Piqua Arts Council announces exhibition winners

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PIQUA — Piqua Arts Council has announced the success of their 30th annual Piqua Fine Art Exhibition. With over 200 works of art by artists from all across the state, this year’s exhibition currently stands as one of the largest art shows in the entire Miami Valley. The Awards Reception took place on the evening of Thursday, Sept. 8, with more than 200 guests in attendance, including artists, community members, families, friends, Piqua Arts Council members, sponsors and donors.

The judge for the 2022 Art Show was Thomas Schroeder, a well-known and highly regarded watercolorist. Schroeder grew up in a hotbed of waterfowl artists, surrounded by marshes and lakes in rural, southern Minnesota. It was there that he developed an interest in capturing the beauty of his natural surroundings. Schroeder is self-taught in various media, ultimately concentrating in watercolor for the past 20 years, with subject interests in Amish landscapes, natural landscapes, urban cityscapes and junkyards.

Schroeder has earned various awards in many exhibitions all around the country, such as Watercolor Artist of the Year (2016), Signature Status (2016, 2019, 2021), People’s Choice Award (2016) and more. His work has been published in this year’s winter edition of the Watercolor Artist Magazine, as well as “The Best of 2021 in Watercolor.” Learn more about Schroeder, visit his website at www.thomasschroederart.com.

It was a full house for the awards Reception as the winners were announced for each category. To kick off the awards, Piqua Arts Council’s Executive Director Jordan Knepper began with the Library Purchase Awards. Each year, the Piqua Public Library selects pieces from the show in which they purchase to join their permanent collection. This year, Stephenie Rostron, the new executive director of the Piqua Public Library, and Board President Kathy Alexander selected pieces “Decatur Evening Herald” by Randy Bennett, Rudolph; “Fire Vase” by Dennis Walker, Piqua; and “The Library” by Kelly Cook, Sidney.

Following the Library Purchase Awards were the Special Awards – the Thelma Anderson’s Best Piqua Artist and the Kathy Oda Memorial Award. Dedicated to the long-time employee and mother of current owner of Apple Tree Gallery, Thelma Anderson, Piqua Arts Council dedicates an Award in her name every year, honoring her character. This year’s Best Piqua Artist was awarded to Mary Frances Rodriquez for her piece, “Docked for the Day.” The Kathy Oda Memorial Award is awarded to the best black and white photograph and is dedicated in the memory of Kathy Oda, an amateur black and white photographer. This year’s Kathy Oda Memorial award was given to Christine Herman’s “London Fog.” Herman is from Findlay.

After the Special Awards, the individual category winners were announced. In the drawing category, honorable mentions were awarded to Joanne Von Sossan, Huber Heights, for “Take A Bow”; Molly Christian, St. Henry, for “Partners in Crime”; and Jim Moore, (Troy, for “I Am Hoping to See My Daughter”. Third place drawing went to Carole Schafer, Covington, for “Front Porch Rocker”; second place went to J. Lynne Dodson, Dayton, for “Sunset Over Conwy Harbour”; and first place was awarded to Tom Kinarney, Dayton, for “Maiden Voyage.”

In the water media category, honorable mentions were awarded to Rhonda Sloan, Springfield, for “Grazing in Lancaster”; Libby Rudolf, Yellow Springs, for “Three Friends”; and Jeanette Ferguson, Troy, for “Spirited Reflections.” Third place water media went to Donna Pierce-Clark, Springfield, for “Chinatown, San Francisco”; second place went to Kathy Moeller, Sidney, for “February”; and first place was awarded to Connie Gifford, Kettering, for “Tucker the Hippo.”

In the oil & acrylic category, honorable mentions were awarded to Juliann Lyons, Troy, for “Morning Meditation”; Audrey Moody, Columbus, for “Got Soap?”; and Randy Bennett, Rudolph, for “Decatur Evening Herald.” Third place oil & acrylic went to Steve Wohler, Vandalia, for “Looking Across Water Street”; second place went to Molly Christian, St. Henry, for “Pouty Girl”; and first place was awarded to Maureen O’Keefe, Sidney, for “Penance.”

In the photography category, honorable mentions were awarded to Jeff Doseck, Wapakoneta, for “Just Sprinkle Me Here”; Cathy Huber, Lima, for “Misty Morn”; and Terry Glass, Tipp City, for “Bodie Ghost Town.” Third place photography went to Jeff Doseck, Wapakoneta, for “My View”; second place went to Richard Wood, Westerville, for “Renaissance Merchant”; and first place was awarded to Spencer Cunningham, Bowling Green, for “Calling Forth.”

In the three-dimensional category, honorable mentions were awarded to David Rau, Franklin, for “Exotic Fowl”; John Kinnee, Toledo, for “Colony”; and Bill Danzig, Dayton, for “Monk.” Third place three-dimensional went to Mary Jo Knoch, Wapakoneta, for “Goddess Effigy”; second place went to Lucille Gross, Xenia, for “Autumn Maze”; and first place was awarded to John Kinnee, Toledo, for “The Make Love Not War Club.”

In the miscellaneous category, honorable mentions were awarded to Julianne Thompson, Troy, for “Tryptic”; Tom Kinarney, Dayton, for “Wistful Misty”; and Jan Lendino, Troy, for “Prehistoric Playmates.” Third place miscellaneous went to Carol Korros, Miamisburg, for “Discovering Diamonds”; second place went to Randy Bennett, Rudolph, for “Secrets Best Kept”; and first place was awarded to Debbie Cosenza, Beavercreek, for “Contemplations 1.”

After thanking the celebrity sponsor, Kettering Health, and event sponsors, Alley and Bradl, LLC, Jackson Tube Service, Koverman Staley Dickerson Insurance, Buckeye Insurance Group and Ameriprise Financial – Mullenbrock and Associates, Knepper announced the best of show winner. The 2022 Best of Show Award for the 30th Annual Piqua Fine Art Exhibition went to Spencer Cunningham, Bowling Green, for his photograph titled, “To the Nines.”

Schroeder said, “I love this piece. I could fill a page with the compositional games this image is playing with … It’s memory, symbolism, story and energy in a private dance.”

The 30th Annual Piqua Fine Art Exhibition will be on display until Friday, Sept. 30, at 5 p.m. on the second story of Apple Tree Gallery at 405 N. Main St., Piqua. The exhibition is open to the public and free to attend. Anyone wishing to purchase artwork can reach out to the Piqua Arts Council at 937-773-9630 or PAC Programming Director Seth Regula at [email protected].

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