By Kelly Braun
kbraun@dailystandard.com Variety seems to be the theme of this year's Grand Lake Art Fest.
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From large oil portraits to sculptures made from flatware, the show houses nearly 120 pieces by 60 local artists.
"I'm impressed by the broad scope of what we have in our little area," chairman Kathy Sovinski of Celina said while hanging the show last week. "It's amazing to me every year what is brought in."
Sovinski and other West Central Ohio Art League members, who are sponsoring the show, hung the pieces on stands in the Mercer County Courthouse auditorium.
The show opened Monday, with art league member Jan Boyer of Greenville inviting spectators in the door, telling them, "the variety makes for a great show." The show runs all week and weekend, in conjunction with the Celina Lake Festival. Along with bringing out art lovers, the show also is attracting buyers.
Sovinksi said five or six pieces in the show already have sold, and more could go this weekend when the festival brings in large crowds.
"That is great because a lot of times these are people who don't get their pieces out all over the place," she added.
Art pieces in the show are priced from $50 to $1,500. Sovinski said she's glad to see individual interest in buying local art, especially since Wright State University-Lake Campus and the city of Celina are not purchasing pieces this year as they had in the past. Both declined due to budget constraints.
Several awards and more than $1,000 in prize money was awarded to art pieces. The show was divided into professional, amateur and student division, and then into the categories of drawing, oil/acrylic, watercolor, pastel, photograph, sculpture, pottery/glass, mixed media and computer aided art. Those attending the show also can vote on a People's Choice Award winner for each division.
Winning the Best of Show was Terry Bey of Minster, for her acrylic painting of a cat, "Mocha."
Judging this year's show was Betty Grae Fishman of Fort Wayne, Ind. She is the executive director of Artlink and has won several art awards, along with judging a number of shows.
Show hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. today, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and noon-4 p.m. Sunday.
Top 2004 Art
Fest Winners
´ Best of Show: Terry Bey of Minster for her acrylic painting "Mocha."
´ Best Use of Color: Patti Pancake Keister of Van Wert for her pastel "Faux Monet."
´ Outstanding Composition: Carolyn Stevens of Piqua for a watercolor painting, "The Golden Girls."
´ Outstanding 3-D: Gary Hovey, New Knoxville, for his flatware sculpture "Heron."
´ Outstanding Use of Media: Scott Davis, Neptune, for his glass sculpture, "Octopus's Garden."
´ Outstanding Amateur: Gary Hovey, New Knoxville, for his flatware sculpture, "Rooster."
´ Best Use of Color/Student: Kim Monnier, Sidney, for her magazine mosaic, "Self Portrait."
´ Outstanding Student: Meg Nolan of Troy for a painting, "Monet's Back Yard." |
