Chairperson Laura Kennedy stands beside some of the entries for this year's Visual Arts Show. - SAMANTHA JOHNSON PHOTO
The Visual Arts Show is a chance for the public to come in and see all the art that has been contributed and what pieces collected a ribbon.
The show opens Monday at 6:30 p.m., and just before 7 p.m., everyone will be invited into the auditorium for the awards ceremony.
This is the first year Laura Kennedy has chaired the Visual Arts Show. She is certainly up to the task given her 13 years of experience with Prairie Rose Kaleidoscope of the Arts.
“I’ve had some really good help getting accustomed to the show,” she said. “I’m trying to follow the template of past years and have used my background experience with Kaleidoscope to keep this show consistent with what I know works there.”
With 218 entries, there’s lots of artwork to see. There are some new entries plus some from artists who have entered pieces in the show before.
“We were really worried there wouldn’t be lots of entries,” stated Kennedy, “But as it turned out we have enough for a really nice show. It’s still only half of what we had before in other years, probably because people didn’t know what to expect.”
All the artists are from Medicine Hat and the surrounding area.
“It is really easy to get your artwork into the show. All it has to be is your original idea and your original piece,” said Kennedy.
Art entry intake occurred July 11-13 and judging on July 19.
In the adult art, there are 11 categories with first, second, and third prizes in each category.
“There are honourable mentions in some categories where there are tough decisions to make,” said Kennedy.
The best of the show will get the Juror’s Choice Award. There is also the Strathcona Art Studio Ruth Friesen Award, a memorial award only for watercolour and wash. Kennedy said they would like to add more memorial awards in future years but this year there is just the one.
Four of the categories are in painting – oil, acrylic, mixed media, and watercolour/gouache. Three categories in photography – colour, black and white, digitally enhanced. Graphics, pottery and glass and sculpture round out the categories. There is also a fibre arts category, but no entries were submitted this year.
Children’s art is in the Sierra Room and adults are in the Fireside Room and along the walls and the hallway inside the main doors.
