Best in Show: The Art Center Presents Annual Members Show & Sale

On Friday, July 12, 2013, The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey announced awards for the annual Marylou Hillyer Members Show & Sale. Over 500 were in attendance for the opening event to view the artwork of 154 members, submitted in a variety of mediums including painting, pastel, watercolor, photography, sculpture and ceramics. Cash awards were given out in several categories as chosen by judge, Sandy Martiny, Director, Cultural Affairs, Village of South Orange and Director of Pierro Gallery. Best in Show went to Jann Slapin for her digital photograph entitled, Louis Street 2012, as pictured above. The Members Show is currently on view at the Art Center through August 30.

Award winners by category:                                                                      

Best in Show: Jann Slapin, Louis Street, 2012, photograph

Merit Awards: Stephanie Regen, Every Morning a New Arrival, mixed media and Melissa Fink, Ella, graphic 

Promise Award: Charlann Meluso, The World Through Ana’s Eyes, photo montage of original photographs

Marie Welsh Memorial Award: Grace Zambelli, Soaking Up the Sun, acrylic

Emeriti Award: Sharon Reed, My Friend is a Mule, oil on canvas

Marian Anderson Memorial Award for Portraiture: Ruth Zuman, The Middle Child, oil

Martha Barns Memorial for Ceramics: Sandy Werner, Untitled, clay

Martha Venturo Award for Landscape: Andrey Prokofiev, Aruba Sunrise, photographic print on metal

Kathie Kempf Dorman Memorial Award for Sculpture: Janice Gossman, Diaspora, mixed media

Curtis Hillyer Memorial Award for Watercolor: Judy Levy, Journey, watercolor

Marylou Hillyer Award: Florence Wint, Computerized, fabric and acrylic paint

Jurgen Thieck Memorial Award for Photography: Lane Lewis, Perching Falcon, archival digital print

Award for Pastel: Althea Howlett Scheller, White Peonies, pastel   

Honorable Mentions:

Marie Burns,The Pride of SALINAS, photograph

Kiyomi Baird, At the Still Point, digital collage

Eileen Bonacci, Garden Flowers, oil

Valerie Moreno, Skyracers – Goshen, Vermont, oil on canvas

Bernice I. Feuer, The Straw Burdens, oil on canvas

Linda Jacobs, Late Afternoon, photograph

Carol Nussbaum, Untitled, archival giclee print