We went, we walked, we chatted with artists and saw new bright work from across the country at ArtiGras 2013. Congratulations to everyone who was accepted into this prestigious show!  The Rickie Report applauds your artistic creativity and looks forward to seeing more of your work!

The ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival is produced by The Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce. The Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit organization whose nearly 800 members represent all aspects of business and industry. Their continuing mission is to be the unified voice of business driving sustainable growth and prosperity. The Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce focuses on the development and retention of businesses, taking an active role in business, providing meaningful member services and improving the quality of life for all residents in their community.

More than an art show, this event truly brings the larger community together in many different ways.  The local entertainment and attractions included a variety of ways to get involved.  The ArtiKids Area promised a space where  kids  got their hands dirty and experienced art!   They helped build a sculpture, sat at a pottery wheel, or made a piece of art from recycled materials to take home.  It was a place where children were able to expand their mind and their art!

Fine Arts Area: Showcased the talents of 300 national, regional and community-based fine artists.  The show is noted for strong art sales and is rated one of the top 50 shows in the nation by Sunshine Artist Magazine.  All artists are required to be present during the show, to allow the guests to meet and get to know the artists.  Artists competed for more than $15,000 in prize and purchase awards money in the areas of ceramics, digital art, drawing/graphics/print making, emerging artists, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, painting, photography, sculpture and wood.

 

Garden Art Area: Offered handmade craft items created with the backyard garden in mind. Patrons found unique items useful in their homes and as garden accessories. The selection was varied  and included wood, glass, sculptures, fountains and furnishings.

 

