Arts Festival Gallery Arts announces 2024 award winners

The 67th Annual Edmonds Arts Festival (EAF), to be held Father’s Day weekend June 14-16, has announced its Gallery Arts award winners. This year, more than $10,000 in prizes were awarded across all categories to outstanding regional artists, according to a news release.

The Gallery Arts Awards Ceremony was emceed by Edmonds Arts Festival Director Barbara Norgaard-Reid on June 10 at the Edmonds Library Plaza room.

According to Norgaard-Reid, there were more than 1,900 entries, and nearly 550 invited art pieces, so the 51 award winners stood out amongst an exceptional and diverse range of artists.

Special awards were given to begin the event:

• The Mayor’s Award was given to photographer Ken Vander Putten

• The Pamela Mummy COMET Award for 3D art went to sculptor Rupa Palasamudram for Copper Raindrops.

• The Pamela Mummy COMET Award for 2D art went to painter Andy Eccleshall for Lillies

• The Joyful Art Award went to Brooke Borcherding for her painting Coming in for Landing

Then the major awards in all art categories were presented. Juror Che Lopez presented awards for Miniatures/Small Paintings, Mixed Media 2D, Prints, and Drawings.

“My selection criteria was grounded in the fundamentals of art, emphasizing composition, design and creativity,” Lopez said. “Each work needed to demonstrate a mastery of technique, showcasing the artist’s skill in their chosen medium.”

Award winners chosen by Lopez are:

• 1st Place Miniatures/Small Paintings: Angela Bandurka for Sweet Old Man

• 2nd Place Miniatures/Small Paintings: William Grader for Future Pack 4.2

• 3rd Place Miniatures/Small Paintings: Julie Creighton for Morning’s Promise

• Honorable Mention Miniatures/Small Paintings: Ee Lin Lee for Coastal Brilliance

• Honorable Mention Miniatures/Small Paintings: Steve Momii for Street Musician 2

• Honorable Mention Miniatures/Small Paintings: Mary Klump for Blooms on a Blue Table

• 1st Place Mixed Media 2D: Dana Seeger for Twin Heartbeats

• 2nd Place Mixed Media 2D: Beverly Fotheringham for Filtered Light

• 3rd Place Mixed Media 2D: William Grader for Power Wall

• Honorable Mention Mixed Media 2D: Schott Ansett for That Tender Age

• Honorable Mention Mixed Media 2D: Sharon Grader for Lost in My Thoughts #3

• Honorable Mention Mixed Media 2D: Alanna Pastore for Green Teen

• 1st Place Drawings: Rick Tuthill for Sentry Duty

• 2nd Place Drawings: Ned Mueller for Oaxaca, Mexico Market

• 3rd Place Drawings: Abby Joy Sanders, Safe in the Thorns

• 1st Place Prints: Jonelle Johnson for Circle Again

• 2nd Place Prints: Adrienne Wilber for Alaska Titan

• 3rd Place Prints: Gene Jaress for My Plum Tree Special Edition

Juror Barbara Wyatt presented awards for Sculpture, Artisan Works and Small Artisan Works. Of her process she explained, “My critiquing of an art piece began with the essential question: ‘Does it work?’ Then I determine if it is well made, if care has been taken in the creative process. Then I look for expressive choices that convey meaning or a message in the artwork.”

Award winners are:

• 1st Place Sculpture: Steve Jensen for Nordic Wood Vessel

• 2nd Place Sculpture: Janet Still for Pollinating the Wild Clematis

• 3rd Place Sculpture: Heather Cornelius for Undine

• Honorable Mention Sculpture: Rick Holst for Aha! Moment

• Honorable Mention Sculpture: Kyle Reynolds for Let Us Pray

• Honorable Mention Sculpture: Samantha Tesch for Barrell Fired Bunny 2

• 1st Place Artisan Works: Barbara Osborne for Repose

• 2nd Place Artisan Works: Kelly Stockton for Botanomorphic Series 3

• 3rd Place Artisan Works: Lynn McManus for Wild Salmon

• 1st Place Small Artisan Works: Rupa Palasamudram for Pencil Neck Bulbous Vase

• 2nd Place Small Artisan Works: Rick Holst for 66 Dots

• 3rd Place Small Artisan Works: Jerry Steffen Jr. For Countryside

Photography and Digital Art Juror James Lorentson was unable to attend the selection process and event due to illness. Local photographer John Dolan made the award selections in his stead.

• 1st Place Photography: Sung Park for Artists at Work Series: Kotaro Hachinohe

• 2nd Place Photography: Ken Vander Putten for Perpendicular Rhinos

• 3rd Place Photography: Karen Halsy for The Beta Caroteam

• Honorable Mention Photography: Stacy Honda for Ready to Fly

• Honorable Mention Photography: Emily Marie Wilson for Camargue Horses at Sunrise

• Honorable Mention Photography: Jo Cosme for Repose

• 1st Place Digital Art: Steven McCarthy for Haunting Violin

• 2nd Place Digital Art: Veramis Spaziani for Sweet Nostalgia

• 3rd Place Digital Art: Pat Flanagan for Magenta Pop Stijl 007 – Order Around Column

Juror Chris Holt presented the awards for Paintings. “With almost 700 entries in the paintings category, I looked for quality and diversity of artwork representing a range of styles and a variety of mediums and techniques,” Holt said. “My personal reactions to each piece helped inform my decisions.”

Painting category award winners are:

• 1st Place Paintings: Richard Zhang for The Man with Long Beard

• 2nd Place Paintings: Chuck St. John for Watering Time

• 3rd Place Paintings: Jack Snowden for Black Fox

• Honorable Mention Paintings: Robert Welsh for White Chuck

• Honorable Mention Paintings: Anna Hoey for Tiny Jewel

• Honorable Mention Paintings: Andy Eccleshall for Lillies

• Honorable Mention Paintings: Shelley Skoropinski Supple for Dancer the Cat

• Honorable Mention Paintings: Laurie Anne Miller for Universe