Annual Festival Exhibit and Competition

French Art Colony Festival Exhibit and Competition

July 1^st-July 28th

Sponsors:  Peoples Bank, Farmers Bank, Ohio Valley Bank, Gallipolis Career College, Wesbanco and Mane Designers.

Art in the Park, from the French Art Colony, has been a featured event with the River Recreation Festival since 1968.  This year, the exhibit will be displayed on Sunday, July 4 and offers visitors almost 200 creations to enjoy. Items include oils, watercolors, acrylics, graphics, photography, ceramics and sculpture.  Most entries are available for purchase, providing visitors the opportunity to acquire fine art at a reasonable cost.

The companion exhibit, at the French Art Colony provides visitors the opportunity to explore Jurors’ selections and award winners.  Both sites offer patrons the option to second guess the Jurors and vote for their favorite piece, with the winners to be announced at the close of the exhibits.  The gallery exhibit makes available some of the award winning pieces for purchase.

Jurors selected for the 2010 competition have diverse backgrounds covering many mediums represented in this year’s competition.  All three are on staff in the art department at Ohio University, Athens.  Rachel Clark holds an MFA from the University of Tennessee with a concentration in painting and drawing.  Tiffany Carbonneau has her Masters from Ohio University, specializing in three dimensional work.  The third juror, known simply as Ghosh, has an MFA from UCLA in film and photography.

“Best of Show” and First Place in the Professional Division was awarded to Lane Raiser from Lucasville, Ohio, for a watercolor entitled “Axis Mundi.”  Second Place in the same division went to Mary B. Cooper, Waverly, Ohio, for “Straight Ascent.” She also received an Honorable Mention for another watercolor, “Blue and White Summer Day.”  Also in professional watercolors, two received Purchase Awards. Tammi Brabbham selected “Summer Boats” by Barbara Delligatti from Ona, West Virginia and Wesbanco Bank, represented by Deb Rhodes, and selected “Purple Iris” by Cristianne Murphy, from Ironton, Ohio.

Four miniature acrylic paintings by Salle Carlson from Granville, Ohio, received a First Place for the group. Second Place in professional oils/acrylics was awarded to Jan Haddox, from Point Pleasant, West Virginia, for “The Hunting Party.”  Patti DelCheccolo, from South Point, Ohio was given an Honorable Mention for an oil entitled “Oil Cans.”  Professional Division awards in dry mediums (pencil, charcoal, pastels) were given to Gerry Enrico, Point Pleasant.  He received First Place for a charcoal, “Unfaithful” and Second Place for a pastel/charcoal “Praying for Deliverance.”  Roger Chapin, Kingston, Ohio, received two Honorable Mentions in pastels for “Fall Maple” and “Across the Scioto Valley,” with the latter also receiving a Purchase Award from Carrie Napora, administrative assistant at the FAC.

Other awards in the professional division include Second Place in the

3-D division, for a table created by Matthew Baker from Kettering, Ohio. Sara Carr, New Plymouth, Ohio received a Purchase Award from Holzer Clinic for a traditional photograph entitled “Day’s End.”  Frankie Wheeler’s mixed media, “Autumn on Emerts Cove Road” received a Purchase Award from Tammi Brabham of Brabham Family Enterprises.

Photography was well represented, with many entries in both divisions.  In the Professional Division, Joy Kocmoud’s traditional piece, “Structural Integrity” received a First Place and “Seeing Spot”, an enhanced photograph received an Honorable Mention.  Pauline Wade, Oak Hill, Ohio received a Purchase Award from Jane Daniel for “Yesterday.”

In the Amateur Division, one of the more unusual pieces was entitled “Paul Bunyan’s Watch.”  This very large piece is made of wood, with a chain link band and a working time piece and was submitted by Dustin Beach, Vinton, Ohio.  This received Second Place for wood sculpture.  Mr. Beach also received a Purchase Award from HT Marketing for a screen print entitled “Sometimes You Just Know.”  Another unusual submission was a quilted design by Catherine Clark, of Gallipolis, entitled “Sunflowers.”  This received First Place in the Amateur Division for Fibers.

