May 23 to June 15, 2008

The Newburyport Art Association presents their 11th Annual Regional Juried Show starting May 23rd through June 15th, 2008.  480 entries in Oil, acrylic, Watercolor, Pastel, Drawing, Mixed media, Sculpture, Photography, Digital Art and Printmaking were submitted by 226 artists, with 140 artworks selected. This popular NAA show is a much anticipated exhibition drawing numerous artists from all over the New England area, and was juried for the first time by digital images, which resulted in steep competition.  

Andrew Witkin, director of the Barbara Krakow Gallery at 10 Newbury Street in Boston, MA was the juror.  Mr. Witkin commented:  “I was very impressed with the breadth and depth of the work.  It continues to amaze me how dedicated such a large group of creative people are.  For me, it was a pleasure to be introduced and reintroduced to a good number of artists.  I thank the Newburyport Art Association for the opportunity to see such great work and only wish I could have given out plenty more awards and included far more people.”   

$2,000 in cash awards will be presented to the following artists at the this show’s opening reception, which will be on Saturday, May 24th from 7 to 9pm and is free and open to the public.

Awards

Click on image to enlarge

Mary Alice Arakelian Memorial Award for Best in Show  $500
Artist:  Peggy Luderer
Town:  West Newbury, Ma  
Title:  House Painters #1
Media:  Oil
This piece struck me each time I looked at the image of it.  It tells a story yet leaves key parts unanswered.  The balance between generality and specificity lend an aura of completeness that had me quite pleased by looking at the piece.  The balance between uniform tone mixed with essential pockets of shade provided just the right amount of tension to the composition.  Bravo for these and many other reasons.
 
Institution for Savings Charitable Foundation Award for Oil  $150
Artist:  Eva Hoffman
Town:  Ipswich, MA
Title:  Water
Media:  Oil
I so appreciate the quietness of the scene. Through the perspective, color choice, brushstrokes and overall format, this piece focuses on its subject matter in a quiet yet compelling manner.
 








Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank Award for Acrylic   $150
Artist:  Margette Leanna
Town:  Newburyport, MA
Title:  The Other Acadia  
Media:  acrylic
To me, this work presents the perfect balance between an awful storm and a serene natural moment.  Through the layout, color choices and brushwork the painting is a moment to be remembered.
 
Newburyport Area Industrial Development Foundation Award for Pastel $150
Artist:  Janice Reynolds
Town:  Haverhill, MA
Title:  Tropicana Dream
Media:  Pastel
Spending much of my time in civilization, I always find nature pictures to transport me.  This piece, in particular, captures the excitement, life and beauty of an isolated place and time.
 
Philip J. Stern Memorial Award for Watercolor  $150
Artist:  Linda Laterowicz
Town:  Ipswich, MA
Title:  Autumn Fog on the Merrimac
Media: watercolor
How little does an artist need to present so as to get across the feeling?  This work starts and ends with that question, for me.  The water, the horizon, the boat and the sky, all blend together to create a deep yet flat plane.  With a few expertly executed strokes the foliage in the foreground complete the scene, place the viewer at a specific distance, yet leave the 'background' open to get lost in.
 
The Sam Sargent Award for Mixed Media $150
Artist:  Darlene Furbush Ouellett
Town:  Portsmouth, NH
Title:  Hold on to your Hats
Media:  Mixed Media
The use of materials, the subject matter, the arrangement, the humor, the seriousness and a slew of other elements all add up to create this engaging piece.  The variation in presentation, the details, and the generality all present an open-ended situation where there are many readings, yet I continually found myself focusing on the compelling nature of the object itself!
 
The Laura Coombs Hills Award for Sculpture  $150
Artist:  Glen Szegedy
Town:  Lowell, MA
Title:  Bioform #677
Media: Wood
I most appreciated this work for the intermingling of the 'macro' and the micro'.  The large twisting form is made up of small circular forms.  While they are not the same, they feel entangled in purpose in a way that makes the piece feel quite complete.
 





The Mildred Hartson Award for Drawing $150
Artist:  Leonard Joiner
Town:  Meuthen, MA
Title:  Wisdom
Media:  Drawing
This drawing so impressed me with the skill utilized to create such a solid scene using only the simplest of means.  It looks like a thousand trees I've seen before, yet I wonder if I will now compare everyone I see to this one, as it is so etched in my mind.
 




The Mildred Hartson Award for Printmaking  $150
Artist:  Barbara Nachmias-Kedesdy
Town: Newbury, MA
Title:  Vine Lines
Media:   Monotype
This piece surprised me in how using print media, the image can be so solid yet ethereal.  Every element is fully defined yet there's no real boundaries.  It gets to the essence of the scene, for me.






The General Excellence Award for Photography  $150
Artist:  Joanne Neary Morris
Town:  Newburyport, MA
Title:  Teakettle Parade
Media: photo
Simply by looking carefully, choosing exposure, etc this piece is both incredibly casual yet completely studied. Very beautiful to look at, it also presents a compelling mystery of subject matter.  Very well executed!
 
The NAA 60th Anniversary Award for Excellence  $75
Artist:  Michael Doran
Town:  North Andover, MA
Title:  Bottle Dream
Media:  Watercolor
I kept coming back to this watercolor. There seems to be very little intense detailing, yet every object, movement and contrast is fully defined. The situation is surreal yet, in the presentation, seems completely plausible.  Captivatingly imagined and expertly executed, this piece provides a world to get lost in.
 
Honorable Mention  $25
Artist:  Susan Hebenstreit
Town:  Merrimac, MA
Title:  This was Home
Media:  Oil
 



Honorable Mention  $25
Artist:  Robert Pyle
Town:  Reading, MA
Title:  Light Form #1 Fort Warren, Boston
Media:  Photography
 



Honorable Mention  $25
Artist:  Deborah Citron-Stevens
Town:  Essex, MA
Title:  The Grandchildren  
Media:  Printmaking




 
The NAA ‘s 11th Annual Regional Juried Show was made possible through the generous support of The H. Patterson Hale, Jr. Charitable Foundation. The NAA is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and exhibiting its member’s artwork, providing art education for individuals of all ages and skills, and delivering outreach programs designed to benefit all who live or work in the greater Newburyport area.  The NAA’s galleries are located at 65 Water Street in downtown Newburyport.  Gallery hours are:  Monday – Saturday 11am – 5pm, and Sunday 1pm – 5pm.  For more information please call:  978-465-8769.


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