Art from Within winners announced

BEMIDJI – The fourth annual Art from Within juried show proved to be both painful and joyful for the artists and those families there to accept the cash prize in lieu their relative who submitted art work.

The winners were announced Friday for the show, sponsored by the Greater Minnesota Racial Justice Project North of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Most of the art submitted came from the heart, minds and hands of the artists, many who were behind prison walls.

The artwork from those who are affected by incarceration was introduced to the public during the April First Friday reception at Headwaters School of Music and the Arts.

Families and friends gathered to view the newly placed pieces of art ranging from fiber arts, beadwork, pottery, and oils to watercolor painting, pencil sketches drawn on available paper, color pens on poster board or deeply felt emotions sketched onto a pillow case.

With a record number of submissions this year, 64 artists entered three pieces of their work, which intensified the work of the jury members because of the quality of the pieces and the artist’s statements about their submissions.

One of the winners spoke of being a beginner in beadwork, winning best in show for the category, yet an artist who has a national reputation as a sculptor.

Because there were numbers next to each piece, the jury members were also surprised to learn the names of the winners in each category when they came together to vote on their personal choices.

A word about the members of the jury, seven in all, who came from all walks of life: college professor, administrator, artist, poet and art consumer. They spent more than an hour walking with scoring sheets in hand from one piece to another reading statements and studying the submission. What is great art to one viewer, probably based upon an emotional response, may find the “expert” in the genre unimpressed. When the voting began, it was soon obvious that, although from different walks of life, the jury members were cohesive and confident of their individual choices.

This year each artist was asked to state what the Bill of Rights means to them.

The first place and honor mention winners were announced as follows:

– $250 Best in Show went to Michael Goodwin, Jr.; $50 Honorable Mention Shane Stone.

– $250 Social Justice Award went to Lindsey Owens.

– $75 Best Emerging Artist under 18 went to Lindsey Owens.

– $75 Best Emerging Artist over 18 went to Shane Stone.

– $75 Best in Oil Painting went to Shane Stone; $50 honorable mention David B. White.

– $75 Best in Acrylic Painting went to Michael Lemon; $50 honorable mention Shane Stone.

– $75 Best in Watercolor went to Antonio Seenyur; $50 honorable mention Shane Stone.

– $75 Best in Pastels went to Sharon Mitchell; $50 honorable mention Michael Goodwin.

– $75 Best in Charcoal went to Michael Goodwin; $50 honorable mention Cary Crowell.

– $75 Best in Pencil went to Michael Goodwin; $50 honorable mention Bruce R. Fairbanks.

– $75 Best in Beadwork went to Dewey Goodwin; $50 honorable mention to Melanie Wilson.

– $75 Best in Mixed Medium-Sculpture to Tim Stone; honorable mention Dewey Goodwin.

– $75 Best in Pottery went to Bambi Goodwin.

–$75 Best in Poetry went to Logan Sells; $50 honorable mention to David Staples.

– $75 Best in Fiber Art to Jacob John Lussier; $50 honorable mention to Debra Bearskin Hawthorne.

The installation will remain in place through April. It is open to the public during the regular business hours of HSMA. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Region 2 Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.