Regional Arts Exhibition
Regional Arts Competition & Exhibition
THE FESTIVAL 2023 REGIONAL ARTS EXHIBITION WAS HELD AT SEVERAL PREMIER GALLERIES IN AND AROUND GRAND RAPIDS. PRIZES TOTALING MORE THAN $12,000 WERE AWARDED TO SELECT AREA ARTISTS FOR THEIR WORK IN THE FESTIVAL 2023 SHOW.
2023 Regional Arts Exhibition
Original artwork from west Michigan’s finest artists.
Over 200 original pieces in four categories, 2D, 3D, Illustration, and Photography were displayed at six galleries in the greater Grand Rapids area during the month of June.
Galleries:
Frames Unlimited South
2964 28th St SE
Kentwood, MI 49512
Frames Unlimited North
2964 28th St SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
Grand Valley Artists Gallery
2661 29th St SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
Muse GR
727 Leonard St NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archive
87 Monroe Center St NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
PaLatté Coffee and Art
150 Fulton St E
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Entries will be accepted through 2:00 PM on April 29. The selected works will be displayed from May 31 through June 30. A show of award winners will be held at the Grand Rapids Art Museum and LowellArts from July 8 through August 13.
The exhibition will be staged at these gallery locations:
• PaLatté Coffee and Art
• Frames Unlimited North and Frames Unlimited South
• The Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archive
• MUSE GR
• Grand Valley Artists Gallery
We thank them all for their participation.
Check back after May 7 for a list of artists who have been accepted into the Regional Arts Competition for Festival 2023.
Thank you for checking out our exhibition information.
For a complete list of all artists or if you are interested in viewing the pieces from the Festival 2023 exhibition visit our online gallery.
Festival of the Arts thanks LowellArts for hosting the 2023 Regional Arts Exhibition Awards Show at the LowellArts Gallery.
2023 Award Winners
| Name | RAE # | Title | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derrick Hollowell | $1000 Christina Bivins Memorial Award | ||
| Teresa Gaudino | 8 | Spring At The Pond | $150 Varineau Family Award |
| Teresa Gaudino | 9 | A Field of Color | $625 City of Grand Rapids Purchase Award Sponsored by LaFontsee Galleries |
| Richard Aardsma | 12 | Typewriter Still Life | $500 Grand Valley State University Art Gallery Purchase Award |
| Cari Povenz | 17 | In the Park | $200 Grand River Award |
| Darrell DeRuiter | 23 | Wing Jug with Decoy cover | $200 Warner Grand River Award |
| David Vail | 27 | The Day Dream | $100 2D Juror Award |
| DeLaine Klar | 39 | Gillett Bridge | $200 Warner Grand River Award |
| Tim Foley | 50 | How not to hike the John Muir trail. | $50 Comic Book Award Sponsored by Crop Marks |
| Lee Ann Frame | 59 | Crossing Private Property | $100 Lowell Arts Partnership Award |
| Ken Vidro | 73 | “Square Pear Adventures: Riddling in Grand Rapids!” | $150 Jim Zinn Memorial Award |
| John Leben | 76 | The Strong Survive | $100 Lowell Arts Partnership Award |
| Sue Lockwood | 81 | Language of Love | $100 Illustration Juror Award |
| David Kerley | 86 | Separation Anxiety | $125 Miller Johnson Purchase Award |
| David Kerley | 87 | Warp Drive Overload | $100 Vinecroft Studios Award |
| Scott Kacos | 90 | Circle Of Friends | $100 Lowell Arts Partnership Award |
| Scott Kacos | 92 | Deepening Shadows | $100 Lowell Arts Partnership Award |
| Lisa Dionne | 96 | Glorious Day On Lake Michigan | $100 Lowell Arts Partnership Award |
| James Johnson | 101 | Artist on Pearl Street Bridge | $200 Warner Grand River Award |
| Kathy Mohl | 114 | Dynamic Harmony | $200 Warner Grand River Award |
