85 Connecticut Artists featured in Guilford Art League’s 74th Annual Juried Exhibit

The Guilford Art League presents its 74th Annual Juried Exhibit & Sale on view at The Gallery at Guilford Art Center from Monday, September 12 – Saturday, October 1. Juried by Jeanne Ciravolo, the colorful and eclectic show features 85 Connecticut artists working in all media including oils, watercolor, pastels, acrylics, sculpture, collage, mixed media, printmaking, and photography. An Opening Reception will be held on Friday, September 16 from 5-7pm.

Several monetary prizes are awarded as part of this annual exhibit and presented at an Opening Reception. This year, First Prize ($600) went to Ralph Acosta for Setting Sails & Sun, Second Prize ($400) was awarded to Melody Knight Leary for Calamity, and Third Prize ($300) went to Ava Orphanoudakis for her work Behind the Veil: Interdependent Co-Arising. The Sculpture Prize went to Sheila Kaczmarek for How About the Hat?, and the Photography Prize was awarded to Charles Lagana for All of Us. Additional awards included a Landscape Award ($300), to Julie Salles Schaffer for The Graceful Bend; a Still Life Award ($300) to Linda Thomas for Fanfare; an Abstract Award ($300) to Denise Casey for Dryad; a Figurative Award ($300) to Kelly Clark for Immersed, and a Memorial Award in Honor of Patricia Seekamp went to Gritli Rabin for Frozen River. Honorable Mentions included Karen Wiesner (Hammonasset Snow), Nancy A. Chapman (Afternoon Marsh), Chris Penry (Into the Woods), and Eileen Eder (East River Bank).

“It was my honor to select artwork for this year’s Guilford Art League Exhibition,” said Ciravolo. “I was impressed by the high quality and variety of the one hundred and ninety-one works submitted and decided to accept only one work by each artist in order to have the largest number of artists participate. In selecting the eighty-five works on exhibit I sought to assemble a cohesive exhibition that displayed a full range of media and subject matter. I want to thank all the artists for submitting their artwork for consideration and hope the exhibition offers an opportunity for everyone to be inspired and find renewed energy to return to the studio and to continue making art.”

Many of the pieces in the show are for sale. A complete list of items can be found in the show program, available at the Gallery and on the GAL website, www.guilfordartleague.org. Those interested in purchasing art may speak with a gallery sitter or contact Denise Casey 203.453.1609/dencasey@comcast.net or Ava Orphanoudakis 203.689.5342 / avaorph@gmail.com.

The 74th Annual Juried Exhibit & Sale, free and open to the public, is on view at the Guilford Art Center Gallery, located at 411 Church Street, Route 77 in Guilford. Gallery hours are Monday-Saturday 10am - 4pm, Sunday 12 - 4pm.

The Guilford Art League was founded in 1947 by a small group of local artists. The objective of the art league is to promote and stimulate interest in the visual arts. Members and associates of the Guilford Art League are a participating and interactive group of artists who learn and benefit from their association with one another. For more information visit www.guilfordartleague.org.