Jim McCann’s Copper Canvas

Georgia Artist Don McWhorter Takes Home Best in Show at the 2013 ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival JUPITER, Fla. — The 2013 ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival presented by Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center and produced by the Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce Don McWhorter of Carrollton, Ga., has won Best in Show for his work in ceramics. Attached is a photograph of (l to r) ArtiGras Honorary Chair Don Kiselewski, Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce CEO Beth Kigel with Best of Show winner Don McWhorter at the 2013 ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival. “I am very flattered to be named Best in Show at ArtiGras,” said McWhorter, who has shown his ceramic work at 18 of the last 20 ArtiGras Fine Arts Festivals. “The other artists here are just phenomenal, and I honored just to be in the same show as them, let alone win an award.”   The winners were selected by three judges who scored each artist and awarded a Best in Show and a first-place winner in each of the 14 categories. The following is a list of the artists who placed first in each category:   First Last Medium Award Hometown Don McWhorter Ceramics Best in Show Carrollton, Ga. Robin Rodgers Ceramics First Tallahassee, Fla. Edward Loedding Digital Art First Brandon, Vt. Flo Kemp Drawing and Printmaking First Setauket, N.Y. Shelly Cox Emerging Artists First Jupiter, Fla. Jean Yao Fiber – Nonwearable First Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Leah Dziewit Fiber – Wearable First Maple City, Mich. Richard Ryan Glass First Bourbonnais, Ill. Michael Alexander Jewelry First New York, N.Y. Vince Pompei Metal First St. Petersburg, Fla. B. Corey Johnson Mixed Media First Royal Palm Beach, Fla. Danny O’Driscoll Painting First Batesburg, S.C. Richard Auger Photography First Summerfield, Fla. Peter Rujuwa Sculpture First Indianapolis, Ina. Barrie Harding Wood First Dunnellon, Fla.       The winners of the 2013 ArtiGras Youth Art Competition were announced during the first day of the ArtiGras Fine Art Festival presented by Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center and produced by the Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Fourth grade youth art 1st place winner Kailyn Bryant from Panther Run Elementary and (back row from left to right) Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce Marketing & Events Coordinator Erin Devlin, ArtiGras poster artist Paul Seaman, ArtiGras Honorary Chair Don Kiselewski and Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce CEO Beth Kigel. Commerce. More than 174 students in grades kindergarten through 12thsubmitted artwork for the competition in mediums ranging from pencil and crayon to chalk and paint. Artwork was judged by local artists and art educators who had the daunting task of narrowing down the hundreds of entries to only 57 finalists then selecting a first, second and three place winner for each school grade. The 2013 ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival will run through Monday, February 18 at Abacoa in Jupiter. The outdoor arts event showcases a juried exhibition of outstanding fine art along with activities which include live entertainment, artist demonstrations, adult and children’s interactive art activities, Youth Art Competition Gallery and the opportunity to meet more than 300 of the top artists from around the world. Listed as one of the top 50 festivals in the country, ArtiGras 2013 expects more than 100,000 patrons over the three-day period.For additional information on ArtiGras, visit www.artigras.org or contact the Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce at (561) 748-3946.   The following is a list of the winners per school grade:   Kindergarten 1 Alexandra Losquadro St. Marks 2 Eliana Diaz Panther Run Elementary 3 Carter Tran Palm Beach Gardens Elementary HM Kimora Hernandez U.B. Kinsey Elementary S.O.A. HM Kalliope Kaimakliotis Lighthouse Elementary HM Aleksander Lerner Dwight D. Eisenhower 1st Grade 1 La Fina Khan Timber Trace Elementary 2 Mia Dellobuono Gardens School of Technology Arts 3 Connor Navm Panther Run Elementary HM Amelia Catto Hammock Pointe Elementary HM Natalie Parratto Jerry Thomas Elementary HM Taleyah Ricketts U.B. Kinsey Elementary S.O.A 2nd Grade 1 Adie Daniels Gardens School of Technology 2 Will Labanz S. Marks Episcopal 3 Brandon Bedford U.B. Kinsey HM Zoe Zudans Palm Beach Gardens Elementary HM Katie Thyroff Jerry Thomas Elementary HM Lucas Roig Poinciana Day School 3rd Grade 1 Anthony Arvidson Palm Beach Gardens Elementary 2 Aeryn Meyer Poinciana Day School 3 Marcus Benson Beacon Cove HM Tracy Feuer Panther Run Elementary HM Erinlyn Tirado Jupiter Christian HM Rhianna Goodwin Limestone Creek Elementary 4th Grade 1 Kailyn Bryant Panther Run Elementary 2 Cameron Ricoca Beacon Cove 3 Romella Bellanton JFK Medical Center Charter School HM Cameron Flora St. Marks Episcopal HM Peyton Esposito Poinciana Day School HM Anthony Beaudoin Elbridge Gale Elementary 5th Grade 1 Tessa Williams Marsh Pointe Elementary 2 Selah Cotton Jupiter Christian 3 Ava Kehde Beacon Cove Intermediate HM Regan Jones Limestone Creek Elementary HM Gabriella Gilliam St. Marks Episcopal HM Jane Djajaputra JFK Medical Center Charter School 6th Grade 1 Theresa Turkowski Watson B. Duncan Middle School 2 Ashely O’Connell Jupiter Christian School 3 Conor Meyburg St. Mark’s Episcopal School 7th Grade 1 Destiny Robinson Watson B. Duncan Middle School 2 Alexi Smith Bright Futures Academy 3 Joe Sullivan Jupiter Christian School 8th Grade 1 Anibal Alvarado Watson B. Duncan Middle 2 Isabella Reynolds Wellington Christian 3 Emily Husak Jupiter Christian 9th Grade 1 Katerina “Katie” Dominguez Suncoast High School 2 Rene VanOverbeck Jupiter Christian 3 Dominique Gbedey Wellington High School 10th Grade 1 Frederick Jolowski Jupiter Community High School 2 Laura Louberti Seminole Ridge High School 3 Maria Maciejko Jupiter Christian 11th Grade 1 Julia Greene Palm Beach Central High School 2 Veena Karanan Suncoast High School 3 Robin Rosier Seminole Ridge 12th Grade 1 Britney Molina Palm Beach Central High School 2 Melanie Mroczek Jupiter Christian 3 Kayla Jean Long South Tech         For more information about ArtiGras: www.artigras.org, e-mail information requests toinfo@artigras.org. For coverage of your events, to place an advertisement, or speak to Rickie about appearing in The Rickie Report, contact The Rickie Report at: Rickie Leiter, Publisher The Rickie Report P.O.Box 33423 Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33420 Rickie@therickiereport.com 561-537-0291

ArtiGras gets a large crowd of attendees as well as hundreds of applications from artists and artisans to be accepted into this prestigious show each year.   The Rickie Report had the opportunity to speak the judges of Artigras 2012.

