Next Exhibit and Artist Market

Regional Juried Art Exhibit and Artists Market begin this weekend

 

This weekend marks the beginning of the first annual Regional Juried Art Exhibit and the first annual Artists Market at the South Haven Center for the Arts, 600 Phoenix St.

 

Our first Regional Juried Art Exhibit drew in works of art from 40 regional artists with over 70 pieces to choose from, says the Center’s Program Coordinator Sarah Hess. Six local artists have works in the show: Patrick McKearnan, Catherine Maize, Don Zenas, Tara Sharpe and Charles Spreitzer, from South Haven, and Joyce Latta, from Bangor. Regional artists represent Portage, Kalamazoo, Grand Junction, Stevensville, Holland, Galesburg and Gobles. Mediums include Oil, Acrylic on Canvas, Pastel, Pen & Ink, Stone & Steel, Water Media, Photography, Japanese Woodblock and Mixed Media. Hess says she is pleased with the quality of work submitted and notes they reached their first-year goal for the number of pieces submitted. “That is exciting.”

 

Three judges juried the artworks: Brenda Sipe, MFA from Kendall College of Art And Design of Ferris State University, Bill Mayer, MFA from Hope College and Paul Flickinger, MFA of the Gwen Frostic School Art of Western Michigan University. They selected 30 pieces including both 3D and 2D works. Prizes to be awarded are $500, first place, $250 second place and $100 third place. “I was very pleased with the judges enthusiasm and professionalism while they were going through the judging process. This was a first for us and they gave us great input. They also agreed fully on many of the pieces selected,” says Hess.

 

The exhibit, free to the public, begins with the Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m., Jan. 22. Artists’ works will be displayed through Feb. 21, and some will be available for sale. Marie Maguire, Art Center Director, will award the three prizes at the Opening Reception. Most of the artists will be in attendance, according to Hess. This first annual Regional Juried Art Exhibit is underwritten by Kirk and Penny McCreary.

 

The first annual Artists Market, free to the public, opens at 10 a.m., Jan. 23 and will remain open until 4 pm. Twenty local artists will be selling their wares, open market style, both on the lower and upper level at the Art Center. Items comprise jewelry, specialty lamps (featured at the recent Mistletoe Market), books by local author Wendy Halperin, leather works, pottery and much more. If you’re looking for something special the Artists Market will be the place to find it, according to Maguire. One can shop at the market and also see the artworks displayed in the Regional Juried Art Exhibit. “It will be a fun time,” says Maguire.

 

For more information, call the Art Center at 269-637-1041. Hours are Monday, noon to 5 pm, Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m. Log onto www.southhavenarts.org