Chestertown RiverArts is pleased to announce its June exhibit, a Juried Fine Art Show. which will run from the opening reception on First Friday, June 3 to Saturday, June 25 in the RiverArts Galleries at 315 High Street. The mission of this exhibit is to showcase fine art created by contemporary artists working in a wide range of media and subject matter. The curator is Raven Bishop, a RiverArts board member, National Board Certified Visual Arts educator, mentor artist, and community art consultant. The juror was award- winning artist Marcy Dunn Ramsey, and the exhibit’s judge is Michael Bell, a renowned artist, and inspiring TEDx speaker. Fifteen awards will be given; the Awards Ceremony will take place on Saturday June 4, at 6 pm. .
Juror Marcy Dunn Ramsey selected 69 pieces created by 44 artists. Ms Ramsey is an accomplished, award winning artist whose paintings are a reflection of nature as well as the relationship of that world to the psyche. Marshes are a primary source of inspiration, and the tangle and chaos of the grasses and reeds is a vehicle to explore the vitality of the life cycle. Ms. Ramsey’s work has been exhibited in galleries and private collections both here and internationally.
Exhibit judge Michael Bell is known for his narrative series paintings, murals and for his infamous portrait clientele, which includes John Gotti, and numerous actors from hit television shows and movies such as the Sopranos, Goodfellas, A Bronx Tale, and more. As an emerging artist he spent a lot of his time exploring life’s psychological issues through his paintings. “Painting, for me, is a dynamic process of self-exploration and a constructive way for me to give form and expression to an internal experience. While I spend a lot of time on the surface, it’s the inside of my subjects that I’m really after.”
Guests at the June 3, First Friday Opening Reception will have a chance to vote for the “People’s Choice” award. The Artists’ Talk and Awards Ceremony, a ticketed event, will take place Saturday June 4, from 5 to 7 pm. Tickets are $10 and are available on line at www.chestertownriverarts.org, or by calling the gallery at 410 778 6300.
The “Best in Show” award of $500 is supported by the Purnell Memorial Fund. Awards for Excellence in 2D, 3D and Open will each receive $100. Certificates of Merit Awards will be given in Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, Photography, Mixed Media, New Media/Open and Sculpture. In addition, there are two special-category awards:
“Best Representation of Eastern Shore Life” and “Best Watercolor Painting” including a $100 check, thanks to the Elizabeth Keer Fund. Visitors to the exhibit on opening night will have the opportunity to vote for the “People’s Choice Award,” sponsored by Cassinelli Distilling.
Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday, 11:00-4:00, Saturday, 10:00-4:00 and First Friday 11:00-8:00. Chestertown RiverArts is located at 315 High Street, Suite 106, Chestertown, MD 21620.
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