Awards & Judge Josh Garrick‘s Comments
“AMERICAN STORIES” - MAY 2011

　
BEST IN SHOW - #41 - Fred Samuelson - “Shuttle Site” - “An effective combination of painting technique and mixed media, with a strong composition and little surprises like the “GO USA” element. A truly unique piece that expresses the individuality of the artist and an essential American story.”
FIRST PLACE - #25 - Mindy Z. Colton - “Florida Cracker: Wish You Were Here” - “The artist has fashioned a compelling form and then further enhanced it with the overlays of historic Florida attractions and scenes, creating a piece that commands the viewer’s attention.”
SECOND PLACE - #82 - Peter A. Cerreta - “A Wedding Party” - “The artist draws us into the piece with all the intriguing characters, inviting us to ponder their individual stories, from the man on the far right (the Idiot Uncle?) to the grimacing woman on the far left. And the children are their own story, clamoring to be part of the proceedings. The piece offers the viewer a lot to see and enjoy.”
THIRD PLACE - #7 - Don Kennedy - “Past Glory Quarry Story” - “This work is timeless in that it evokes memories of the era of the 1930’s and the Works Project Administration, recognizing and celebrating the American worker. The piece is grounded in strong geometric shapes.”
DISTINCTION - #21 - Barbara Perrotti - “A Boy With a Dream” - “A nostalgic piece enhanced by the soft feeling throughout; the artist has taken a risk with putting the figure in the exact center of the painting, but has offset the symmetry with the background figures - 2 on one side, 3 on the other, and the whole thing works.”
DISTINCTION - #62 - Geoff Sprague - “Morning JoJo” - “A piece that evokes great fun and an amazing attention to detail, including the tan lines on the figure’s legs and the ‘tightie whities’.”
DISTINCTION - #4 - Lee Nesler - “Tobacco Road” - “Everything in this work - the sensitive linework, the warm and subdued colors, and the subject matter reflect the artist’s affection and appreciation for an earlier time. The presentation enhances the work.”
DISTINCTION - #40 - Kathy Bloem - “War Stories” - “The artist has made effective use of the pictorial space, using figures and text to move the viewer around the composition. The narrative effectively evokes the importance of war correspondents in our American Story.”
　
ACHIEVEMENT - #101 - Kathy O/Meara - “Story Quilt” - “The artist makes effective use of geometric shapes, and the reference to a quilt is evident, but there is so much more going on as well in this complex piece.”
ACHIEVEMENT - #70 - Anthony Ehrlich - “Other Side of the Tracks” - “A quintessential American Story; this piece could have been a poster for the entire exhibit.”
ACHIEVEMENT - #11 - Scott Hiestand - “Fallen Giant” - “An outstanding example of traditional realism that celebrates nature and wildlife.”
ACHIEVEMENT - #18 - Suzanne Clark - “1930” - “An effective use of mixed media that celebrates the charm and innocence of an earlier time.”

RECOGNITION - # 98 - Ealr Weydahl - “Cowboy”
RECOGNITION - #96 - Diana Barringer - “The Promised Land”
RECOGNITION - #104 - Carrie Perman - “My Mother Drunk or Sober”
RECOGNITION - #118 - Melissa Mason - “Painted Horse”

MERIT - #99 - M.S. Reynolds - “Let’s Fix American!”
MERIT - #76 - Robert Carlsen - “Forgotten Memories”
MERIT - #105 - Lola Lawrence - “A Fisherman”
MERIT - #68 - Karen Ann Patton - “Marsh Memories”

HONORABLE MENTION - #110 - “Heritage”
HONORABLE MENTION - #115 - Ann Delucia - “WWII Cemetery - Luxembourg”
HONORABLE MENTION - #55 - Sandra D. Lloyd - “Fence Posts and Wildflowers”
HONORABLE MENTION - #13 - Linda Knight - “People Can Make Change”
HONORABLE MENTION - #110 - Carol Orr  - "Heritage"

JUDGE’S CHOICE - #112 - Stephanie Salkin - “Waiting for Lift-off”
JUDGE’S CHOICE - #31 - Jan Reeder - “Past Pause”
JUDGE’S CHOICE - #84 - Fay Samini - “Bandit”
JUDGE’S CHOICE - #67 - Emile Dillon II - “Hawaii Motel”