Fine artists and amateur and professional photographers from across the state were invited to participate in the 2017 Judged Fine Art and Judged Photography Competitions & Exhibitions, organized annually by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department and presented May 3-7 as a component of the 2017 North Charleston Arts Fest. A total of 224 fine art entries were accepted in the categories of oil, acrylic, watercolor, drawing/pastel, and 2D mixed media. Cash awards totaling $6,000 were made at the sole discretion of the judge, Veronica Kessenich. Veronica, an Atlanta native, has been working in the arts for more than 15 years, and was hired as Executive Director of Atlanta Contemporary in July 2015 after serving for two years as the organization’s Development Director.
A total of 222 entries were accepted in photography, which were split into the divisions of Professional/Advanced and Amateur and categorized as color or monochrome. Cash awards totaling $1,450 were made at the sole discretion of the judge, Rick Rhodes. Rick earned degrees in Commercial Photography and Color Technology at Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA, and Southeast Center for Photographic Studies in Daytona Beach, FL, and has owned and operated Rick Rhodes Photography & Imaging, LLC, in Charleston for more than 18 years
In addition to awards given by the judges, three pieces were selected for City of North Charleston Purchase Awards. These selections will be added to the City of North Charleston’s Permanent Public Art Collection, which is on display within North Charleston City Hall throughout most of the year.
Congratulations to the winners:
“The Sleeping Man” (Drawing) by Bob Graham (Mt. Pleasant, SC)
Outstanding Merit – Fine Art
“Dockside Curiosity” (Oil) by Cole Fuhrman (Summerville, SC)
City of North Charleston Purchase Awards
“Still Life with Eggs” (Drawing) by Sherry Bevins (Johns Island, SC)
“Helmet Man” (Acrylic) by Kurtis Whitehead (North Charleston, SC)
“Blood in the Garden” (Oil) by Christopher Dotson (Charleston, SC)
Mayor’s Choice Award – Fine Art
“Bumble Bee” (Pastel) by K. Nizar Blufton (Hollywood, SC)
Best Oil – Fine Art
“Dakota” by Sherri Bardsley (Summerville, SC)
Best Acrylic – Fine Art
“Painting with Two Balls” by Cheryl Baskins Butler (Moncks Corner, SC)
Best Drawing/Pastel – Fine Art
“Grace Before” by Rick Sargent (Mt. Pleasant, SC)
Best Watercolor – Fine Art
“The Center for Birds of Prey” by Nancy Rinn (Mt. Pleasant, SC)
Best Mixed Media – Fine Art
“Cosmic Serpent” by Cheryl Baskins Butler (Moncks Corner, SC)
Best Portrait/Figure – Fine Art
“Forsaken and Forlorn” (Drawing) by Shery Bevins (Johns Island, SC)
Best Landscape – Fine Art
“Boats at Dusk” (Oil) by John Meckley (Summerville, SC)
Best Still Like/Interior – Fine Art
“Still Life with Eggs” (Drawing) by Sherry Bevins (Johns Island, SC)
Best Animal/Wildlife – Fine Art
“Snow Leopard” (Acrylic) by Richard Rose (Johns Island, SC)
Best Abstract/Experimental – Fine Art
“Gold Glint III” (Acrylic) by Sally Accetta (Goose Creek, SC)
Honorable Mentions – Fine Art
“Garden Wild” (Oil) by Sandy Tedesco (Charleston, SC)
“Trust” (Oil) by Robert Maniscalco (North Charleston, SC)
“Momentum” (Oil) by Christopher Dodson (Charleston, SC)
“Southern Light” (Oil) by Faye Sullivan (Mt. Pleasant, SC)
“Helmet Man” (Acrylic) by Kurtis Whitehead (North Charleston, SC)
“Weaving Tradition” (Drawing) by Andrea Vavra (Charleston, SC)
“Yellow Belly” (Drawing) by Susan Everitt (Daniel Island, SC)
“For I Dream a 1000 Dreams” (Watercolor) by Bob Graham (Mt. Pleasant, SC)
“Blue Crabs” (Watercolor) by Dorothy Shromoff (Hanahan, SC)
“Beach Beauties” (Watercolor) by Adelia Ruth (Saluda, SC)
Professional Photography – Color
1st – “Tundra Swan Dawn” by Leah Sparks (Charleston, SC)
2nd – “Hidden Valley Milk Way” by Robert Loe (North Charleston, SC)
3rd – “Dobson Knob Fire” by Jim Magruder (Linville, NC)
Professional Photography – Monochrome
1st – “Mountain Stream” by Vanessa Kauffman (Charleston, SC)
2nd – “Cold Comfort” by Jim Magruder (Linville, NC)
3rd – “Step Forward” by Nicole Robinson (Charleston, SC)
Amateur Photography – Color
1st – “Repose” by Kim Malecky (Charleston, SC)
2nd – “First Light” by Joe Moran (Charleston, SC)
3rd – “Eyes of the Beholder” by Phillip Ravenel (Goose Creek, SC)
Amateur Photography – Monochrome
1st – “G-4 at Roebling Road” by Chris Cross (Moncks Corner, SC)
2nd – “Pier at Folly” by Heike Helbig (Summerville, SC)
3rd – “”Water Lily” by Sue McKeithan (Summerville, SC)
Honorable Mentions – Photography
“Pineapple Fountain at Sunrise” by Sue McKeithan (Summerville, SC)
“Lightning Strikes” by Chris Cross (Moncks Corner, SC)
“New Beginnings” by Aimee Wheeler (Summerville, SC)
“Middleton Mill House” by Sonny Dugal (Mt. Pleasant)
“Storm Clouds” by Peter Ingrasselino (Summerville, SC)
“Tea and Contemplation” by Jim Magruder (Linville, NC)
“End of Season” by Katherine Hare (Charleston, SC)
“Rush of Water” by Justin Falk (Charleston, SC)
“Colored Bottles” by Peter Ingrasselino (Summerville, SC)
“Spectacled Owlet” by Matt Krausmann (Summerville, SC)
“Southern Sunrise” by Vanessa Kauffman (Charleston, SC)
“Southern Charm” Kenny McKeithan (Summerville, SC)
For information about additional exhibition opportunities offered by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, call 843-740-5854, email [email protected], or the Arts & Culture section of northcharleston.org. For details on the North Charleston Arts Fest, visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com.