The 14th Biennial National Art Exhibition at the Punta Gorda Visual Arts Center

"Miguel La Paloma" by Peter Bucks (IL)

The National Art Exhibition at the Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda will always have a special place in my heart. It's an exhibit I chaired three times, so I know both how much work it is to put the show together and how exciting it is once the art starts coming in from across the country. This year a couple of international entries from Canada and China also made the cut. I can't imagine the shipping costs! 

The juror for the 14th biennial exhibition was Canadian artist Jean Pederson. Pederson is best known as a watercolorist, and one of her paintings is in the Royal Collection in Windsor, England. Her resume includes receipt of the first Federation of Canadian Artists' Early Achievement Award, serving as a contributing editor for The Artist's Magazine and participation in a Public Exhibition project dealing with the changes in the social fabric in rural Canada. For more on Pederson, click here. Color me impressed. 

Pederson's first task was to select which of the 563 online submissions were accepted into the show. Culling the entries down to 118 works could not have been easy. This is done on a blind basis, meaning that the juror does not have any information about the artist who created the work. All she knew was the work's medium, title and dimensions. There are always some surprises -- both good and bad -- when the art arrives on site. 

"Blue Cotton" by Alexandra Bloch (NC)

Once the works had been hung, it was up to Pederson to allocate the $10,000 in prize money. The awards range from $3,000 for First Place to $250 for a Merit Award. There are also specific awards in the categories of portrait and abstract excellence. It was always great fun to trail behind the juror as he looked at the works, sometimes providing commentary along the way. It was also always a bit heartbreaking to watch the juror pass by a work I was privately rooting for without giving it much more than a cursory glance. 

Once the winning works had been selected, it was time to deliver the good news. The winners were called and told they'd won an award (but not which one). They are always thrilled, of course, but eager to know which award it is. This is especially the case if the artist would have to travel a long distance to come to the awards ceremony. When pushed, I'd finesse this point to give the artist enough info to know whether it would be worth booking a plane ticket and a hotel to make the journey. Don't tell anyone I did that, though, because it wasn't strictly protocol. The artists who are not award winners sit sadly by their phones waiting for a call that never comes. 

"A Gig's a Gig" by Keith Thomson (ALA)

This year I didn't make it to any of the festivities, but I did get a special tour of the exhibit with my artist friend Susan Fraley. Susan was on the committee that put the exhibit together, and I got such a kick out of walking around with her as she shared the ins and outs of the show with me. Susan was still working when I was involved and would only reluctantly participate by doing something like bartending at the awards reception. To hear her talk enthusiastically about all the aspects of mounting the exhibit made me incredibly happy -- and a bit nostalgic. When combined with her insights as an artist into the works, she was the perfect guide to the exhibit. 

As is often the case, many of my works I liked best did not receive awards. Seriously, how could "Miguel La Paloma" by Peter Bucks not be recognized? The painting made me think of the works in the National Portrait Gallery's "Outwin: American Portraiture Today" exhibit. Sure, he's not quite at that level, but this is the Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda, not the Smithsonian. 

Miguel is of course one gorgeous specimen of a human being. But what I liked most about the work was the mystery. Who is he? Why is he holding a pigeon? (I now know that pigeons are a symbol of fertility and prosperity, fortune, luck and, perhaps most significantly, transformation.) Why are there what look to be choir boys behind him? And of course there's the circle of light behind his head that you see in many images of saints and other icons. I want to know more.  

"Pastime Theatre" by Kyle Surges (IL)

I was taken with both the simplicity and beauty of Alexandra Bloch's "Blue Cotton." The way she created the folds in the crisp shirt is pretty remarkable. And her handling of light is outstanding. Now that I think about it, I bought a blue linen shirt shortly after seeing this painting. Hmmm. 

"A Gig's a Gig" by Keith Thomson is a painting I was tempted to take home. I immediately was taken by the idea of this musician setting up in a laundrymat to perform. Then Susan pointed out that the doors to the dryers are open. So our musician isn't playing a few tunes while waiting for his laundry to be done. Instead, he's just found a venue where people might happen in and enjoy his music. That is passion. Pederson gave this work a Merit Award. 

Last, but not least, of the works I wanted to share is "Pastime Theatre" by Kyle Surges. I could practically feel the popcorn kernels getting stuck in my teeth. This hyperrealistic work drew me in not only because of the incredible detail. My niece and her husband are movie buffs and got married in an old movie theater. So the painting grabbed my attention thematically as well. If my pockets were deeper I would have bought it for them. Like Bucks and Thomson, I recognized Surges' name from previous NAEs. Click here to see the painting he submitted in the 2018 NAE. He was awarded Second Place in 2018 but only came away with a Merit Award this time. 

The National Art Exhibit will be on display through April 12th. It's a terrific show that's well worth making a trip to see. And don't forget your credit card! Even if you don't buy a painting, the VAC has a terrific gift shop. For more information about the Visual Arts Center, click here.