Jessica Levin Martinez, Prize Judge
I am honored to award these prizes, and share a few words about what drew me to these works especially. Making these selections felt like a nearly impossible task given the richness and diversity of approaches represented here. Congratulations to all the artists for their extraordinary contributions, and to the State of the Art Gallery and the distinguished jury for presenting a truly remarkable and inspiring show.
First Prize $400
The treatment of light in this painting is particularly striking, capturing a peculiar glow of the blue night sky. The house feels both inviting and foreboding; welcoming stairs and playful beanbags on the porch contrast with the sagging structure and wash of interior light. A sense of wind seems palpable; it is as if the house itself is breathing.
This work beckons the viewer into a fantastical world of vignettes, some of which appear like fragments of a dream. A surreal landscape unfolds with commentary on the animal and natural world, humans and aliens, technology and religion, and more. Its meticulously detailed and intertwining forms recall 15th century Netherlandish painting, yet the vision is decidedly contemporary.
Third Prize $100
Painted onto batik, this striking work carries the material’s design and history into the composition. Passages of color together with geometric, botanical, and animal forms create a sense of ground from which the compelling central figure emerges, with patterns on her arms and legs echoing that of the textile, and even merging with it.
Honorable Mention $50
A textile artist’s imaginative reworking of a wheelchair transforms this object into craft. Brightly colored patterns reminiscent of domestic textiles combine with crochet on wheels and spokes, inviting the viewer to imagine the piece in motion, its joyful energy radiating through color, texture, and traditions of making.
Honorable Mention $50
There is a subtle tension between the file folder’s frayed edges and the precise silhouette of the paper figure. It invites us to imagine arms moving and head lifting as the dollhouse opens, revealing another world. There is a wonderful interplay of cutout and shadow, especially at the stool she sits on softly.
Honorable Mention $50
The medium of glass is perfectly suited to the subject, and its treatment artfully conveys the structure of a gorge. It conveys an impression of mist as it rises and drifts among green forest, while the wooden base lends a sense of potential movement, as if the piece could shift like the landscape it represents.
Honorable Mention $50
An accomplished work featuring linocut technique, this print conveys a softness of the snowy pathway and of the stone structure of the chapel. The heavy snow poised to fall from the tree adds a sense of anticipation, creating a scene that feels at once still and alive.