MIKE REDFERN
For the Bulletin
The 11th annual Arts on the Edge exhibitions in the Gallery at Centre 64 were both won by artworks that were truly “on the edge” of the traditional fields of art. Taking top prize in the established artists’ category was Grant Smith’s “Grizzly Tickets”, composed of digital, silk-screened, and wire elements depicting grizzly bears in a variety of poses on strings of coloured tickets. This unique original piece was sold as soon as the exhibition opened, the artist donating the proceeds of the sale to the Northern Lights Wildlife Society, Smithers, BC, for the rescue and rehabilitation of grizzly bears.
Equally unusual was the winning entry in the emerging artists’ category. Patrick Jeffrey’s piece, “Courage”, was a carved, red burl cedar, globe-like vessel, one of three beautiful museum-quality wood pieces he submitted to the exhibition.
The exhibition’s jurors, three experienced professional artists from the Creston valley, Sandy Kunze, Maggie Leal Valais, and Richard Reeves, cogitated for over two hours before deciding on the 13 prize-winning entries. Their selections fulfilled the exhibition criteria that prizes be awarded to works that exhibit skilled technique in the use of the medium, composition showing appropriate balance, line, form, colour, shape, value, centre of interest, etc., as applicable to the discipline, originality of either the subject matter or the way in which a traditional subject matter is treated, and the subjective appeal of the artwork.
Other prize winners were as follows:
In the established artists’ category, second prize went to Ashley Huff’s tiny painting of two disgruntled-looking ravens, appropriately titled “Only This & Nothing More”.
In addition to winning the first prize, Grant Smith was also awarded the third prize for his digital piece, “Ponderosa Pine Phi Pattern”.
Honorable mention cash prizes in this category were awarded to Simon Haiduk for his digital painting, “Spirit Wolf”, Maria Maryniak for her pastel work, “Tree Aid”, to Rob Toller, for his huge wood and steel sculpture, Offering”, and to Virginia Anderson for her hand-made red, black, grey felting piece. Second prize-winner Ashley Huff also received an honorable mention for her oil painting of a girl titled “Dislodge”.
In the emerging artists’ category, second prize went to Jennifer Johnson for her ink, watercolour, and lino-cut stamped picture, “Pachamama”, and third prize to Amy Cornelson for her digital painting, “Guide of the Fated”. Honorable mentions were awarded to Lori Craig for her 9-piece assemblage of mixed media pictures, “First Chakra Exploration”, and to Andre Americo Soares Masiero for his photo, “Resilience”.
A total of 73 artworks were entered in this year’s Arts on the Edge exhibitions, slightly down from previous years, but exhibition organizers were very pleased once again with the overall quality of the pieces submitted. “This is another beautiful show,” said exhibition committee chair Linda Douglas, “with a rich variety of media, styles, and subject matter.”
Visitors to the exhibitions are invited to vote for the People’s Choice prize which will be awarded on the final Saturday of the exhibition, based on the number of votes cast. Visitors are asked to only vote once for their favourite piece, please.