News…

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Artists from Huntington, Morgantown and Wheeling won the top prizes in the West Virginia Division of Culture and History’s 19th West Virginia Juried Exhibition, which opened Sunday, Nov. 8, at TAMARACK: The Best of West Virginia in Beckley.

The exhibit featuring, 119 paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs, mixed media and crafts created by 95 West Virginia artists, is cosponsored by the West Virginia Commission on the Arts. The public is invited to view the exhibit from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in November and December and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in January and February. The exhibit will remain on display through Feb. 21.

Ten pieces in the exhibit will be purchased and become part of the West Virginia State Museum’s permanent collection. Jurors John A. Hancock of Waynesboro, Va., and Lenore Thomas of Pittsburgh, Pa., selected Huntington artist Hanna Kozlowski-Slone’s In the Limelight, Morgantown resident Alison Helm’s Cyber Clash and Wheeling resident Robert Villamagna’s Captains of Industry as this year’s $5,000 Governor’s Award winners. In the Limelight also received the D. Gene Jordon Memorial Award, which is named for a former chairman of the West Virginia Commission on the Arts who died in 1989.

Artists receiving $2,000 Awards of Excellence include Mark Cline of Caldwell for Cross; Vernon Howell of Barboursville for Under Construction #2; Christine Rhodes of Parkersburg for Balancing Act; Randy Selbe of South Charleston for Tribute to the Lost Incas; Clayton Spangler of Charleston for Farms and Fences; Michael Teel of St. Albans for Friends of Fossilized Carbon; and Larry Weese Jr. of Ravenswood for The Vase Within.

An additional eight Merit Awards of $500 were made that are not purchase awards and do not become part of the museum’s collection. They include Chris Dutch of Charleston for Sacred and Profane; Robert Fisher of Charleston for One Eyed Tookie; Mary Grassell of Hurricane for Vandalia Vantage Point; Charly Jupiter Hamilton of Charleston for Rhoda’s Dirty French Dinner Party; Newman Jackson of Charleston for Sorrow Revealed; William Kubach of Clendenin for Elk River Frost Trees: 1 – 2  – 3; Morgan Richards of South Charleston for Ronald Briefcase for Silently Speaking Gratitude Collection; and Christopher M. Schultz of Bridgeport for Jeremy. (A complete list of exhibitors is attached.)

Many of the works on display are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition at Tamarack.

From its inception in 1979 until 2005, the West Virginia Juried Exhibition was presented at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, Charleston. In 2007, Randall Reid-Smith, commissioner of the WVDCH, decided to have the exhibition travel to the Parkersburg Art Center, sharing the best in art with yet another community in the Mountain State. “One of my goals has been to touch every part of our state with outstanding cultural events. We are delighted to have the opportunity to expand our outreach to the community by placing the West Virginia Juried Exhibition 2015 at Tamarack in Beckley,” he said.

The exhibition was at the Huntington Museum of Art in 2009, the Stifel Fine Arts Center in Wheeling in 2011 and at the Dunn Building in Martinsburg in 2013.

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History proudly presents this biennial event in partnership with the West Virginia Commission on the Arts and with support from the West Virginia Legislature, which appropriates funding for the exhibition’s awards. The $33,000 in award money constitutes one of the largest endowments for a single exhibition in the country.

Photos of the 18 award-winning pieces can be found at: http://wvculture.zenfolio.com.

For more information, contact Cailin Howe, exhibits coordinator for the division, at (304) 558-0220, ext. 128.

The division is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. Led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, the division brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The division is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

2015 West Virginia Juried Exhibition Participants

Pamela Adams
Tallmansville
Young Poplar Dancing with the Wind
Stained glass

Dick Allowatt
St. Albans
Veneration
Collage on board

Lee W. Badger
Hedgesville
Sow Above, So Below
Cor-ten weathering steel

Steve Balcourt
Exchange
2 Windows, Peeling Paint
Photograph

Michael Beals
South Charleston
Awaiting Confirmation
Photograph

Audrey Beckner
Elkview
Abrasion
Pen and ink

Glen Berry
Genoa
Sorrow – (Resistance)
Photograph

Adrienne Biesemeyer
Alderson
Rain on the Lake
Hand-knitted scarf, ribbon, handmade poly-clay beads and pendant

Katie Bizanovich
Wheeling
84 Years of You
Photograph

Lee Ann Billups Blevins
Kenova
Blossom
Acrylic

Jean Boggess
Hurricane
Thinking of Sydney
Quilt

Laurie Cameron
Hillsboro
Stock Sale, Marlinton
Photograph
and
Clover Lick, WV
Photograph

