ocean. It was one of the most exhilarating and dramatic scenes I have ever witnessed," said Gendreau.

The "I Luv RI" photography contest is sponsored by Washington Trust in conjunction with Rhode Island Monthly. Photographers may enter by sending their favorite Rhode Island photograph to:www.rimonthly.com/ILUVRI, or by visiting www.iluvri.com. Each month in 2012, a photograph will be selected and published in Rhode Island Monthly magazine. Monthly photography contest winners also receive an "I Luv RI" gift basket full of Rhode Island items, and one of twelve special Rhode Island experiences, including stays at Rhode Island's best resorts, such as Watch Hill's Ocean House; The Chanler at Cliffwalk in Newport; the Harborside Inn or RI Hotel Manisses, on Block Island; or receive special VIP experiences at the Pawtucket Red Sox, the Providence Bruins, Trinity Repertory Company, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Roger Williams Park Zoo, Warwick Mall and Yawgoo Valley Ski Resort; or a 'Cake A Month' from Rhode Island's own Gregg's Restaurants.

The Washington Trust Company is a subsidiary of Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc., a $2.9 billion corporation headquartered in Westerly, Rhode Island. Founded in 1800, Washington Trust is the oldest community bank in the nation and is the largest independent bank headquartered in Rhode Island. A state-chartered bank, Washington Trust offers a full range of financial services, including personal banking, commercial and small business banking, as well as wealth management and trust services through its offices located in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Washington Trust has 18 branches throughout Rhode Island and Connecticut. The Corporation's common stock trades on The NASDAQ Global Select® Stock Market under the symbol WASH. Web site address: www.washtrust.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50120165&lang=en

Washington Trust
Elizabeth B. Eckel, 401-348-1309
SVP Marketing
ebeckel@washtrust.com