Archway Gallery Announces Winners for 13th Annual Juried Exhibition
Archway Gallery announced the winners of its 13thAnnual Juried Exhibition Saturday, July 10 with video remarks by Juror Wayne Gilbert and an in-person all day opening showcasing the works of 43 local artists. The exhibition benefits Houston Junior Forum with 50% of the sales from this exhibition donated to Houston Junior Forum and the remaining 50% to the artists. In his video remarks, Gilbert noted that 282 pieces of art were submitted for the Juried Exhibition, the most ever for the show, which is on display now through August 4. Gilbert selected 43 pieces for this year’s exhibition. First, Second, and Third place winners each receive a cash prize. Five Honorable Mentions were also announced.
Selected juror, Wayne Gilbert, is a self-described “ordinary artist in an extraordinary city full of great artists and art.” His undergraduate degree in Painting from the University of Houston is paired with a minor in Art History (1984). He has an MA from Rice University in Liberal Studies (2012). With other founding members of the Rubber Group (Bill Hailey and Ramzy Telley), he fashioned multi-disciplinary extravaganzas that were bohemian, rough, and well out of the mainstream.
Gilbert explained that jurying an art exhibition during this extraordinary historical period is hard to put into words. “Art is such an elemental part of the fabric of humankind than to have it disrupted in the lineal norm makes the opportunity to see work produced during this period curious and enlightening. As I worked my way through the images, I was confronted with the same difficulty all jurors find themselves: how to select the work when your numbers are fixed. This year the work felt deep and personal. I felt the work reflected the depth of the artists’ perception of their lives during this isolated time. This said I have always felt that all art is exceptional, some is better than others. Of course, that’s because I like it. So, if your piece wasn’t selected it doesn’t mean it wasn’t as significant as those selected, it just means I was limited and chose those that appealed to my aesthetics. Nothing more, nothing less. Thank you all for participating in the Archway juried exhibition and keep adding the element of creative humanity that is art,” urged Gilbert.
Liz Conces Spencer, Co-Chair of the show with fellow artist, Becky Soria, said that being a Co-Chair for this show is a highlight of the year for her. “This year, coming out of COVID, we were even more excited about this exhibition, as we are able to hang the pieces and have visitors view the works in person. Our community has been busy being creative during their downtime, as we received a record number of pieces from the most artists ever for this annual exhibition. Just goes to prove that art is needed now more than ever,” remarked Spencer.
Becky Soria, Co-Chair added, “we wanted to give our charity partner the opportunity to be involved again since last year was such a challenge. So, we made the decision to work with Houston Junior Forum again this year.” Soria added, “congratulations to all of the artists whose work was selected and a special thanks to our dear friend, and Juror, Wayne Gilbert, whose time and talent has added much to this exhibition.”
The First, Second, and Third place winners are as follows:
First Place was awarded toAli Alamdar for his mixed media piece entitledVivid. Alamdar receives a $500 cash award with guest artist privileges for the month of August at Archway Gallery.
Second Place was awarded to Wendy Moreland for her quilled paper entitledSouthern Star.
Third place was awarded to Rusy Singh for his photography entitled “NYC Pride.”
Honorable Mentions included: Benji Stiles’ oil painting “Garden;” Zack Murray’s oil on wood “The Furnace;” Cameron Rowe’s sculpture “Say Something;” Michael Horvath’s assemblage of found objects “TNS Redfish”and Michelle Merritt’s charcoal on paper “Halley.”
Archway Gallery began its juried exhibition in 2009 to broaden opportunities for artists and to support local nonprofit organizations, donating 50 percent of the proceeds from the sales of the Juried Artwork to a community partner.
To view the 13th Annual Juried Exhibition, visit the gallery Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Masks are highly encouraged. Wayne Gilbert’s remarks can be viewed online or on Facebook @archwaygallery. All the winning pieces are available for sale online as well.
ARCHWAY GALLERY
2305-A Dunlavy St.
Houston, TX 77019
713-522-2409
For information on upcoming Archway Gallery shows, visit www.archwaygallery.com.