Best of Show: Elise Spaid-Roberts
An impressive 80 entries by 28 Wabash Valley artists are featured in the River City Art Association 9th Annual Juried Exhibition in First Financial Bank at Sixth Street and Wabash Avenue.
First Financial and vice president of marketing Terry Tevlin hosted the Aug. 4 opening reception and awards ceremony with many of the exhibiting artists attending the First Friday event.
Artwork will remain on display for viewing during regular banking hours through Aug. 31.
Juror T. Edward Holloman attended the reception to announce winners in four categories as well as Best of Show.
Juror T. Edward Holloman with mural
Holloman holds an associate’s degree in visual communications from Ivy Tech Community College and a bachelor’s degree in art education from Indiana State University.
His recent mural, “African American Trailblazers of Terre Haute,” is located inside Terre Haute North Vigo High School where he teaches art.
Best of Show winnings, sponsored by First Financial Bank, went to River City member Elise Spaid-Roberts for her mixed media entry, an altered book titled “Blackout Poetry: Life.”
First-place medallions were awarded to Jo Rich-Vadas for her acrylic painting, “Sugar Creek”; Dian Der Ohanian Phillips for her photography entry, “Day Lily 1″; Todd Stokes for his 3-D etched glass mixed media entry, “Strata”; and Jim Rhodes for his work in pencil, “West Texas Winter,” in the drawing category.
Second-place honors went to Jo Rich-Vadas for her acrylic painting, “Chicago”; Edith Acton for her fused glass mixed media entry, “Field of Flowers”; Donald Turner for his pastel drawing, “Baptism on the Wabash”; and Spencer Young for his “Badlands Vista” in the photography category.
Third-place recognition went to Eloise Lovell for her drawing, “Trotter Tangle”; Steve Harrold for his painting, “Cliff TK-12188”; Jo Rich-Vadas for her mixed media piece, “Here’s Looking At You”; and Alexandra McNichols for her photography entry, “Oglala-Lakota Water Protector,” taken at Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.
Holloman also awarded an honorable mention to Ruthann Brady for her encaustic/collage mixed media entry, “The Ginko”; David Gill for his acrylic painting, “The Last Perfect Day”; Eloise Lovell for her drawing, “Brown Family”; and Barb Mickelson for her photography entry, “A Leg Up.”
Marty Martinez Contributory Award: Ruthann Brady
Ruthann Brady received a special award for her dedicated service as a founding member of River City Art Association. RCAA vice president Todd Stokes presented Brady with the Marty Martinez Contributory Award, in memory of the late founding member and owner of the Raven Art Gallery in Terre Haute.
The reception ended with the Artists’ Choice Award going to Jo Rich-Vadas for her mixed media entry, “Here’s Looking At You.” Also, People’s Choice award honors went to Barb Mickelson for her photography entry, “A Leg Up.”
The exhibition also features entries by Richard Acton, Willa Barksdale, Debbie Hadley, Stephen Hauser, Deborah Hickman, Christine AB Johnson, founding member Monty “Indiana” Jones, Jennifer Kirk, Mary Mayhew, Gloria Schopper, Judith Lynn Smith, Sheila K. Ter Meer, Jamie Oberste-Vorth and Thomas Wright.
RCAA is open to any Indiana and Illinois artist age 18 and older. Artists meet the second Tuesday of each month in the Vigo County Public Library in Terre Haute. For more information visit RiverCityArt.org or contact vice president Todd Stokes at 812-232-0048.
RIVER CITY ART ASSOCIATION 