37 AAG Members in Anderson Arts Center Juried Show

The Anderson Arts Center 2021 Juried Show opened on April 16 and runs through May 20. The top prize winners were Nia Curry, $2000 Best of Show; Danielle Fontaine, $1000 Second Place; and Jackie Ta, $500 Third Place. The $1000 Callie Stringer Rainey Award went to Lu Wixon. The juror was Cecilia Lucas Stucker.

Among the 177 works in the show (chosen from 392 pieces submitted) were 47 pieces by 37 Anderson Artists Guild members: JoAnne Anderson, Sandra Bates, Evelyn Beck, Matthew Brophy, Debbie Bzdyl, Joan Calhoun, Melody Davis, Jane Friedman, Carrie Gibson, Diana Gilham, Jamie Hansen, Ann Heard, Chet Johnson, Deane King, Julie Lamp, Diane Lee, David Locke, Hamed Mahmoodi, Margaret Mattox, Mary Cooper McDonough, Brenda McLean, Kathy Moore, Rosemary Moore, Al Morris, Wesa Neely, Kathy Ogden, Donna O’Hara, Yvonne Park, Karen Powell, Diann Simms, Lori Solymosi, Armi Tuorila, Beverly Walker, Diana Walter, David Wentzell, Leslie Wentzell, Barbara Brown Whitney.

In addition, the following members had works selected for Art on the Town: Evelyn Beck, Debbie Bzdyl, Rebecca Lawson Carruth, Sue Cheney, Carrie Gibson, Jamie Hansen, Ann Heard, Brenda McLean, Al Morris, Karen Powell, Armi Tuorila.

Twelve AAG members won awards. The $250 Watercolor Award in Memory of Ruth Hopkins went to Kathy Ogden for Awakening. A $200 Fine Craft Merit Award went to Beverly Walker for A Summer Day on Planet Earth. A $200 Merit Award went to Evelyn Beck for Miami Beach. $100 Merit Awards went to Donna O’Hara for A Calliope of Color and to Leslie Wentzell for Fishers. And $500 Purchase Awards went to Brenda McLean for On the Edge, to Al Morris for Pendleton Crossing, to Armi Tuorila for Floralishes, to Barbara Brown Whitney for Winter’s Veil, to Rosemary Moore for Expression, to Deane King for A Cottage Room, and to Diann Simms for Andy’s Lemon Tree.

Here are the five members’ pieces that won judge’s awards, along with the artists’ reflections:

Awakening (watercolor) by Kathy Ogden, $250 Watercolor Award – In Memory of Ruth Hopkins “I started a series of flowers in watercolor during the pandemic because what could be more cheering than flowers and they were more than willing to pose. They lifted my spirits as I am also a gardener and I hoped they would do the same for others. I have painted in watercolor for a number of years and have never been formally trained. I therefore have an unusual style. I use watercolor paint more like oil paint. I begin with a fairly detailed drawing. I usually keep the surfaces very wet in the beginning with washes that give me direction. I put layers upon layers for depth and follow up with a dryer brush for detailed areas. My major challenge is to keep the colors fresh with the many layers of paint.”

A Summer Day on Planet Earth (fiber) by Beverly Walker, $200 Fine Craft Merit Award

“The medium is handwoven tapestry with diverse fibers and techniques. My inspiration: ‘Saturated with the sights, sounds, and senses of a summer day, anywhere and everywhere, fowl, fauna, floribunda, synchronized, symphonic, satisfying, sometimes interrupted by mankind’s geometry.’”

Miami Beach (fiber) by Evelyn Beck, $200 Merit Award “This piece is based on a photo I took after a nephew’s wedding on Miami Beach, which is also where I was born, so the place holds great personal meaning. Using photo editing software, I created a somewhat abstracted pattern from the photo and hung it in my studio, where I puzzled over it for several years. I knew it had potential but couldn’t figure out how to capture it with fabric due to too many details in the focal point of the tall buildings. I had to find the right balance between abstraction and recognition, along with the right colors to capture the vibrant spirit of Miami Beach. At some point, I redid the pattern, abstracting it further, and eventually it came together. Often I have to mull over something for a long time to find the right path.”

A Calliope of Color (pastel) by Donna O’Hara, $100 Merit Award “This nocturnal pastel was done on velour board, which allowed the emotional connection to this piece as it was being created. With this surface, the edges stay soft with the chalk flowing smoothly over it. Any blending occurs only with chalk over chalk. I visited Tybee Island and took several photos of the lighthouse at night. I played with the settings and pushed contrasts and colors to abstract the image. What I had left inspired me to paint this pastel.”

Fishers (ceramic and found driftwood) by Leslie Wentzell, $100 Merit Award “I love birds. I frequently incorporate them into my figurative sculptures, but I also like to sculpt the birds themselves. I try to capture their personalities and often show them in family groups in an attempt to talk about our own relationships. I am always looking for beautiful bits of nature—pieces of driftwood—that call out to become part of a tableau that I will create. Kingfishers are such jaunty looking birds. There are two in this piece, one looking on as her mate fishes for dinner. They are mounted on an exquisite piece of wood that I pictured to be a branch over water from which a bird would fish.”

Next week: Read about the seven members’ pieces that won purchase awards.