Consider these numbers:

Applicants to ArtiGras 2012:  1,100  Accepted:  280

Emerging Artist Applicants:  42  Accepted: 13

The application process for ArtiGras 2013 begins in April!

The day after ArtiGras 2012 is over marks the beginning of the planning process for ArtiGras 2013.  Did you notice that this is truly a “show within a show” in many aspects?  There are the 280 artists’ tents and 13 more to include “emerging artists” ( who have not been in a professionally juried show before).  There are the food and beverage vendors and don’t forget the local non-profit organizations whose presence informs the community.

Add to this the entire local school district’s involvement in the “recycle art” program which enhances the decor of the refuse cans along the ArtiGras route.  We hope you put your coins in the boxes to vote for your favorite!   The top 10 prize winners will get monies for their school arts programs.  There were 20 participants this year, including whimsical and serious “recycle” messages.

The 2012 theme, “One of a Kind”  worked well.  The 30 committee members (all volunteers) and the 1,200 other volunteers needed to make this event happen seamlessly are the true heroes.   A post-event survey will be sent out to help form Artigras 2013 into an even better event.

The Rickie Report often hears grumbling comments about having to pay to walk into ArtiGras, when other art and craft shows on the streets of our communities are free and open. Why is Artigras different?

There is rigorous jurying involved with this event, as you can see from the number of applicants.  Professional judges are involved in the three day-long jurying process.  The Northern Palm Beach Cultural Council accepts applications from April through September.  In October, the jurors meet for an “open jurying” process.  They spend 3 days from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm looking through the digital Zapplication files. 

Did you know that anyone is welcome to be present during the jurying process?  This “‘open jurying” helps artists understand the underpinnings of the heart of this show.  The jewelry applications include the highest number of applicants and can take over 3 hours to go through.  The judges are looking at digital images, one at a time, in each category.  They then record their choices through a numbering system.

If you are applying, you can see not only your work, but your competition’s!   This is a moment you might want to take advantage of…see where you stand in the line up.  Sobering yet a real life learning opportunity.  The staff will let applicants know the approximate hours and day that their category will be judged.

In addition to this exhaustive and intense jurying system, ArtiGras offers live entertainment, demonstrations by the artists, a kids area where they can make show their own budding artistry and painting classes for adults.  All of the monies generated by Artigras stay in the local community, going to schools and area non-profit groups.  The ArtiGras planners try to ensure that there is something for almost everyone, meaning price points ranging from $8.00 to beyond.  In fact, The Rickie Report was impressed with the affordability of this show’s wares.

Once an artist has been accepted to ArtiGras, their judgement days are not over!  There is a different set of judges who walk the entire show, deliberating which artist will be deemed “Best of Show” and awarded  $3,000.  Plus, First Place of each of the 13 mediums will be judged and awarded $1,000. each.

Judith Wood of West Palm Beach, FL was awarded Best in Show with her mixed media jewelry.  “Wow! That is the best adjective I can think of to describe how I feel.  Winning Best in Show was not expected so all I can really say is wow”, she shared.

Necklace by Judith Wood

The winners were selected by three judges who scored each artist and awarded a Best in Show and a first-place winner in each of the 13 categories. The following is a list of the artists who placed first in each category:

Marvin Bower of Boonsboro, MD, in Fiber – Wearable; Jayne Demarcay of Abita Springs, LA, in Jewelry; Shelagh Forrest of Gainesville, FL, in Photography; R.C. Fulwiler of Lakeland, FL, in Digital Art; Peter Gerbert of Dade City, FL, in Painting; Barrie Harding of Dunnellon, FL, in Wood; Corey Johnson of Royal Palm Beach, FL, in Mixed Media; Edward Loedding of Brandon, VT, in Drawing and Printmaking; Don McWhorter of Carrollton, GA, in Ceramics; Richard Ryan of Bourbonnais, IL, in Glass; Alex Santamarina of San Francisco, CA, in Metal; Jean Yao of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, in Fiber – Nonwearable.