In amateur photography, Lauren Black’s enhanced photograph, “All Dolled Up”, received a Purchase Award by Joseph Wright, Executive Director of the FAC. Other awards in photography include “Antelope Canyon B & W” by Charles Clark, Gallipolis, receiving a Purchase Award by WesBanco Bank.  “Natural Love” by Angie Daniel, Miamisburg, Ohio, was awarded a Purchase Award by Jane Daniel.  “Garden Beauties”, a traditional photo by Crystal Cox of Bidwell, received a Purchase Award by Ohio Valley Bank, a gift for Holzer Medical Center.  Other awards in amateur traditional photography include two works by Gary Eldridge, Morehead, Kentucky.  First Place was awarded to “The Champion” and Honorable Mention to “Keenland.”  Dr. Agnes Enrico-Simon received a Purchase Award for “Old Yeller” from Farmers Bank.  Sara Waddell, Wellston, Ohio received a Purchase Award for an enhance photograph, “Sparkle”, from Holzer Clinic.  A traditional photo, by Scott Polcyn, Gallipolis, won an honorable mention for “Face in the Clouds.”

Apparently winning the most awards was Natalie Miller, a new participant from Oak Hill, Ohio. Ms. Miller received Best of Show and First Place in the Amateur Division for a mixed media piece entitled “Boxed In.”  She received Second Place for a mixed media painting, “Pick” and an Honorable Mention for her sculpture entry, “More Ferarum.”

Additional Amateur Division winners include Danny Carter, Vinton, Ohio for a pencil drawing, “The Old Homestead.”  This also received a Purchase Award from the Ohio Valley Bank as a gift for the Gallia County Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Mr. Carter also received Honorable Mention for a colored pencil rendition of “Moths.”  Clara Day, Bidwell, received Honorable Mention for an oil painting, “Mountain Life.”  Ida Evans, Gallipolis was recognized for a pencil drawing, “Snow Scene”, receiving Honorable Mention for Amateur Dry Medium.  Another drawing, “Ethan’s Hands,” by Rita Haley, Bidwell, received a Purchase Award from Ohio Valley Bank as a gift for Holzer Medical Center.

Other Amateur Division winners include: First Place in oils/acrylics went to Mitzi Nelson, Lavalette, West Virginia, for the painting “William Carl Smith.”  Second Place in the same division was awarded to Cheryl Lund, Gallipolis, for “Stage Struck.”  Dr. Mike Owens was recognized for two pieces for tuned cherry and dogwood bowls, receiving an Honorable Mention for both.  In ceramics, Emalea Neal, Thurman, received First Place for her entry entitled “Perception.”  In mixed media, Cindy Sexton won Second Place for her entry, “It’s a Jungle Out There.”

Other artists included in the juried gallery show include Rhea Knight, from Letart, West Virginia; Bill Meadows, a ceramics artist, from Huntington, West Virginia; Larry Rood, traditional photography, from Fairfax, Virginia; Brad Alexander, a traditional photographer from Vinton, Ohio; Kem Bosma, stained glass art from Parkersburg, Judith Douglas, watercolors, from Malden, West Virginia; Rosemary Imes, acrylics, from Ironton, Ohio; Kegan Parks, glass, from Columbus, Ohio; Patricia Parsons, Vinton, Ohio; Shane Polcyn, Gallipolis, mixed media; and Samantha Wolfe, Vinton, Ohio, traditional photography.

The exhibit in the City Park will be ready for viewing by 10:00 a.m. Sunday morning, July 4 and will close at 5:00 p.m.  The winning entries in the galleries at the French Art Colony will remain throughout the month of July.  Chair for the competition, Jan Thaler, expressed her pleasure for participation by the many entering artists.  She reminded artists new jurors are selected each year and there are always new opportunities for winning. “Jurors’ comments will be available for entering artists, with helpful information about their selections,” she stated.