Grayson Gallery & Art Center Director Dan Click has been receiving art work for display during the upcoming F!nal Fr!day Art Walk, from 6 to 9 p.m., June 28.
The Grayson Gallery & Art Center, Inc. hosted the annual “HeART of the Parks Art Competition, Show & Sale” (HoP) again this year for the Grayson Area Chamber of Commerce’s “Memory Days”, which celebrated 49 years of homecoming events during the recent Memorial Day weekend.
Planned to be held outside in Grayson City Park, as has been the longstanding tradition, it was decided to move to the inside location at First Church of Christ due to a rainy weather forecast. Artists began setting up their pieces, which totaled over 150 works, at 9:00am on May 25 as sunshine returned without a cloud in sight. However, the cool air, a nice stage for making announcements and for giving out awards made the move to the indoor venue a welcome change.
The HoP event, which attracted artists from the Tri-State and throughout the region of Eastern Kentucky, was well attended and featured the following five categories: OIL, PHOTOGRAPHY, WATERCOLOR, DRAWING and MIXED MEDIA. Over 150 original pieces were on exhibit for judging by artist Joe Sartor of Morehead, Kentucky. Sartor was born in Missouri and received his BA degree from Centenary College in Louisiana. He served a stint in the US Army, and completed his Master of Arts degree at the University of Missouri at Columbia. He has lived in Kentucky since 1968, where he taught art for 33 years as Associate Professor of Art at Morehead State University, and recently retired to pursue his love of music, theatre, and painting.
We’d like to congratulate all of the award winners (as follows) and each were given ribbons noted:
BEST OF SHOW – (Red/White/Blue Rosette Ribbon and $300 cash): James Tardy for his oil painting, “Current Sightings”; awarded by William “Bill” Robinson in memory of the artist Anna Robinson.
OIL – First (Blue Ribbon and $50 cash): Lee Ann Blevins; Second: Michael Wagner; Third: Sharon Steele; Honorable Mention: Lee Ann Blevins
PHOTOGRAPHY – First (Blue Ribbon and $50 cash): Katherine Romans; Second: Karina Yates Third: Greg Damron; Honorable Mention: Karina Yates
WATERCOLOR – First (Blue Ribbon and $50 cash): Mike Spears, Second: Joyce Steele; Third: Joyce Steele; Honorable Mention: Patricia Franklin
DRAWING – First (Blue Ribbon and $50 cash): Mike Spears; Second: Mike Spears; Third: Mike Spears; Honorable Mention: Carol Terry
MIXED MEDIA – First (Blue Ribbon and $50cash): Jessica Salyer; Second: Jessica Salyer; Third: Erin Alise Conley; Honorable Mention: Karina Yates
This was a record year for the art competition in every way and, in addition to financial support for all expenses, donors also chose over a dozen individual pieces for “Purchase Awards”, chosen by individuals and businesses. The following artists sold works as shown (Artist/Buyer): Michael Wagner/Ramona Salyer State Farm; Carol Terry/Commercial Bank; Lee Ann Blevins/Tres Hermanos; Mike Spears/Bob & Laura Caummisar; Joyce Steele/Pure Country Automotive; Sharon Steele/Carter County Bar Association; Carol Terry/First National Bank; Patricia Franklin/Malone Funeral Home; Shelby Steele/Lincoln & Emily Theinert; Karina Yates/Corey & Jennifer Fipps; Karina Yates/Janie Sturgill; Mike Spears/Anonymous; Joyce Steele/Ralph’s Foodfair and Sharon Asher Steele/Architectural Planning & Design.
On behalf of the artists and the Grayson Gallery, we would like to thank each of our sponsors as well as the Grayson Tourism & Convention Commission, the City of Grayson, KY and the Grayson Area Chamber of Commerce. Sponsors/Donors/Buyers were: Miller Insurance Agency, Grayson Beverage Center, John Dean, Dyer’s Big Sandy, Grayson RECC, Fitness Trainers, Ralph’s Foodfair, Bill Robinson, Arrick’s Propane, Gibbs Hardware, Womack’s Stor-All. Horton & Brown Pharmacy, Architectural Planning & Design, City National Bank, Pathways, Wilhoit Law Office and the Jeff Scott Law Office.
Contact Dan Click, HoP Chairman/GGAC Director for future art shows and contests at graysongallery@gmail.com and, for artists with works on display and still available for purchase from the 2019 event, check out the Facebook page: Grayson Gallery & Art Center, Inc.