Amber Carman
Huttonsville
It’s All Blue
Glass

Douglas Chadwick
Hillsboro
Greenbrier River, January
Photograph

Karen Chamblin
Belmont
Nasturtiums
Oil

Mark Cline
Caldwell
Cross
Oil paint, spray paint on fabric
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

John Coffey
Princeton
21 Cows
Watercolor on paper
and
Posted
Watercolor on paper

Chuck Conner
Spencer
Phillips 66
Photograph

Betsy A. Cox
Glen Dale
The Jury: Nora, Wilbur, Leo
Triptych: Ceramic tiles, copper wire, tin

Kevin Dalton
St. Marys
Tenderstance
Pastel on paper

Joyce Waltz Daniels
Charleston
Fracking Paradox
Mixed media

Ginger Danz
Fayetteville
Parking Lot Squall
Acrylic on canvas

Gabe DeWitt
Morgantown
Moonlight and Star Trails Over Jenkinsburg
Bridge
Photograph
and
Light Pillars over Morgantown
Photograph

Chris Dutch
Charleston
Sacred and Profane
Stained glass panel, leaded glass, kiln-fired paint
MERIT AWARD

Chris Dutch and
Robin Hammer
Charleston
Among the Shallows
Metal, wood, glass, paint

Harold K. Edwards
Charleston
They Always Want to Dance
Enamel paint, poplar, panel

Robert Fisher
Charleston
One Eyed Tookie
Wood, metal
MERIT AWARD

Tiera J. Floyd
Sutton
Engrained, Relationships:  Cliff and Patty
Oil on wood panel

Jane Frenke
Berkeley Springs
Spheres LVII
Wall Hanging

Mary Grassell
Hurricane
Vandalia Vantage Point
Woodblock print, printed by hand on kozo
paper
MERIT AWARD

Charly Jupiter Hamilton
Charleston
Rhoda’s Dirty French Dinner Party
Acrylic
MERIT AWARD
and
Rhoda’s West Virginia Postcard
Acrylic

George Harper
Harrisville
Farmyard Geometry 3
Acrylic on canvas

Cheryl Ryan Harshman
Wheeling
Moons & Junes & Ferris Wheels
Clay monoprint
and
Bad Moon on the Rise
Clay monoprint

Alison Helm
Morgantown
Cyber Clash
Painted wood, glass, cast resin, mirrors, bent wood, LEDs

Seth Hill
Clarksburg
Webster’s Farm
Oil on canvas

Tom Hindman
St. Albans
Seneca Rocks
Camelopardalids Meteor Shower
Photograph
and
Laidley Towers, Charleston, West Virginia
Photograph

Vernon F. Howell
Barboursville
Reminiscence
Acrylic paint, ink, paper transfers
and
Under Construction #2
Acrylic paint, ink, paper transfers
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Newman Jackson
Charleston
Sorrow Revealed
Oil on canvas
MERIT AWARD
and
Sunday Distractions
Oil on canvas

Elizabeth Jaeger
Morgantown
Deep Time
Diptych: oils, acrylics, inkjet print, Plexiglas

Barrie Kaufman
Charleston
They Say It’s Stuck in the Pipes
Multi-colored woodblock print, handmade Asian paper

Michael Keller
St. Albans
Portal
Digital print

Alain Kieny
Parsons
El Camino de Angeles
Soft pastels

Amanda Knapp-Witt
Leon
Mabry Mill
Photograph

Hanna Kozlowski-Slone
Huntington
In the Limelight
Oil on hand-cut Arches paper
D. GENE JORDON MEMORIAL AWARD

William Kubach
Clendenin
Elk River Frost Trees: 1 – 2 – 3
Triptych: Photograph
MERIT AWARD

Keith Lahti
Chloe
6 Nesting Bowls
White stoneware clay, original glazes
and
Pitcher and 4 Matching Mugs
White stoneware clay, original glazes

Stephen Lawson
Morgantown
La Traversée à Pied
Handmade camera, film, print

Marietta Lyall
Lewisburg
So Many Pretty Colors, So Little Time
Acrylic on canvas
and
Is it Spring Yet?
Acrylic on canvas

Akemi Matsumoto
Vienna
Summer Meadows
India ink

Carol Mazurek
Huntington
Under the Sea
Photo collage, watercolors

Robin McClintock
Hendricks
Uphill to Work
Mixed media

Tammy McGraw
Beckley
Midnight on the Champs-Élysées
Photograph
and
Gullfoss Waterfall
Photograph

