18th Annual Mid-Atlantic Art Show

The d'ART Center's highly anticipated 18th Annual Mid-Atlantic Art Exhibition "Open to All Media", presented by BB&T, is currently on exhibit April 25, 2008 - June 8, 2008. The FREE Opening reception will be held on April 25, 2008 from 6-8 PM with an awards presentation at 7:00PM.   

On April 25 the d'ART Center unveiled the 18th annual Mid Atlantic Art Exhibition to an eager crowd of art patrons and artists. The evening included a presentation of $3,200 in awards including a Best in Show Purchase Award, allowing the selected artwork to be prominently featured in the d'ART Center's private art collection.  

The juror Claudia Rouseau, Professor of Art Claudia Rousseau, Professor of Art History at the School of Art and Design at Montgomery College (formerly the Maryland College of Art and Design), completed her B.A. at Hunter College and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Art History at Columbia University. Dr. Rousseau is a published scholar, a free-lance curator of art exhibitions both in the U.S. and abroad, and an art consultant. She is also a recognized critic and continues to be active in the field of contemporary art criticism in the Washington DC area. 

Claudia Rouseau selected 65 original 2-D and 3-D artwork for the exhibition. Artists from 19 states submitted 662 entries providing a bountiful array of artwork. Artists from around the country will be represented; including Texas, New York, Wisconsin, Utah, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia.

"When confronted with such a large body of works submitted as there was for this year’s d’ART Center Mid-Atlantic competition, the first thing is to go through all of it and get a feeling for the general level of creativity, originality, and quality. Following this, my procedure is to look very hard at each submission, and to try to analyze the intent of the artist, and to judge how well he/she succeeded in achieving that intent" notes Rouseau.

2008 Mid-Atlantic AWARDS:
    Best-in-Show $1500 : Joesph Kabriel, "Summer Rocks"
Juror's comment:
A symphonic interweaving of color and form, this painting excels in both abstract and figurative values at the same time. Playing with the issue of pictorial space, and with the viewer’s perception of pictorial space, the work varies greatly with the viewer’s distance from it. The rocks seem to rush forward toward the picture plane, and then to be, as though magically stopped by it. In this work, and his others in the exhibit, Kabriel also shows an extraordinary ability to express universal themes of time and entropy with his self-imposed limitation of subject. 

   Award of Excellence  $600: Ruth Scarlott: "Freedom Manual" and "What a Piece of Work is Man"
Juror’s comment:
A truly masterful blend of intimacy of technique and universality of themes. These works draw the viewer close to reward him with the marvelous complexity and poetry of their design

   Award of Distinction $300: Ann Bradshaw, "Radical Impact" and "Glorious Complexity"
Juror’s comment:
The two best of this artist’s submissions show a masterful use of the new medium of abstract photography in compelling compositions. Bradshaw’s work shows a fine balance between control and chance.

   Award of Merit  $200: Mark Johnson, "Nostalgia"
Juror’s comment:
A forceful composition with interesting layering of elements. Masterful use of color    

   Award of Merit $200: Peter Prusinowski, "Vital Essence: Latin American Series 4"
Juror’s comment:
Compelling composition in a classic black and white photo. Subtle, but tightly architectonic composition. Good range of tones.

   Alfred Bernard Award for Best Use of Medium $200: Peggy Wyman, "Wired"
Juror’s comment:
The entire body of work, especially this piece, shows engaging elegant design with flawless use of the fiber medium. The artist bends the fiber into works of dynamic form, providing dynamic composition from all views. Interesting additions that add imaginative flair.

   Edward G. Carson Award $200: Virginia Saunders, "Stephansdom"
Juror’s comment:
Nearly hallucinatory image, exceptionally strong composition and internal relations of form and color. Good use of photographic effects.

Claudia Rouseau shared, "All the Artists are to be congratulated and encouraged to continue in the direction they are going—always remembering that great artists always move forward in a coherent trajectory of style and idea, one thing after another."

The d'ART Center's Mid-Atlantic Art Exhibition started eighteen years ago as a way to recognize and award excellence in the visual arts. At that time there were no juried art exhibitions in the area. Starting the Mid-Atlantic Art Exhibit was an opportunity to connect with artists from outside the region and bring their talents to the d'ART Center. The 18th Annual Mid-Atlantic Art exhibition offers a variety of artistic mediums, heightening public awareness for fine art.

A special thanks to our presenting sponsor BB&T and Ms. Laura Cantrell for championing the art exhibition. 

 For additional questions please contact the d'ART Center 757-625-4211, connect@d-artcenter.org