35th Annual LowellArts West Michigan Art Competition

 

EXHIBITION DATES

February 13 – April 10, 2021

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GALLERY HOURS

Tuesday through Friday, 10:00am-6:00pm

Saturdays, 12:00-5:00pm

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The 35th Annual LowellArts West Michigan Art Competition highlights outstanding artwork by Lower West Michigan artists who reside in a 25-county region. Five cash awards totaling $2500 were awarded. Artists could submit one piece for consideration by the juror. This year's distinguished juror is Richard Brinn, an accomplished artist and educator originally from Detroit, MI.

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ABOUT THE JUROR

Richard Brinn is an accomplished artist and educator originally from Detroit, MI. He currently resides in rural Michigan near Muskegon. He earned his BFA, MA, and MFA degrees in painting from Wayne State University, and has exhibited his work throughout the Midwest. As Associate Professor of Fine Arts at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, MI, he taught drawing and painting for 25 years, and taught fine art at Wayne County Community College for over a decade. In the early 1970’s, as one of the founding members of the Michigan Gallery, he helped develop the Michigan Avenue Art Group into a vital art institution for artists in the greater Detroit area. Richard Brinn’s approach to his art is varied and experimental, and includes abstract, figurative, still life, and landscape paintings. Over the last decade, depicting the landscapes of Michigan and Arizona have been his focus, along with the portraiture he has done throughout his career.

AWARD WINNERS

The juror selected the following 5 pieces to receive monetary awards. Listed in alphabetical order:

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• Neven Allan, Recharge the Spirit

• Deborah Bergren, Indian Summer Paddle

• Monica Johnstone, Archway

• Cheryll Leo-Gwin, The Riceman Doth Not Cometh

• Earl Stringer, The Carnival at Midnight

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HONORABLE MENTION AWARDS

The juror selected the following 6 pieces to receive honorable mention awards. Listed in alphabetical order:

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• Larry Blovits, Watkins Glen

• Lee Brown, Void Column

• Anna Greidanus, Winged Visitation

• Taylor Mazer, And More Air?

• Mary Reusch, Fungi, Mushrooms, Trees & Forest Floor

• Tom Sampson, Red Pagoda

Juror'S Statement

 

RICHARD BRINN

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I was very impressed with the overall quality of the entries for this exhibition. The jurors’ job today is much harder than in the past, when work was juried on-site. All entries look the same size on a computer screen. I carefully read all the information about each entry, in addition to looking at larger images of the entries, plus any close-ups, several times. Space was limited for this show, so many nice pieces didn’t make the cut. My work has been rejected for shows numerous times over the years. Be assured, rejection is not a statement about the quality but a reflection of the wonderful competition, as well as the juror’s judgements. It was a pleasure to review so much excellent artwork, and I would like to thank LowellArts for their part in the process, in addition to all the volunteers that helped hang the exhibition.

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On a personal note, I repeat what I have told all my students: “One exhibition is not a destination, and developing a career in art is a journey with some ups and downs.”

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–Richard Brinn

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About the Competition

 

ARTIST ELIGIBILITY

The West Michigan Art Competition was open to all visual art media by artists 18 yrs. and older who reside in one of the eligible West Michigan counties. Eligible lower West Michigan counties include: Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Cass, Calhoun, Clare, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Ionia, Isabella, Kalamazoo, Kent, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Muskegon, Montcalm, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, Ottawa, Saint Joseph, and Van Buren.

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ENTRY ELIGIBILITY

Only original works completed in the last three years and not previously exhibited at LowellArts were eligible. Entries were accepted Nov 28, 2020 to Jan 15, 2021. Artists could submit one piece in any medium for consideration by the juror. All entries must be submitted digitally through the (CaFÉ) website. There was a $35 fee for entry, $25 for LowellArts Members and students. Entry fees help fund prizes for the competition, as well as programs and services provided by LowellArts.

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Artist List A-L

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Molly Alicki Corriveau
Neven Allan
Melody Allen
Deborah Bergren
Jane E. Blacquiere
Larry Blovits
Jeffrey Bohl
Deborah Bowen
Jurgen Brat
Lee Brown
Grant M Brownlow
Michael Bryant
Mary Ann Challa
Nancy Clouse
John Corriveau
Patty Coy
Darrell DeRuiter
Damienne Ehlenfeldt
Rose Ellis
Lori Eslick
Kathy M. Forzley
Lee Ann Frame
Suzanne Frederick
Kimberly Gill
Glyph
Jennifer Gould
Anna Greidanus
Justin Guild
Judith Jankowski
Amy Johnson
Monica Johnstone
Haley Joseph
Scott Kacos
Madeline Kaczmarczyk
Alexa Karabin
Jason King
DeLaine Klar
Edward Kloote
Michael Koole
Tony Kroes
Stanley Krohmer
David Kuecherer
Justin La Doux
Carol Laurn

Darla-Jo LeBaron

Diann Lemmen

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Artist List L-Z

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Cheryll Leo-Gwin

Jamey Limbers
Steve Loar
Marvin Lowell
Taylor Mazer
Catherine McClung
Forrest Miller
Marcy Mitchell
Michael Mitchell
Patti Mollema
Rex Moriarty
Richard Muller
Randall Nyhof
Terese Olson
Dennis O'Mara
Betsy O'Neill
Patricia Opel
Bonnie Palutke
Holly Peterman
Michael Pfleghaar
Kendra Postma
Matthew Pyatt
Jane Reiter
Mary Reusch
Tom Sampson
Steven Scarborough
Barbara Schilling
Emerson Schreiner
Hikmet Sipahi
Monica Stegeman
Earl Stringer
Vinnie Sutherland
Rita Swartz
Camilla Tate
Renee Therriault
Jana Thomas
Deborah Trent
Holly Uecker-Herman
Eileen Urbanski
Lou Vallance
Kelly Vander Kley
Scout Verdoorn
Kelly Walkotten
Julie Westmaas
Ronald Wood
Ethan Wright