24th Annual Governor’s Art Show Announces Awards
Outstanding works by participating artists and local students honored
Loveland, Colorado – The 24th Annual Governor’s Art Show has honored 11 works by artists participating in this year’s show. A panel has named one piece Best in Show, and has designated 10 other pieces with Awards of Merit. Work by local students was also honored, and those young artists received scholarships funds from the Loveland and Thompson Valley Rotary Clubs.
“We are proud of the 24-year track record the Governor’s Art Show has established of being a place to see and purchase some of the best work by the best artists from throughout Colorado,” said Show Director Pam Osborn. “Entries and interest in the show keep growing each year, and we welcome those interested in seeing and owning these works to Loveland.”
This year’s selection for Best in Show, receiving a prize of $1,000, is Emerge, flatwork by Windsor artist Mark Bailey. Bailey’s participation in this year’s show is the first time an artist has come full circle during the Governor’s Art Show’s 24 years. In 2001, Bailey, then a senior at Thompson Valley High School in Loveland, received a Rotary Art Scholarship from the show of $1,000. He went on to study and launch his professional career, and this is the first year he’s entered the Governor’s Art Show.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be a part of the show this year, and excited to receive such an award. It is a really special occasion for me, being the first time showing my work in Colorado, in my home town at that, and to win Best in Show is truly an honor,” said Bailey.
Ten other pieces were given 2015 Merit awards, and $100 was presented to each of these artists. Those works can be seen here, and include:
Laundry Set Sail, Flatwork, by Dawn Normali
Sotto Voce – A Low Soft Voice, Flatwork, by Don Hamilton
A Little Mischief, Flatwork, by Ezra Tucker
Orange Sky, Flatwork, by James Biggers
Greenback Cutthroat, Flatwork, by Jeff Legg
Captain Percival Clankingstone, Sculpture, by Jon Paul Price
Meme, Sculpture, by Mark Leighliter
Winter Railyard, Flatwork, by Ron Zito
Crusin’, Flatwork, by Sherrie York
Onward, Sculpture, by Wayne Salge
Leighliter has a number of sculptures featured in a garden that will be in September’s “Gardens of the Year” issue of San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles magazine.
Sherri York’s Cruisin’ reduction linocut was also accepted into the Birds in Art exhibition at the Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin for the 40th anniversary of that museum’s flagship show, which is widely recognized as the premiere exhibition of bird art in the country.
Student winners and recipients of $2,000 Loveland & Thompson Valley Rotary Art Scholarships this year include:
Brody Olson, Thompson Valley High School, for Above All Else, a digital work.
Macy Funk, Berthoud High School, for Vintage, a work in color pencil.
Tori Knutsen, Mountain View High School, for Float, done in pen ink.
The Governor’s Art Show Opening Night Gala will be Saturday, May 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and is the public’s first opportunity to view and purchase pieces on display by this year’s select group of artists. Tickets are available on the Governor’s Art Show website.
This show is open to the public May 31 through June 28, 2015 at the Loveland Museum/Gallery during regular museum hours. The Loveland Museum/Gallery is located at 503 North Lincoln Avenue in downtown Loveland, Colorado. Visit the museum’s website for more information and hours of operation.
As part of the show’s opening weekend, the annual Plein Air Demonstration and Auction will be Sunday, May 31 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Osborn Farm. More than a dozen artists will create and display work during this family-friendly event. Osborn Farm is located at 1230 South Boise Avenue in Loveland.
In addition, Heather Arenas, Dan Augenstein, Pat Saunders-White, Jeff Legg and Carolyn Barlock will do live demonstrations on Saturday June 13, 2015 from noon to 3:00 p.m. at Loveland Museum/Gallery.
The 2015 show, as in years past, features a juried collection of outstanding works by Colorado artists. For more than 20 years, both the Loveland and Thompson Valley Rotary Clubs have combined efforts to sell more than $2 million of work by Colorado artists.
Beneficiaries of Sale Proceeds
This event is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Loveland and Thompson Valley Rotary Clubs. Funds raised through the sale of art at the show go to clubs’ respective foundations. Throughout the year, funds are given to a wide variety of causes and groups, including the Thompson Valley Honor Society for painting Valentine hearts; shelter boxes for Haiti; medical supplies for those in need around the world; clean water projects in Nicaragua and Burma; shoes for children in Thailand; Trees, Water, People; Rotary International’s “Stamp Out Polio” project; Project Self Sufficiency; House of Neighborly Service; art scholarships for local students’ and Rotary Youth Leadership Camp scholarships.
About the Governor’s Art Show
The Governor’s Art Show is the largest fundraiser and a capstone project of the Loveland and Thompson Valley Rotary Clubs. It stands out as one of the most prestigious exhibits of original art in the Western United States. For more information about the Governor’s Art Show, visit www.governorsartshow.org, call 970-663-0919, or email director@governorsartshow.org. You can also learn more at the event’s Facebook page.