Juried Exhibition and Party Add Sparkle to the Holidays

Arts Alive - December 2019

The annual juried exhibition and holiday party sponsored by The Arts, Hancock County brings together some of the Gulf Coast's brightest creative talents.

- Story by Steve Barney, President, The Arts, Hancock County; photos by Steve Barney and Ellis Anderson

Organic wood bowl will be exhibited in the 3-dimensional category along with sculptures, mosaic, pottery and glass entries.

​On Saturday, December 7 between 6 - 8:30 pm, The Arts, Hancock County will host their annual juried exhibition, awards and holiday party at Waveland’s Ground Zero Museum, 335 Coleman Avenue, and everyone is invited to attend.
 
This is a big event not to be missed, and it’s free and open to the public. The extraordinary collection of work from members of The Arts, Hancock County provides a rich backdrop for the holiday festivities, which will include jazz music by Ten North Frederick and delicious food and beverages by Rum Kitchen.
 
Historically, the juried exhibition has been part of the annual Arts Alive Festival in Bay St. Louis in March. As the exhibition has grown in quality and prestige it has become a stand-alone event in December, providing a capstone holiday party and celebration of the incredible year of programs and activities produced by The Arts, Hancock County.
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Arts Alive
is sponsored by

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 This year Paulette Dove, a fiercely competitive annual contender in the exhibition, puts on the juror hat and has the difficult task of selecting entries and awarding prizes.

Paulette Dove, who will serve as juror for this year's exhibition.

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Dove is a native of Biloxi and has been painting and exhibiting on the Gulf Coast for many years. She is a member of the Ocean Springs Art Association, president of the South Mississippi Art League and board member of the Mississippi Art Colony. She received her BFA and MEd. from the Mississippi University for Women and William Carey College.
 
Dove’s education includes workshops at Louisiana Tech University, Savannah School of Art, University of West Virginia, and Marty Todd Bean. She has many years of experience teaching, demonstrating, and exhibiting in Biloxi schools as well as at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, the Ohr-O 'Keefe Museum of Art and the Walter Anderson Museum of Art.
 
In her painting, sculpture, and costuming, Dove lives by the words of artist Mark Rothko: “Art is an adventure into an unknown world, which can be explored only by those willing to take the risk.”
 
“My life as an artist is like being a gambler,” she says, “working with risk— and not always winning the bet of a successful piece.” She concludes, “You must be willing to lose and continue.”
 

This stunning work is in contention in the 2-D category, which includes painting, drawing and fabric art on a flat plane.

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The Arts is honored to have Dove, one of the best-known and most celebrated contemporary artists on the Gulf Coast, as juror this year.
 
In October, she and fellow artist Michelle Allee gave a captivating and insightful presentation to a packed house at the Arts monthly membership meeting. This provided a rare opportunity to learn about the jurying process and get inside the juror’s head to learn about what it takes to be an award-winning artist across all media. Allee also demonstrated a do-it -yourself framing process and tips for finalizing and presenting your work.
 
This year’s show has drawn artists from New Orleans, Slidell and across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, featuring a breathtaking array of diverse works in genres across two and three-dimensional mediums.
 

Ethereal fog dominates this moody entry in the Photography category.

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When asked about this year’s entries, Dove says, “This year’s show is an interesting collection of art work, from the novice artist to highly acclaimed seasoned veterans.” Dove encourages viewers of the work to “critique, celebrate and find a connection.”
 
Whether one is a lifelong professional artist or a novice, being accepted into this highly competitive exhibition is a major accomplishment. Throughout the jury process, Dove took copious notes on each entry and is eager to share her insights with aspiring artists. This provides a unique chance to get candid feedback and insights for artists to improve their work, with a strong focus on the fundamentals of design.
 

Click on the thumbnails above to view some of the other impressive entries in the
​2-dimensional category.

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The festivities kick off with Christmas on Coleman starting at 4 pm, presented by the City of Waveland. Christmas on Coleman features six giant holiday greeting cards painted by local students who are working as interns for The Arts.
 
The event will include a variety of family-friendly activities, from caroling and face-painting to pictures with Santa and craft-making. A parade takes place at 5 pm, then the juried exhibition and holiday party kick off at 6 pm at the Ground Zero Museum.
 

Click on the thumbnails above to view some of the extraordinary entries in the Photography category.

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On Saturday night, $1,300 in cash prizes will be awarded to artists in the following categories:

• Category 1: Painting / Mixed media. Includes all 2-dimensional original artwork including painting, drawing, mixed media, encaustic, fabric.
• Category 2: Photo/ Digital. Includes photography and digitally manipulated imagery.
• Category 3: 3-dimensional. Vessels, sculpture and assemblages in 3 dimensions.
• The Founders Award:  Awarded for Best in Show across all categories.

 
The exhibition continues at the Ground Zero Museum until December 14. Museum hours are Tuesday thru Saturday, 10 am until 3 pm.
 

Click on the thumbnails above to view some of the entries in the
3-dimensional category.

2019 Exhibiting Artists

Steven Barney – stoneware
Melissa Brauen – acrylic
Carolyn Busenlener – acrylic
Regan Carney – stoneware
Holly Coia – gourd
Joan Coleman – mixed media
Armand Douroux – photo
Margaret Inabinet – mixed media
Doris Ingle – oil
Rudy King – acrylic
Solange Ledwith – glass
Sadako Lewis – mixed media

Ann Madden – mixed media
Renee Martin – pencil
Erin Perkins Curet – acrylic
Michael Ramsey – photo
Al Reisz – wood
Joanna Slay – mosaic
Romi Voorhies – photo
Cheri Voth – photo
John Walrod – assemblage
Chad Whitney – acrylic
Frederick Wiecek – acrylic
Doyle Yeager – acrylic 

 
The juried exhibition, awards and holiday party would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors: Ground Zero Museum, City of Waveland, Rum Kitchen, Compton Engineering, Ann Madden Photography and Design, Bay Town Inn, The Mane Salon, and our media partners: The Shoofly Magazine and The Sea Coast Echo. For more information, visit The Arts, Hancock County website at www.hancockarts.org.