Gilded Koi by Corey Johnson

There are so many aspects to ArtiGras that  you need more than one day to walk the show, speak with the artists ( who must be at their booths unless they are relieved by an ArtiGras volunteer for a break), take in all of this creative energy, and hopefully, go home with a new piece of hand made artwork.   The artists also have an opportunity to donate a piece of their work to a children’s sale.  You will see a purple ribbon “thank you” at these artists’ tents.  (As we said, this is truly a “show within a show”).

The winners of the 2012 ArtiGras Youth Art Competition were announced  the first day of the ArtiGras Fine Art Festival presented by Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center.  More than 250 students in grades kindergarten – 12^th submitted artwork for the competition in mediums ranging from pencil and crayon to chalk and paint.  Artwork was judged by local artists and art educators who had the daunting task of narrowing down the hundreds of entries to only 77  finalists then selecting a first, second and three place winner along with three honorable mentions for each school grade.

The following is a list of the first, second and third place winners along with three honorable mentions per school grade:

The judges listed below decided on the cash prizes.  It took them almost a full day on Saturday to achieve their goal.  They looked not only at the artists’ work but also their displays.  The Rickie Report has written about this aspect of being in a show previously.  For the artists reading this, please consider how appealing your display is – by the time someone has reached your booth they have probably seen other booths in a similar medium.  What will make yours stand out from the rest?

Meet the jurors:

Andrea Schoen

Andrea Schoen is an accomplished Art Teacher who has now retired and returned to her passion of jewelry design and creation.  From 1988 to 2006, Andrea was a tenured Art Teacher at Spring Valley HS- Art/Comp Graphics and Studio Art.  She taught Primary through High School levels developing specialized programs in darkroom, photography, computer graphics and calligraphy. Upon retiring, she continued her studies in glass and metal work.  She has sharpened or added to her skills in fabrication, stone setting, wax, enameling, hinges, clasps, casting, lapidary, and jewelry repairs.  Andrea is currently the 2011-2012 Vice President of the Florida Society of Goldsmiths SE Chapter.

Ilene Adams

With over 25 years of professional experience in graphic design, print making, illustration, fabric design, and faux finishing, Ilene brings a wealth of information and creativity to her work.  After owning a nationally acclaimed broadcast marketing company in the Northeast for over 20 years, Ilene focused her energy and skills on the creation of wonderful, warm environments for homes and businesses from New York to Miami.  She has over 300 commissions and collections in homes and businesses from Boston to Ft. Lauderdale.  An award winning artist, Ilene has been featured in many design magazines both in the New York metropolitan area and the Palm Beaches.  Ilene’s business and art education spans Harvard University – MA, School of Visual Arts – NY, Temple University, Tyler School of Art – PA, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Tyler School of Art, ROME.

Ofra Friedman

Ofra Friedman is a sculptor who works with a unique technique of wire mesh, welded metal and mixed media.  Her sculptures are in public and private collections throughout Florida and in Canada.  In 2009 she created 3 outdoor sculptures for Tampa outdoor kinetic sculpture competition, and was awarded ‘People’s choice’ award for her sculpture.  Ofra is an experienced judge and a prolific art exhibitor throughout Florida. She brings a well rounded and diverse, global art education beginning with Wire Mesh Sculpture gained in Israel, Stone Sculpture acquired in Florida, Visual Arts and Interior Design studied in Maryland and Performing Arts and Dance in New York.  She is a member of a number of professional organizations dedicated to the women and the arts throughout Florida.

