Award Winners / Gallery Hours
At the Firehouse Gallery
January 24, 31 and February 1 12 – 4pm
Artists were invited to explore the human identity through personal, cultural, literal, or abstract lenses. Each work must represent a person. More than a likeness, a portrait should convey presence, personality, and mood. Jan 25 hours cancelled due to storm.
Exhibit Judge
Frank Bruckmann
About Judging This Exhibit. Having the title “Experimental Portraits”, one has to look for not only an accomplished portrait, but something a little extra, an investigation or search for something, a bit beyond a beautiful portrait. This is a difficult qualification to work with. Where does the experimenting with new ideas merit a good painting? Can a painting have good structure, color, composition, and have an experimental aspect with it?
Biography. Frank studied at the DuCret School of the Arts, NJ, Arts Students League, NY and Paris American Academy, Paris. He has taught art at Bruce Museum, Greenwich, CT, Silvermine Art School, New Canaan, CT and Rowayton Arts Center, Darien, CT. He has won awards for his work such as at the John Slade Ely House Members Exhibit Award, The Weiss Sisters Award and Elizabeth Pragst Memorial Award – among others.
In his own words. In my late 20’s I discovered painting and enrolled at DuCret School of Art in NJ, and the Art Students League in New York City. I found art was an effective and satisfying way to express myself. Oil painting became my primary medium. I spent nearly a decade between France at the Ecole de Beaux Arts, and in Spain, studying the Masters in the great museums. These informative years solidified my intent to become a full time painter.
Award Winners
Congratulations to our award winners!
Thanks to all the participating artists for a your wonderful works.
1st Place
CATHY LIONTAS
The Waiting Game
Believing in hope and trusting when it’s the only option left
2nd Place
WES SWANSON
The Epic Sargent Peppers
Portraits of the legendary rock & roll band The Beatles. With each individual band member made up with their own faces inside their portraits, shows a unique style of mosaics.
3rd Place
VERONICA HAURESZ
Through the Glass
Interplay between reality and the art generated by refraction.
Honorable Mention
Gaya Buchta
Decorator
The subject of this portrait is an artist who uses sewing in her painting practice. Here, she embroiders her own face with chain-stitch eyeliner. Thanks to her fluency with artistic techniques, she approaches the world as infinitely malleable, and takes agency in decorating it.
Honorable Mention
Leigh Busby
Mama
I am a photographer, painter of light first and I have learned how to see the world in light and dark shapes which makes art easier for me to make
Honorable Mention
Linda Grant
Duality 1
I had this particular piece of stone for many years. A few starts and stops with it, never quite right. Eventually the first face emerged. No Plan, no model. The other side needed a conclusion and so slowly the other image was carved. Both similar in some ways and vastly different in others.
Honorable Mention
Cathy Liontas
Forever Yours
Unconditional Love can be yours if you open your heart to a dog
