Local Artists Win Awards in Thorne's Regional Juried Exhibit

KEENE, N.H., 2/4/11 - Nine artists from New Hampshire and Vermont received jurors’ awards at a Friday, February 4, reception opening the 2011 Biennial Regional Jurors’ Choice Exhibition at the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery.

Jurors Margaret Burgess, associate curator of Modern and European Art at the Portland (Maine) Museum of Art, and Britta Konau, a writer and independent curator of contemporary art, chose three top awards and six honorable mentions. Burgess and Konau also chose 81 pieces by 74 artists for the regional exhibition, which continues through March10 at the Gallery, located on the Keene State College campus. The works in the exhibit range from traditional landscape paintings and photographs to contemporary sculptures and montages. The regional competition, open to artists who live within 30 miles of Keene, drew 152 artists to submit 340 works of art.

Lulu Fichter of Peterborough, N.H., won the Jurors’ Best of Show Award for Fossil Dream Sequence, seven shell-like pieces made from porcelain. The $500 prize for this award is sponsored by the Friends of the Thorne.

James Gilmour of Swanzey, N.H., received second place of $300 for Wragge Farm, Washburn, Illinois, a color photograph.

Ronnie McClure of Canterbury, N.H., was awarded third place of $200 for Aluvia, an ink and colored-pencil drawing.

“We enjoyed seeing so many local artists working skillfully in diverse media, including pastel, watercolor, oil, ceramic, photography, and collage,” explained Burgess and Konau in a statement that opens the exhibit.

In addition to the three winners, the jurors also selected six artists for honorable mention, which each carry a $25 cash award. Honorable mentions include:

• Thomas Meyers of Hancock, N.H., for Recalling Ming, a drawing and collage;
• Anna Marie Ottaviano of Sharon, N.H., for Tapes, a monoprint;
• Deidre Scherer of Williamsville, Vt., for Buddha on Silk, a thread on layered fabric work;
• Fred Scherer of Townshend, Vt., for Back Yard, a scratchboard drawing;
• Nathan Sullivan, of Jaffrey, N.H., for Papermill/Transfer Station, an oil painting; and
• Gregg Wapner of Brattleboro, Vt., for Bent Over Birches, a watercolor painting.

Visitors to the regional jurors’ exhibit are invited to vote for a People’s Choice Commendation. The artist winning this $100 prize will be announced February 24.

The exhibit also features Selections from the Collection, which showcases a sample of works from the Thorne’s permanent collection.

The Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery is located on the Keene State campus on Wyman Way, off Main Street in Keene. Gallery hours are Sunday to Wednesday, noon to 5 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, noon to 7 p.m.; and Saturday, noon to 8 p.m.

The Biennial Regional Jurors’ Choice Exhibition and Selections from the Collection are free and open to the public. For more information, call 603-358-2720 or visit www.keene.edu/tsag.