FIRST PLACE: Lola Santos, “Pio”
SECOND PLACE: Carolyn Marshall Wright, “Cherries Jubilee”
THIRD PLACE: Ray Goodrow, “Rodeo”
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Helen Power, “Layers and Levels”
Susan Scanlon, “Girl With Red Bag”
Karen Hutchison, “Indigo Blues”
Carla Steckley, “Aspens”
Grace Rooney, “Field of Flowers”
Alice Nodine, “Safe Zone”
THE HARRIS MILLER LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: The Vienna Arts Society is pleased to present the Harris Miller Lifetime Achievement Award, acknowledging his many contributions to the Society and to the Vienna Community over the past forty four years.
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD: Joyce Myers, “When Life’s a Puzzle, Take a Leap of Faith”
JUROR’S COMMENTS (Leigh Culver)
Jurying the 50th Anniversary Treasury of Art show for the Vienna Arts Society was an honor and pleasure. I reviewed each of the 362 entries multiple times on multiple days and ultimately chose 176 works proportionally representative of the diversity of media and styles submitted.
When judging, I set aside personal preferences for certain styles or subjects and, instead, focused on the artist’s realization of their intent. Thus, criteria for success varied. Accurate anatomical proportions, for example, were crucial in photorealist styles, but less so in expressive ones. My understanding of intent was limited to the narrow context necessarily given in blind juried shows–the (typically three) works presented by each artist and the titles of each work. In a few cases, I wondered if I would have made a different decision if I had had a fuller understanding of the artist’s work. In all cases, technical mastery of the medium, effective compositions, or compelling content were vital.
The award-winners stood out for their unique or thought-provoking approach to their subject, the rigor of their compositional design, or the use of their medium’s distinctive characteristics in the service of their subject. As a whole, this body of work celebrates beauty and calls attention to significant facets of life today. Congratulations to all selected for enabling an impressive anniversary show!
– Leigh Culver
ABOUT THE JUROR:
Leigh Culver is an art historian, teacher, and painter. She holds a doctorate in Art History from the University of Pennsylvania and has taught American Art at the University of Notre Dame for many years. Prior to teaching, she worked in the curatorial departments at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and in education at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. More recently, Leigh has returned to her studio art roots. She has won multiple watercolor awards in juried shows in the Mid-Atlantic region and recently served as president of the Potomac Valley Watercolorists. She is presently a faculty member of The Art League School in Alexandria, Virginia.