| Mary Lamson-Burke | 115 | Transfiguration 3 | $500 Educator Award sponsored by GR Pottery Forms Jeff Rottman |
| John Smith | 118 | Exotic Argyle | $100 3D Juror Award |
| Diane Charvat | 121 | Chicago Alley | $100 John S. Hyatt Image Award |
| Tammy Tran | 132 | Bloom-N-Wonder | $300 Illustration Juror Award |
| Tammy Tran | 132 | Bloom-N-Wonder | $200 The Brower Family Memorial Award |
| Ronald Campbell | 134 | Riverside Finds | $200 Warner Grand River Award |
| Joanne Swann | 145 | The Lone Free Ranger 2 | $200 WD8KPR Memorial Award |
| Mary Reusch | 168 | Grand Rapids, Grand River Overlook | $200 Warner Grand River Award |
| Tim Powers | 185 | untitled | $150 The Richard D. Thelen Memorial Award |
| Mike Taylor | 187/188 | Wood fired bottle with double godseye and Squat bottle | $250 West Michigan Potters Guild Award for Ceramics |
| Deborah Hoover | 189 | Falls | $725 Kent County Purchase Award |
| Christi Dreese | 201 | Object | $200 The O'Rourke Family Award |
| Tom Sampson | 202 | Generations | $300 3D Juror Award |
| Dale Kenel | 208 | Rainy City | $100 Lowell Arts Partnership Award |
| Mary Kuilema | 212 | Forest Reliquary | $100 Lowell Arts Partnership Award |
| James Bleeker | 213 | Guitar Mike Feeling the Blues | $150 Jim Zinn Memorial Award |
| Alex Klanke | 220 | Kade Chan's Fiery Dragon | $250 Little Kathy Memorial Award |
| Dennis O'Mara | 225 | Morning at a Montana Hay Yard | $200 Van Maarseveen/Timermanis |
| Michael Mitchell | 230 | Light Switch | $250 J. Russell Photography Award |
| Bill Chardon | 232 | White House - Canyon de Chelly | $100 Photography Juror Award |
| Colleen O'Rourke | 234 | Laoise and Ciara | $100 John S. Hyatt Image Award |
| Colleen O'Rourke | 236 | Elmear | $250 Warner Miniature Award |
| Tatsuki Hakoyama | 237 | As If the World Wasn't Ending | $200 2D Juror Award |
| Harminder Boparai | 245 | Birds | $200 Gordy Siggins Memorial Award |
| Dianne Carroll Burdick | 261 | North Light | $100 Photography Juror Award |
| Susan Luce | 265 | Blue Door | $100 Edgar and Wendy Marty Photography Award |
| Rebecca Luce | 267 | A Secret Discovered | $100 Illustration Juror Award |
| Kathleen Bechtel | 271 | Cacophony Of Fluttering Wings | $250 William John Heule Memorial Award |
| Jim Starkey | 272 | Grand River Nocturne | $100 Louis and Margaret Vander Have Memorial |
| Edd Kloote | 275 | Riverside Park | $200 Warner Grand River Award |
| Gina Bivins | 278 | Michigan Farm | $150 Elmer and Rita Zinn Memorial Award |
| Annemarie Biernacki | 281 | Footbridge over the Grand River at the Grand River Riverfront Park | $200 Grand River Award |
| Richard Deming Jr | 289 | Sunrise over the 6th Street Bridge | $200 Grand River Award |
| Richard Deming Jr | 289 | Sunrise over the 6th Street Bridge | $500 Grand Valley State University Art Gallery Purchase Award |
| Richard Deming Jr | 290 | Sunrise over the Grand | $200 Photography Juror Award |
| Diane Zoellmer | 292 | Partial Thaw | $200 Grand River Award |
| Bryce Sarber | 309 | Look at that ant,man… | $250 Warner Miniature Award |
| Matthew Schenk | 312 | Twin Apocalypse - Latoya Whispers to the Old Masters | $300 2D Juror Award |
| Claire Gill | 317 | Banded Vase | $250 Lafontsee Galleries 3-D Award |
| Claire Gill | 318 | Green Lace | $350 Miller Johnson Purchase Award |
| Monica Stegeman | 324 | Peace Dream | $100 Vinecroft Studios Award |
| Kristie Houseman | 325 | Divergent Perspective | $250 Miller Johnson Purchase Award |
| Brian Newton | 335 | Path to Happiness | $200 Michael B. Handlin/Party Down Music Memorial Award |
| Rita Shields | 338 | Twilight Time | $100 Lowell Arts Partnership Award |
| Rita Shields | 339 | Pond Life | $200 Warner Grand River Award |
| Rita Shields | 339 | Pond Life | $100 John S. Hyatt Image Award |
