In a further sign of these woeful times, JPG Magazine, the user-generated photography glossy and web site, will close down as of January 5. In an email to members (and on the blog), editor in chief Laura Brunow Miner said:

We’ve spent the last few months trying to make the business behind JPG sustain itself, and we’ve reached the end of the line. We all deeply believe in everything JPG represents, but we just weren’t able to raise the money needed to keep JPG alive in these extraordinary economic times. We sought out buyers, spoke with numerous potential investors, and pitched several last-ditch creative efforts, all without success.

While JPG’s concept was clever – users submit and vote on the photos that ultimately make it into the print installment – it’s execution frequently left much to be desired. At first the photography was original and exciting, but when the selection devolves into a Jonas Brother fan (on page 54 of issue 14), you have to wonder.  

An update on the site today said that with the outpouring of support they’ve received from the communitythere have also been some viable leads, so it’s possible JPG may continue in some form or another. At least for fans, JPG’s archives will remain, and there’s always the flickr group.