Who were the big winners at the 14th Annual American Impressionist Society National Juried Exhibition? Some new faces and some familiar ones.
Best of Show (and $12,000) went to John Cook, for his oil painting “Sombrero.” Second Place (and $8,000) was earned by Kathleen Newman for the pastel painting “Early Morning Run.” Third Place ($4,000) was nabbed by Derek Penix for “Antique Market in Nice, France.”
“Early Morning Run,” by Kathleen Newman, pastel, 12 x 12 in. Second Place
“Antique Market in Nice, France,” by Derek Penix
The William J. Schultz Award in Oils (worth $1,000) was given to John Michael Carter for his piece “By the Window.” Mark Daly was the Dickinson Signature Member Award winner ($1,000) for the oil painting “Flags, President’s Day.” Yer Z. Vue won the President’s Choice Award ($1,000) for “Daydreaming.”
The PleinAir Magazine Award of Excellence went to Anne Blair Brown for her oil painting “Peace Within,” while Robert Spooner took home the Fine Art Connoisseur Award for Excellence for “Shem Creek Sunset.”
“Peace Within,” by Anne Blair Brown, oil, 11 x 14 in. PleinAir Magazine Award of Excellence
“Shem Creek Sunset,” by Robert Spooner, oil, 24 x 30 in. Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine Award of Excellence
Artists care what other artists think, and that’s why the Artist’s Choice Award always means something even in big competitions like this one. Roger Dale Brown won AIS’s Artist’s Choice Award this year for his piece “Against the Wall.”
“Against the Wall,” by Roger Dale Brown,” oil. Artist’s Choice and Honorable Mention
“Every AIS show is a special event,” commented Suzanne G. Morris, the chair of the AIS show. “This year’s show is the largest to date we have produced. There were approximately 1,400 entries for this show, which resulted in 163 juried paintings. With the addition of work from our master artists, founding members, and officers, there are approximately 185 paintings hanging on the walls of M Gallery of Fine Art. We have had a small-works show that featured this many paintings in the past, but never one with large paintings. It is a magnificent show featuring some of the best American impressionist paintings of our time.”
All juried paintings will be on view at M Gallery of Fine Art in Charleston, South Carolina, through October 30. For more information on the exhibition and a complete list of winners, go to the AIS Facebook page.