| Rine Wakeman | 348 | Refugia Frog #11 | $200 Grand River Award |
| Rine Wakeman | 349 | Refugia Trio | $150 Elmer and Rita Zinn Memorial Award |
| Ann G Rusky | 356 | Stillness and Subtlety | $200 Warner Grand River Award |
| Chris LaPorte | 358 | Wonder Us | $100 Lowell Arts Partnership Award |
| Chris LaPorte | 359 | Homage | $200 Grand Valley Artists Award |
| Jake Serra | 365 | Shoreline | $300 West Michigan Photography Collective: Photographic Acheivement Award |
| Aidan Gardner | 369 | Creature of Evolution | $200 Martha Despres Memorial Award |
| Aidan Gardner | 369 | Creature of Evolution | $4500 Grand Valley State University Art Gallery Purchase Award |
| Kathleen Ford | 373 | Up Until Now, All His Life Choices Have Been Questionable | $250 Shazam Award Presented by Teddy Summers |
| Anthony Bockheim | 380 | Urban Dandelions | $200 Photography Juror Award |
| Stephen Smith | 392 | Tree Hugger | $100 Bob Goudzwaard Memorial Award |
| Stephen Smith | 393 | Steam boat Willy | $200 Warner Grand River Award |
| John Katerberg | 399 | Bridge to a Beautiful Day | $100 Lowell Arts Partnership Award |
| Rusmel Mora | 407 | Torso #1 | $200 3D Juror Award |
Awards
Festival Regional Arts Awards will be back this year. We have commitments from the majority of the award sponsors from last year and will publish the list here soon.
WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW SPONSORS. You to can be a sponsor as well by following this link to the sponsor application.
Joshua Risner
Christina Marie Bivins Memorial Award
Each year the Christina Marie Bivins Memorial Award is given to an artist who has shown dedication to their art and to the Festival Regional Arts Competition and Exhibition. It is not given for a piece that was entered, but to the artist.
The Festival 2020 recipient was to Joshua Risner. You can view his work at www.joshuaadamart.com
Festival 2023 Jurors
Milt Klingensmith
Illustration, Graphic Novels, Comic Books, and Anime
Jerry Berta
3D and Multi-media
Jerry Berta has been a studio artist since 1975, working in ceramics, sculpture, paintings and 2D mixed media. Known for creating sculptures of neon diners as well as restoring Rosie’s Diner.
Mary Sundstrom
2-D including Painting, Drawing, and Prints
Mary Sundstrom is a West Michigan artist, metalsmith, and art instructor. Mary is greatly influenced by the natural beauty of her region. As a naturalist, she is influenced by the creatures, botanicals, and minerals residing among the bayous and shorelines that surround the Great Lakes where she lives. Her usually playful artwork represents what she sees in nature. When Mary is not painting or mushroom hunting in the woods she is the Exhibitions Director at the Holland Area Arts Council. Here she designs exhibits and manages public art projects. Mary has been at the Arts Council for sixteen years and is married with a 23 year old daughter who is also an artist.
Henry Droski
Photography
Henry is a West Michigan photographer native to Grand Rapids, who has been re-energized to the Art of Photography since 2008. His portfolio includes life and social events and commercial work. He has been accepted and awarded in juried art exhibits both regionally and internationally. A lifelong connection to Northern Michigan and the Canadian Shield has fine tuned his focus on the artistic representation of landscapes and life’s experiences.
“I find inspiration in the serenity and simplicity of Oriental art, integrating line and balance of space. I am relishing each day with meditation; experiencing an ever changing world and finding the visual interplay of Light in the most interesting places.”
The path I have chosen is best described by Marcel Proust:
The real voyage of discovery
Consists not in seeking new landscapes
But in having new eyes