Joe Korth

A jewelry artist and metalsmith from Denver, Colorado.  Joe was born in Berkeley, CA.  His first exposure to jewelry creation was in a high school art class.  Joe continued his education at Eastern Michigan University where he earned a B.A. with a dual major in Philosophy and Literature.  After completing his degree in 2002, he moved to Denver and began to explore his love for the arts.  He enrolled in classes at the Clear Creek Academy of Jewelry and Metal Arts (formerly the Denver Jewelry Academy) and began exploring his potential as a jewelry artist.  He has devoted himself completely to jewelry since 2004.  Joe is currently working as an instructor at the Clear Creek Academy, teaching the Introduction and Intermediate level Silversmithing classes as well as a workshops in Chainmaking and Jewelry Photography.  Since 2009, Joe has been on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Metalsmithing Society.

The Rickie Report spoke to each of these jurors to get their impressions of the overall show, the artwork, and personal observations.  They all agreed they enjoyed the experience and would be interested in jurying this as well as other shows in the future.  Each judge, when interviewed, expressed amazement at how well managed ArtiGras is, considering its large scope.

TRR:  How did you prepare for this jurying process?

The Judges:  We met for the first time on Saturday at ArtiGras.  We agreed that there would be a scale from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest).  We tried not to use “4″ unless necessary.  Zapplications provided us with wireless computers to keep track of the scoring and make sure we saw every artist’s tent.  This process eliminated discussion among us and helps eliminate our own personal opinions.  Though there was a learning curve using the new technology, most agreed that this leveled the playing field in terms of scoring.  The computer program also gave thumbnail overviews of each artist’s work.  This turned out to be important not only to help the judges score the correct booth, but to ensure that the work the artist was initially accepted for was indeed in their booth.  Judges disqualified themselves from scoring artists with whom they had personal relationships.

TRR: Tell us about your overall impression of the work you saw this year.

The Judges: Some of it was beautifully crafted, while a large part of the wares the vendors were selling were commercially oriented.  One judge felt that 5-10% was truly fine art and considered it very well done.  The excitement of seeing an artist create a totally new medium impressed all of them.  While one judge may look for emotion, depth and originality, another is looking for craftsmanship and creativity.  There may have been many potters, the ones that stood out were trying new processes and working with new materials.  Though the jurying process was exhausting, it engendered a lot of excitement because of this creative energy.

TRR:  Do you have any suggestions for artists applying to shows such as ArtiGras?

The Judges:  An artist should develop a clear artistic style.  This does not mean they cannot grow or change, but there needs to be a common element in each of their pieces of work.  Maintain your training.  Keep sharing with other artists in your field and accept feedback.  Identifiability is necessary for success but you don’t have to confine yourself.  Consider having a well-rounded approach to what you are offering to the consumers: some semi-commercial pieces which are your “bread and butter” and some one-of-a-kind pieces as well.  Hone your business skills.  If you are not sure how to market yourself, hire someone to do that part of the business while you work on your art.   Most people attending an art show like this are looking at aesthetics and elements of design rather than technical aptitude. Do something with your tent/booth area to draw people in.

The Rickie Report thanks the judges, organizers, and artists of ArtiGras 2012 for sharing their insights.  TRR is honored to have been part of the call not only for artists but judges as well.   For more information about ArtiGras contact: Suzanne@npbchamber.com or 561-748-3945.

ArtiGras 2013 Application is ready – go to:

 www.artigras.org

For coverage of your events, to place an advertisement, or speak to Rickie about appearing in The Rickie Report, contact The Rickie Report at:

Rickie Leiter, Publisher

The Rickie Report

P.O.Box 33423

Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33420

Rickie@therickiereport.com

561-537-0291

There is a reason Artigras is more than one day – you need at least three to see everything worth seeing – and there is a lot to see! 

The 27th annual ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival, presented by Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, is an outdoor arts event showcasing a juried exhibition of outstanding fine art and featuring activities which include live entertainment, artist demonstrations, interactive art activities for all ages and a youth art competition. Listed as one of the top 50 festivals in the country, ArtiGras 2012 expects more than 250 artists and 125,000 guests over the three-day holiday weekend.

The Rickie Report will highlight a few of the artists you will be able to meet at this year’s event.

ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival

Saturday, February 18th 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Sunday, February 19th  10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Monday, February 20th  10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Put your sunscreen and comfortable footwear on and head to Abacoa!

