Award winners have been announced for the 2024 Michiana Annual Art Competion (MAAC) now on display at the Box Factory for the Arts. The public is invited to view the art, meet the artists, and applaud the award presentations at the ”MAAC in the Box” Opening Reception this Sunday, May 19, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Box Factory, 1101 Broad St. Admittance is free. A cash bar and light refreshments will be available.
The MAAC in the Box exhibit features more than 120 works by almost 100 artists from Southwestern Michigan and Northern Indiana. Awards will be presented for Best of Show and first- and second-place winners in eight categories (see below). In addition, a People’s Choice Award will be determined by votes from the public, with the winner announced after the exhibit ends on July 7.
The public can view all the art on exhibit and vote for the People’s Choice at any time and as often as they like by going to www.gogophotocontest.com/maac. Each vote costs one dollar.
Anne Corlett, a full-time artist with a studio in Saugatuck, served as juror for the exhibit. Her criteria for entries was based on originality/creativity, technical skill, composition/design, and overall quality. Choosing the prize winners was especially difficult “given the high level of sophistication of the entries,” she said.
“There are works with emotional punch and true authenticity. There are themes from the very personal to the universal. There is an intangible appeal to this show that opens up a door into the thoughts and dreams of these artists,” Corlett wrote in her juror’s statement.
AWARDS BY CATEGORY
Best of Show, $1,500
1st Place, $500
2nd Place, $100
Best of Show (above)
“This Love of Mine” by Kyra Richter, Stevensville, MI
Oil Category
1st Place: “Blessed are the Ears that Catch the Breathing of the Divine Whisper” by Matt Payovich, St. Joseph, MI
2nd Place: “Sky Pads” by Alli Farkas, Dowagiac, MI
Water Media
1st: “Nature’s Honeymoon” by Matt Ambre, St. Joseph, MI
2nd: “Going Home” by David Jones, Portage, MI
Mixed Media
1st: “Reducing the Crown” by Mary Amador, Goshen, IN
2nd: “Walk with Me” by Amy Renzulli, Long Beach, IN
3D
1st: “Tourniquet” by Heidi Bailey, Warsaw, IN
2nd: “GenXiToYs” by Sean Hottois, Mishawaka, IN
B&W Photography
1st: “Emerging” by Leslie Victor, Holland, MI
2nd: “Monday Afternoon, Old Town Bakery, Quito” by Martin Burch, Kalamazoo, MI
Color Photography
1st: “Time for a Pedicure” by Marguerite Eichelberger, Berrien Springs, MI
2nd: “Gestures of Wind & Water” by Angela Michielutti, South Bend, IN
Fiber
1st: “Medusa” by Kathleen Flanagan, Michiana Shores, IN
2nd: “Bay, Gay & Palomino” by Julie Koch, Benton Harbor, MI
Drawing
1st: “Days of Future Past” by Thomas Mills, Portage, MI
2nd: “The Search” by Miranda Heward, Stevensville, MI
