Acrylic Painters USA
Searle and Reid Hodges Galleries

In 2006, a group of acrylic painters located in the Tampa Bay area founded an acrylic painters association (formerly ISAP-FL). This group is now Acrylic Painters USA Inc. The goal of the organization is to build a strong community of acrylic painters and to provide exhibition opportunities throughout the state of Florida. Artist Tony Ortega is the juror for this exhibition.

Awards

Best of Show: Maro Lorimer, Wild Coast 4: Vanishing Wilderness

 

 

 

2nd Place: Shirley Pearsall, Sunday Morning At Trip’s Diner

 

 

 

3rd Place: Carson Kapp, Vitruvian Woman

 

 

 

4th Place: Donne Bitner, Self Portrait

 

 

 

 

 

5th Place: Thomas Wilke, Silver King (Tarpon)

 

 

6th Place: Vickey Imes, Last One

 

 

 

 

7th Place: Linda Swindall, Power Play

 

 

8th Place: Carla Rudolph, Serenity

 

 

 

9th Place: Yugen Finity, Reclamation

 

 

 

10th Place: Tom Parker, Casual Chaos Observations

 

 

 

Juror: Tony Ortega

Juror Bio: Tony Ortega holds an MFA in drawing and painting from the University of Colorado and is currently a professor at Regis University. He is the recipient of the coveted Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts (1999) and the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts (1998). He has been a working artist and teacher for the past 36 years and is known for his vibrant, colorful artwork. Tony Ortega’s lifelong goal is to contribute to a better understanding of cultural diversity by addressing the culture, history, and experiences of Chicanos/Latinos through his art. His work can be found in Denver Art Museum, Los Angeles County Museum, and the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center. He has exhibited extensively in the United States, Latin America, and other parts of the world.

Juror Artist’s Statement: Throughout history, artists have responded to social concerns around them with artwork that depicts culture, religion, social injustice, human rights, environmental degradation, and political power. Artists have used a variety of media such as paint, photographs, pastels, sculpture, and prints as extensions of their caring hearts and concerned minds to explore the aesthetics of interconnectedness and social responsibility. I believe that there is a relationship between art and social justice. My goal as an artist is to create artworks that are personal and which also express a sense of social responsibility. anguage speaks to the issue of international migration, focuses on shifting demographics, draws from pop culture, and seeks to present truth at a more local, personal level.