An Open, All Media, Juried Exhibition

Exhibit: Sep 6 – Oct 6
All Galleries

Closing Reception Thursday, Sep 28, 5:00-7:00

The first show of the 2023-2024 season is Create, an open, all media, juried exhibit with high cash awards. The all media work will be displayed in all Galleries. Pick Up: October 7, 9 – 12 pm

Juror Statement: Katie Cundiff

It is always an honor and privilege to serve as juror of awards. I found this show of ArtCenter Manatee’s to be just as much a challenge as any nationally juried show. The diversity in work, mediums, techniques and styles did nothing to make my job easier! There is so much talent here!

The main goal of the artist is to express their ideas, feelings, impressions, or beliefs through the language of art, being the drawing, modeling, coloring, etc., which are parts of speech enabling an artist to express themselves.

When judging art, skillful elements and principles pertaining to the language of art and painting must be observed and considered. Color and Harmony, Tone and Gradation, Light and Shadow, Perspective and Atmosphere, Values, Textures and Qualities, Drawing and Form, and Composition.

All these elements and principles must be considered when judging a work of art. However; for a work of art to stand apart from and above these technical elements, it should also express an idea, a feeling, or an emotion.

The technical skills of an artist are important and necessary, but for a work of art to be a “winner”, it must carry with it a thought, feeling, or emotion that is remembered more than the technical skills of the painter. It must be a painting that will excite and enliven the senses of the viewer, and will be remembered for the uniqueness of its creation.

So, it is with that final thought in mind that I gave awards to those artists whose works were not only superbly executed, but those I will carry in my emotional memory.

Thank you, ArtCenter Manatee, for entrusting me in the arduous task of placing the awards in this exhibition, and to all the incredible artists whose expert work I had the honor to view, and enjoy.

Respectfully “Staying in the Paint,” Katie Dobson Cundiff, OPA • AIS • AWA

First Place – J. Taylor – “Peggy’s Cove #4”
This artist had three paintings that were all beautifully executed in colored pencil, adding to the already difficult task of selecting an overall “winner”. The drawing, composition, and color harmony reflected in this award-winning painting are all spot on. There is a stillness, or quietness about this artists’ work that is intriguing, pulling in the viewer in for a closer look at the subtle textures between the elements of wood, rock, and water and the underlying abstract quality of design.

Second Place – P. Robertson – “Florida Before the Invasion”
I am in awe of the simplicity yet complexity of this work. Every element is given a unique texture and design, with intentional mark-making. The control of the watercolor medium is evident. Strong vertical elements and symmetry of design are broken up with diagonal pathways that lead the viewer beyond the edge of the shoreline to the far horizon.

Third Place – M. Dunn – “There’s a Lesson in This”
The composition, colors, and drawing are expertly painted in oils. Most of the children are engaged with the adults on how to brush their teeth, and then a small child near the center of the group glances over toward an onlooker (of the scene). Three older children also look directly at the viewer, but a child at the far right seems to stare with an expression of mystery and wonder. This not only tells a story, but there is a lesson here!

Merit Award – P. Paris – “Wanna Be Gazers”
This beautifully painted landscape in oils captures the atmosphere of the day and statuesque figure of a bare tree in an otherwise lush and lively scene dotted with architecture and wildlife, expertly guiding the viewer through the painting.

Best of 3D – R. Meredith – “Ebb & Flow”
The intricate details, textures, and scalloping on the edges on this large ceramic bowl are enhanced and the theme echoed with the use of color and variance in the glazing. As the title suggests, one might catch the rhythmical pattern of water as the tide rises and falls.

Honorable Mention – D Devera – “The Gathering”
The abstract and graphic nature of this acrylic painting will grab your attention from across the room. The use of light and color, along with rhythmic movement in the reflections on the water create a lively portrait of these four pelicans, probably waiting a handout from a fisherman’s catch.

Honorable Mention – J. Keeling “Sunlight Through the Sideuyard”
A simple subject is brought to life in this painting. It is only a moment, a glimpse of an ordinary scene, and one that might be easily passed by. This oil painting tells us a story and gives us a glimpse into a more private passage of a garden.

Honorable Mention – S. Kutna – “The Dancers”
The images created in this piece of fused glass are of three dancers. There is a moment captured here of figures that are but caricatures resembling the work of Degas, Lautrec, or Seurat, evoking a mysterious and luminous quality brought out further with the fused glass medium.