Eric McKown
Ravenswood
Deer at Dusk
Color pencil

Betty McMullen
Charleston
West Side . . . HOT!
Oil on canvas

Bill McWhorter
Elkins
Mundus Ardescit
Pastel painting

Sumeet Mehta
Dunbar
WOK – D Globetrotting Entrepreneur
Oil, acrylic, gesso on canvas
and
A Tactile Touch
Oil, acrylic, gesso on canvas

Michael C. Mendez
Martinsburg
Bunny Luv
Archival ink jet print

David James Miller
Davis
Thornapple
Photograph: mounted metal print

Connie Mae Moeller
Summersville
Railtown Reflection
Oil

Jeff Morehead and Becky Anderson
Mineral Wells
Three Creamery Cans
Giclée print

Marjory Moses
Elkins
Rise
Photograph

Nancy-Louise Mottesheard
Charleston
Orange Bubble Delight
Acrylic on canvas

Laura Moul
Milton
Out to Dry
Photograph

Zachery Orcutt
Parkersburg
Resurgence
Bronze, steel

Derek Overfield
Fairmont
Line of Succession
Acrylic and latex on canvas

Anthony J. Papa
St. Albans
Union Carbide Institute Plant View on a
Dreary Day
Oil on linen
and
Union Carbide/Dow’s Storage/
Distribution Site on the Kanawha River
Oil on linen

Janet Parker
Charleston
Yellow Ribbon
Oil on canvas

Steve Pavlovic
Morgantown
Malone 2014
Oil on canvas

Amos Perrine
Charleston
It’s Hard to be a Saint in the City
Photograph

Nic Persinger
Morgantown
Coffindaffer Crosses, Nicholas County, WV
Photograph

Brian Reed
Ivydale
Lotus Language
Ink, lotus root stamp, rice paper

Edward Rehbein
Beckley
Marr Branch Falls
Photograph

Christine A. Rhodes
Parkersburg
All Fall Down
Watercolor on TerraSkin synthetic paper
and
Balancing Act
Acrylic on watercolor paper
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Damon Rhodes
Parkersburg
First Snow
Photograph
and
Old Barn
Photograph

Morgan Richards
South Charleston
The ‘Marylou Clutch’ for Silently Speaking Gratitude Collection
Burnishable buffalo leather, creams, cow lining
and
Ronald Briefcase for Silently Speaking
Gratitude Collection
Burnishable buffalo leather, creams, cow lining
MERIT AWARD

Pat Roberts
Charleston
Aftermath
Mixed media

Steven Wayne Rotsch
Charleston
Gray Fox in Tree
Photograph

Christopher M. Schultz
Bridgeport
Jeremy
Oils, acrylics, spray paint, ink
MERIT AWARD

Randy Selbe
South Charleston
Tribute to the Lost Incas
Clay
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Debbie Kalt Sisson
Ripley
Face of Dolly Sods
Watercolor

Michael Sizemore
Athens
Typha Gigantus
Plate steel, copper sheet, bronze surface weld
and
Beacon V
Mixed media

Clayton Spangler
Charleston
Farms and Fences
Photograph
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
and
Meadowland
Photograph

N. David Stern
Charleston
Abstract #2
Photograph

Nicole Suptic
White Oak
Tongue-in-Cheek
Acrylic on canvas
and
Whimsical
Graphite

Regina G. Swim
Charleston
Rough Around the Edges
Clay
and
Summer Flame
Clay

Drew Tanner
Williamstown
Resolve
Silver, collodion, glass, velveteen

Michael Teel
St. Albans
Appalachia Gothic
Oil on canvas
and
Friends of Fossilized Carbon
Oil on canvas
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Andrew Thorne
Buckhannon
Pathfinder
Bronze on walnut base

Robert Villamagna
Wheeling
Captains of Industry
Repurposed lithographed metal, found images, acrylic paint, nails on wood
GOVERNOR’S AWARD
and
Taking Coal for a Walk
Repurposed lithographed metal, found objects, nails on panel

Cindy Walton
Charleston
The Chartreuse
Oil on canvas
and
The Hammer In
Oil on canvas

Larry Weese Jr.
Ravenswood
Aztec Trace
Maple platter
and
The Vase Within
Chestnut, mulberry wood dye, wood burner
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

John Wesley Williams
Renick
Live Edge Bubinga Console
Bubinga wood, wenge wood
35" x 47" x 22", $3,000

Kevin M. Woodcock
Elkins
Montrose Park Moonlight
Serigraph print
12" x 10", $350

Shir Wooton
Beckley
At River’s Bend
Soft pastels
35" x 16", $4,990
and
Huddled
Soft pastels
30" x 22", $1,980

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