NH., VT Artists Win Awards in Thorne's Show

KEENE, N.H. 9/24/02 - New Hampshire and Vermont artists won awards in the 2002 Biennial Regional Jurors Choice competition at the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery at Keene State College.

Seven artists were selected to receive awards Monday by Juror Marijo Dougherty, director of the University Art Museum, State University of New York at Albany. Dougherty also chose the 55 pieces of art for the exhibition of works by artists who live within 30 miles of Keene or are Friends of the Thorne. The Regional Jurors Choice exhibition opens Saturday, Oct. 12, and continues through Sunday, Dec. 8.

Georgia Fletcher of Dublin, N.H., won the Jurors Award of $500 for her oil-on- canvas portrait, Anna.

Jane Frances Collister of Walpole, N.H., won Second Place, $300, for a maple and bronze sculpture titled Just This.

Scott Nelson of Brattleboro, Vt., won Third Place, $200, for Tyranny of Distance, a sculpture formed with Styrofoam, dolls, and maps.

Four honorable mentions, all of which carry cash awards, were selected. First Honorable Mention went to Faith Pepe of Putney, Vt., for Touchez, a mixed- media assemblage. Honorable mentions were awarded to Kris Calnan of Sharon, N.H., for the collage, Dont Bug Me, Genevieve Groesbeck of Peterborough, N.H., for the ceramic work, Smoked Porcelain Vessel, and Jim Giddings of West Brattleboro, Vt., for the painting, A Man Chooses Letters for a Crow.

An awards ceremony takes place at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, during the opening reception hosted by Friends of the Thorne from 5 to 7:30 p. m. at the gallery.

Free guided gallery tours of the Regional Jurors Choice exhibit are offered at 2 p.m. every Sunday by KSC student intern Charles Langille, a senior art major and recipient of the Thorne-Sagendorph/Art Department Student Fellowship Endowment. The tours are open to the public and reservations are not required. Dougherty said she was very impressed with the quality and quantity of artwork submitted to the competition with 174 artists submitting 310 pieces of art. This marks the largest artist participation in a Thorne regional competition.

It was amazing to me that within 30 miles there is such art-making activity, said Dougherty, who noted that in the Mohawk Valley region of New York, the regional exhibition is open to artists living within 150 miles to attract an equal number of entries. Its also a tribute to the Thorne Gallery that so many artists desire to have their work exhibited there, she said.

I really was quite stunned with the variety of techniques and media, said Dougherty, from newer forms such as ink jet prints to more traditional media.

From these works, she selected what she considered the best and tried to choose other pieces that came up to the same level. From the 55-juried pieces, Thorne gallery visitors are asked to select a Peoples Choice Commendation, with a $100 cash award, to be announced Dec. 2.

The Thorne Gallery is open noon to 4 p.m. Saturday through Wednesday and noon to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday. The gallery is closed Nov. 11 for Veterans Day and Nov. 27-Dec. 1 for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The reception, exhibit, and tours are free and open to the public. For information, call 603-358-2720.