Regional Exhibition
Juror: Mary Gallagher Stout || Catalog || Flier
Awards:
- Fallen Soldiers sculpture by Alicia Dietz of Richmond, VA
- The Last Falmouth Dipper oil painting by Marcia Chaves of Falmouth, VA
- Pomegranates oil painting by Heidi Ordoubadi of King George, VA
Honorable Mentions:
- Seeing the Light photograph by Bonnie Behnke of Fredericksburg, VA
- Progression acrylic painting by Charlotte Burrill of Fredericksburg, VA
- Abandoned Gas Station acrylic painting by James Clark of Fredericksburg, VA
- Self Portrait acrylic painting by Kat Warren of Stafford, VA
- Viva mixed media by Darlene Wilkinson of King George, VA
- Dragonfly Waltz #17 mixed media by Bob Worthy of Montross, VA
Juror's Statement
Pickled peanuts and fuzzy feet! I've been struggling with this "Juror Statement." Typically I'm on the other side of this process and honestly I'm more comfortable there. So here it goes. I want to applaud every artist who submitted work. It takes courage to put your stuff out there for another to judge. Truth be told, I'm a tough critic. After evaluating 60 pieces of artwork I selected roughly 35 entries to create what appears to be a heterogeneous exhibition. Appears is the operative word. They all are honest reflections of each artist's personal investigation, experience, and discovery process.
It's an intimate group show that explores the vast range of human emotion. Fallen Soldiers, a commanding sculpture by Alicia Dietz, personifies the resiliency of the human spirit. Dietz carved hundreds of soldier's names to honor those individuals who gave their lives for the freedom we all enjoy. While James Clark's, Abandoned Gas Station, exemplifies a darker side of humanity, one that is overwhelmed by life's circumstances and succumbs to despair. Bonnie Behnke's, attentive eye captures a moment with a red stoplight in front of a cathedral window conjuring up all sorts of existential questions in Seeing the Light.
On the other side of the spectrum folks will encounter the sunnier side of life. Heidi Ordoubadi's, Pomegranates, is rich in color and ripe with jubilant brushwork as she depicts one of nature's yummy gifts. Another joyful note comes from Darlene Wilkinson's, Viva, a whimsical, patterned packed, mixed media piece where you can almost hear the birds tweeting a sweet song.
This show has something for everyone and I hope you all come out and see it. The FCCA is a local treasure and needs your continued support to provide exciting cultural events, high quality classes, and professional exhibitions. I especially want to thank the wonderfully talented, Carrol Morgan, Bob Worthy, and the all the volunteers who install, promote, and selflessly give their time to an amazing organization that truly enriches the community and makes Fredericksburg such a great town.
Rainbows & lollipops,
MG Stout
