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Barbara Edwards' watermedia piece, "Night Pastures," is among the winning entries in a juried exhibit now on display at the Gilmer Arts Gallery.
The 2021 Annual Juried Art Exhibition opened at Gilmer Arts Gallery Jan. 8.
Thirty-two regional artists have multiple entries in the exhibit in the categories of 3D Art, 2D Art and Photography.
An awards reception will be scheduled when the area’s COVID-19 numbers calm. The exhibit will be available for viewing through March 2.
Winners in each division will receive $150. The People’s Choice winner will receive a one-year Gilmer Arts membership. To vote for People’s Choice, visit the gallery and drop your vote into the urn in the reception area.
The 3D division winner is Ted Wray with his entry, “The Spectators.” His medium is book sculpting and he has five additional entries that everyone will enjoy. He rescues books bound for the recycling bin and turns them into art using only a craft knife.
Two of our 2D fine artists tied for Best in Show -— Barbara Edwards’ watermedia entry “Night Pastures,” and Elly Hobgood, for her watercolor entry “A Brighter Outlook.”
Currently residing in Jasper, Georgia, Edwards has been painting for over 25 years. She is versatile in many media, including pastels, acrylics and oils. Her favorite is watercolor because of its qualities of luminosity and transparency. Edwards’ paintings encompass a wide range of subject matter employing both traditional and experimental techniques. Hobgood is an award-winning artist who was a nurse in her first career. With retirement, she found time to let her soul breathe and began to see the world as color, texture and shapes. When people told her that her paintings made them smile, she was hooked. Now, a day without painting feels like an empty day.
The Photography division winner is Tom Reed with his photograph, “Florence, Italy.” Reed graduated from the Southeast Center for Photographic Studies in Daytona Beach, Fla., back in the days of film and wet darkrooms. He then worked a variety of jobs in the field, mainly audio-visual slide shows done with multiple projectors. He was a free-lance photographer for NASCAR, covering major races. He recently retired after 25 years as chief photographer for the Gainesville Times. While there, he made the transition to digital photography. Since retiring, he’s been able to spend time working on photography and enjoys mainly landscapes and travel.
Honorable Mentions include Sheryl Holstein for her ceramic piece, “Blue Moon” and Rita Poole for her wood inlay table, “Lily Marquetry on Walnut.” In photography: Lyle Courier for his entry, “Forgotten,” and Bob Caspar, for “Morning has Broken.”
Try to schedule a visit to the Gilmer Arts Gallery before March to see this beautiful exhibit. Vote for People’s Choice Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., at the gallery located at 207 Dalton Street.