You don’t need to scuba dive if you love fish!  When you go to Artigras, stop by Michelle Nicole Lowe’s booth to see her amazing artwork.   You may feel like the fish are looking at you!  Their realistic colors and markings are a true marvel.

Michelle Nicole Lowe’s Fish

Michelle’s art has a tropical theme as she hopes to share her love of the Caribbean through her paintings.  The artist resides in Islamorada in the Florida Keys where she can be inspired by diving, fishing, kayaking and all activities around the ocean.

Michelle’s family has been in the Bahamas and the Florida Keys for generations and she has thus spent most of her life enjoying these islands.  She has loved art since she picked up her first paintbrush at North Palm Beach Elementary School.  By the time she was attending Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami her art began to win awards including first place in watercolors in the Beaux Arts Festival Student Artist Showcase at the Lowe Art Museum for her painting, Tropical Beauty.

While at the University of Florida, Michelle was an exchange student in Florence, Italy where she enrolled in art classes.  After graduating from Florida with a finance degree, Michelle worked for Accenture, an IT consulting company, in Washington D.C.  While with Accenture, she continued to develop her artistic talent by attending classes at the Corcoran School of Art.  Michelle was also able to show her art at the 10th Annual Artomatic, a month long art festival in D.C.

In 2009, Michelle was accepted to Studio Art Centers International in Florence, Italy where she could pursue her dream of being an artist on a full time basis.  While in Florence for the year, she began to hone her skills in mediums other than her now expert watercolor painting and even picked up a bit of the Italian language.

Michelle currently exhibits her work at many of Florida’s top rated art shows, see her event page for a frequently updated show schedule.  Michelle’s original artwork is also available in Limited Edition Giclée Reproductions.  If you are interested in original artwork, giclée reproductions or commissioned artwork, please contact her at   www.michellenicolelowe.com  .

Color saturates Nancy Tilles paintings!   Take a deep breath and just stand in her booth taking it all in.

Waterlilies

Nancy Tilles is an award winning artist, well known for her paintings and portraits. Her paintings are joyful expressions brought to life through color and form.  Influenced by living in South Florida for over 30 years, her images often reflect a tropical theme, rich in color.

Nancy’s work has been commissioned publicly and privately numerous times. In March, 2011 her painting “Gemstone Hawksbill Turtle” was chosen to represent the Art Fest by the Sea in Jupiter with a commemorative poster.  “Sea eScape”, her underwater series, was purchased by the City of Sunny Isles in Miami Beach. Her portrait of a young rider jumping her horse in “Sheer Determination”, was awarded best of show and chosen as the cover of “Palms West Almanac” Magazine 2004.  Community participation is important to Nancy and she regularly donates work to various charitable organizations.  She is presently licensing many of her images to appear on different products.

Nancy enjoys exhibiting her work at art festivals where she can meet people and exchange ideas. She has appeared in festivals throughout Florida including Artigras, Sunfest, Naples Art Fair, and Jupiter Art Fest by the Sea.  Recent exhibits include the Palm Beach International Airport , the Village of Wellington’s Art in Public Places, the Town of Jupiter Community Center, Village Art Gallery in Tequesta and one man show at Whole Foods in Wellington.  Presently her work can also be seen at Alligator Art in Wellington, Hurricane Cafe in Jupiter and Palm Beach Jewelers in North Palm Beach.

Originally from New York, Nancy earned her BFA from the University of Miami in 1977.  She currently resides in Palm Beach Gardens and spends her time working on commissions and teaching adults who are interested in perfecting their painting skills or learning how to paint for the first time.  To contact Nancy: ntilles@comcast.net

For more information about ArtiGras, please contact the Northern Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce at (561) 748-3946 or  www.artigras.org

For coverage of your events, listing of announcements in our events section, to place an advertisement, or speak to Rickie about appearing in The Rickie Report, contact The Rickie Report at:

Rickie Leiter, Publisher

The Rickie Report

P.O.Box 33423

Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33420

Rickie@therickiereport.com

561-537-0291