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Each year an independent juror determines what art will be exhibited and which pieces will receive a prize for excellence. This year's juror was Brian Byrn, curator of exhibitions and education at the Midwest Museum of American Art in Elkhart, Indiana. In his juror's statement, Byrn noted:
Even after nearly thirty years of making art, looking at art, and thinking about art, it was thrilling to view the works submitted by artists from the Muncie area and to curate the Twentieth Minnetrista Annual Juried Art Show & Sale. Indeed, one of the great pleasures of being a curator/artist/collector over a long period of time has been the opportunity to look at thousands of works of art in person. When I have not been totally receptive to a piece, I still somehow manage to digest some of an artist's intention and file the experience away for future reference. Some of that referential experience was useful in selecting the art for this exhibit.
Too, as my age becomes part of the formula, I am pleased that many subjects I would have immediately dismissed in my youth, I now find extremely intriguing. That being said...quality will always show up as it does in this exhibition.
I hope the exhibit shows no bias toward either realism or abstraction, since I feel both are equally weighted in an open forum such as this. I do not value one over the other; therefore, I immediately looked for those works that transcended the ordinary in a way that demonstrated the artist's imagination and—as best I could determine—their ability to handle a medium with expertise. In other words, I feel that great art makes the ordinary seem extraordinary and in some ways mysterious. However, the emotional impact of certain works over others is certainly to be expected, and as a result, those pieces receive additional attention via an award.
Finally, applause to all artists who participated and to Minnetrista for offering this opportunity to the public to go "looking." When offered such an opportunity, "looking" (and learning to look), is the initial active operation for the viewer. The art, as a result, becomes the catalyst for the bonding human experience with the artist who sees and feels.
Award winners for the Twentieth Minnetrista Annual Juried Art Show and Sale include:
Professional Division
