Brush & Palette Art Guild hosts 55th annual art show

The Brush & Palette Art Guild hosted its 55th annual art show at Southern State Community College in Hillsboro, Ohio on June 16-17.

Thirty-nine professional and non-professional members’ entered 238 drawings, paintings and mixed media works of art judged by artist Cyndi Mendell.

Mendell is vice president of admissions, art director and co-founder of the Art Institute of Cincinnati College of Design. She is listed in the Who’s Who among American Teachers and an active member of the Art Director’s Club of Cincinnati.

The Mendell family lineage includes great uncle and Master Artist, Frank Duveneck.

Mendell awarded many first, second and third place ribbons in the categories of Oil, Acrylic Watercolor, Color pencil, Pastel, Ink and “open.”

Open category can include collage, mixed-media, miniatures and calligraphy. The theme for 2012 was miniatures. The criteria for the theme category is that each work of art submitted is 10 “united inches,” width plus length yet of any medium the artist chooses.

Professional and non-professionals participated in the theme category. The award-winners in the theme category were: first place, Joan Arnold for her watercolor painting titled “Free Ride;” second place, Evelyn Pierson; and third place, Tammy Wells. Honorable mention award winners were Sue Lamke and Mary Keininger.

Mendell chose the following special award-winners in the Professional Division.

Best of Show, Reserve Best of Show and Best of Division in Oil, Best of Division in Acrylic to Ron Keith. Best of Division in Watercolor to Connie Barrett. Best of Division in Pastel to Pat Fields. Best of Division in Drawing to Elaine Balsley. Best of Division in Color Pencil to Donna Schwarz. Best of Division in the Open Category to Tammy Wells.

The Julia Barthel Award is given for special merit to a professional floral watercolor artist. This award was presented to Connie Barrett.

People’s Choice was a four-way tie between Ron Keith, Doris Randolph, Helen Horner and Donna Schwarz.

The Non-professional division winners were Best of Show, Mary Jo Copeland; Reserve Best of Show was awarded to Brenda Daulton; Best of Division in Oil to Mary Jo Copeland; Best of Division Acrylic to Karen Tipton; Best of Division watercolor Nola Warfe; Best of Division in Pastel, Drawing and Open categories to Judith Swank; and Best of Division Color pencil to Brenda Daulton.

The Violet Linton Award is a special merit to an artist in the Non-professional Oil and Acrylic landscape category. This was awarded to Barb Hodge.

A special thank you to Southern State Community College for the use of their facility and to the generous show sponsors. The sponsors this year were: Gingerbread House, First State Bank of Adams County, National Bank of Adams County, Andy Warfe Heating and Cooling, Tony Staggs State Farm Insurance, Max Sell Real Estate LLC, RHK Motors LLC, Melonie and Kermit Whitt, Reno Auto Parts, Rainbow International, Barb Hodge Watkins Products, Judy Mason Winding Brook Studio, Evelyn Pierson Studio, Climate Controlled Lock and Storage, Hal Harvey Rack-It, Generations Pizza, Ferno Washington, Ken’s Glass and A Focus Paul Mitchell Salon.

The Guild would like to give special recognition to its honorary members. They have been a part of the art guild since its inception. Two members, Evelyn Pierson and Eva Botts, regularly participate in monthly meetings and annual shows. Evelyn recently counted her 46th year of show participation.