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2013 Southern Tier Biennial
September 21-October 25, 2013 Best of Show: Jason Green, Recovered Geometry No. 3 Honorable Mentions Barbara Fox- Practice Compassion Hall Groat II- Dirty Money David Higgins- Triumph over Polio Artists Vani Akula, Horseheads, NY, vanifineart@yahoo.com Darlene Allen, Ellicottville, NY, dallen25@cogeco.ca Doug Baird, Lansing, NY, dougabaird@earthlink.net Bridget Bossart van Otterloo, Corning, NY, bbvanotterloo@gmail.com Margaret Bothner, Olean, NY Trevor Brachmann, Little Valley, NY, trevorbrachmann@yahoo.com Jenny Brown, Lakewood, NY, cattygirl3@hotmail.com Sara Bruce, Alfred, NY, sarafbruce@yahoo.com Wayne Claypatch, Owego, NY, gopher101@aol.com Barbara Fox, Little Valley, NY, bfoxart@yahoo.com Lindsey GloverTrumansburg, NY, lindsey.glvr@gmail.com Jason Green, Alfred Station, NY, jasonhgreen@gmail.com Hall Groat II, Endwell, NY, hgroat1@stny.rr.com Bill Hastings, Ithaca, NY, bstings@twcny.rr.com David Higgins, Corning, NY, higgins@corning-cc.edu Don Hill, Jamestown, NY, zwyhill@juno.com Christina Johnson,Corning,NY, christina@draughtswomanchristina.com Heather Kanazawa, Kennedy, NY, h.miller64@yahoo.com Juror Statements I must begin by complimenting the Cattaraugus County Arts council for its robust support of artists in the nine counties of the Southern Tier. Through its collaboration with the Olean Public Library Gallery, Jamestown Community College and the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation, the arts council has created an exceptional opportunity for artists: The Southern Tier Biennial. Cash awards for the Biennial's Best of Show winner and three Honorable Mention winners are generous, but the fact that each accepted artist receives a $100 stipend to offset expenses demonstrates a thoughtful understanding of the costs artists incur while getting their work out into the world. The handsomely designed catalog that accompanies the exhibition will serve as a valuable marketing tool for the included artists long after the exhibition closes. Not only does the Best of Show winner receive a solo exhibit and catalog, the artist is also supported through proffessional development opportunites and funding for exhibition costs. There is a wide-open application and jurying process for the Southern Tier Biennial. Artists are not sorted into categories and there are no targeted goals for the number of works in various media. This approach invited diversity and innovation. This year's exhibition includes a range of traditional and experimental approaches to everything for oil paintings and watercolors to prints, photography, mixed media and fine crafts. Strong works are included in each of these categories, and I was impresses with the varieties of artistic expression found within the communities of the Southern Tier. The artists who submitted work I had the pleasure of reviewing clearly strive for excellence. They are fortunate that the Cattaraugus County Arts Council and the Southern Tier Biennial staff are so deeply committed to helping them grow and achieve. Kate Koperski Director Castellani Art Museum of Niagra University |
Ileen Kaplan, Rock Stream, NY, ikaplan@stny.rr.com Susan Kendrot, Windsor, NY, rkendrot2@pronetisp.net Claire Lesemann, Ithaca, NY, nnameselc@gmail.com Tom Martin, Olean, NY, tom@tommartinstudio.com Kristina McCleod, Salamanca, NY, kristinamcleod@aol.com Kimberly Mehta, Allegany, NY, kimmeht@gmail.com Barbara Mink, Ithaca, NY, barbara.mink@gmail.com Anne Mormile, Cattaraugus, NY, annemormile@gmail.com Shawn Murrey, Arkport, NY, swm1@alfred.edu Peg Nocciolino, Binghamton, NY, peg@pegnocciolino.com Sheila Ortiz, Painted Post, NY, sheila.k.ortiz@gmail.com Reese Peacock, Cuba, NY, peacockreese@gmail.com Barry Perlus, Ithaca, NY, bp@barryperlus.com Jeff Perrault, Elmira, NY, jperraultpaintings@gmail.com Bob Santandrea, Painted Post, NY, bobsantan@aol.com Dug Stein, East Otto, NY, www.woodsworkvillage.com Christine Sullivan, Elmira, NY, chris@christinesullivan.com Chris Tolbert, Hornell, NY, tolbertstudios@mac.com Hope Zaccagni, Alfred Station, NY, hopesart@gmail.com Stefan Zoller, Watkins Glen, NY, stefan@stefanzoller.com It was a Pleasure to experience the overflowing creativity of the artists who submitted works to the Southern Tier Biennial. I enjoyed seing a combination of new ideas and well-crafted renditions of traditional standards. The peculiarities and traditions of the region are present, of course, but the artists of the Southern Tier do not exist in isolation. The respond to the same issues and the same pervasive cultural influences as do artists all over the country--and, increasingly, all over the world. Then their efforts are subjected to the vagaries of the juried exhibition process, including the rules regarding who can submit, when, and what size and, of course, the personal inclinations of the jurors, which are affected by the circumstances of viewing as well as by the nature of the overall pool of entires. We attempted to select the strongest possible work without regard to style or subject matter, but we didn't look at individual works in isolation from on another. It was a comparative process, and I am confident that the result is a demonstration of creativity, craftmanship, and vitality of some of the region's best artists. During the jurying process we talked repeatedly about how presenting the works as digita images on a screen interferes with the aesthetic experience. On the one hand, our visual experiences are increasingly two dimensional---coming from the computer screen, or the television screen, or some little screen in our hand or on our dashboard, or even wired into our spectacles. On the other, we are fortunate that, through this exhibition process, you can see the sactual artworks, actual paintings with actual paint, prints with surface quality, sculpture you can walk around and appreciate from every angle. The real thing--enjoy it! John Vanco Director Erie Art Museum |
