Artists from across southwest Michigan and northern Indiana will be participating in the annual Carnegie Center for the Arts Regional Juried Show when it opens Sunday in downtown Three Rivers. With several entries submitted by Three Rivers Artist Guild members, the competition provides ample opportunity for the community to celebrate the local art scene.
A total of 96 artists from 18 different counties in Michigan and Indiana submitted their work to the long-standing annual exhibition in the first week of January 2023. Work in all forms of media including photography were permitted in the competition as long as it was original work that had been produced in the last two years. With $2,400 in awards to be presented during a ceremony following the opening reception on Sunday, January 22, creators will vie for such honors as Best of Show 2D, Best of Show 3D, the Juror Award, and eventually a People’s Choice Award (to be announced on February 23).
The Three Rivers Artist Guild, a nonprofit organization comprised of southwest Michigan-area artists, has several members who entered the juried show. Connie Kuilema, Eileen Mazurski, Lynn Johnson, William Welty, and Sandy Pype will have their respective works on display for the duration of the exhibit, January 22 through February 22, which range from intricate beadwork and complex quilted hangings to acrylic and watercolor paintings.
This year’s show is being juried by William Tourtillotte, an artist, educator, and art advocate whose primary areas of interest and practice include print-making and letterpress, Tourtillotte has been a visiting professor of art at the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s College, Purdue University, and Indiana University. Tourtillotte has also taught several art classes for his community including cultural workshops, comic book classes, and the creation of a 2013 mural at the St Joseph County Juvenile Justice Center in South Bend, Indiana.
Donna Grubbs, director of the Carnegie Center for the Arts, told Watershed Voice she has specific criteria she considers before selecting a juror or jurors. “I look for juror(s) who are from different regions, i.e. north, south, west and east, who are either artists or credentialed in different mediums, as our artwork entries are in varied and diverse mediums.”
All artists with submitted entries, their friends and family, Carnegie members and the public at large are invited to the opening reception this Sunday from 1-3 p.m. An awards ceremony will take place at 2 p.m., with Best in Show prizes set at $500 apiece. Gallery hours during the 2023 Juried Show will take place between January 22 and February 22, Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Beca Welty is a staff writer and columnist for Watershed Voice.
