Curator’s Clipboard: Michigan’s Visual Artists Shine at Studio 23!

MI Artists All-State Juried Exhibition 2020 is open!

I look at the curation of an exhibition as a timeline that evolves from the blending of the history of an organization with the input of fresh opportunities that become relevant with the times. In the past, Studio 23 has hosted All-Area exhibitions. We continue that with our 50 Artists of the Great Lakes Bay held on the odd numbered years and now we’ve expanded the All-Area concept to include MI Artists All-State Exhibition as a biennial event held on the even numbered years. By inviting artists from across the state to enter, we created an exhibition environment that brings attention not only to our very talented artists here in Mid-Michigan and beyond but also to introduce our viewing audience to the trends in Michigan art today.

Gallery hours to view MI Artists All-State are Tuesday – Saturday, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. Masks are required and number of visitors in the galleries are limited to ten. Appointments are available for up to ten guests by calling me at 989-894-2323 extension 14 or by email at curator.studio23@gmail.com.

            

Timothy Norris was the juror for this year’s exhibition. I’ve posted his bio here showing in a previous blog post. Today I’m posting his follow-up juror’s statement preceded by this quote from Norris, “I selected work from over 280 images from artists across the state. During this trying time, it is very important to support our Michigan artists.”

Juror’s Statement

As I’ve always told my college students, the most effective art is that which displays an appropriate and interesting match of form to content. This “recipe” holds true for any stylistic choice made by the artist, whether representational, abstract, or nonrepresentational. Form involves how the artist goes about making the artwork—choices of technique, medium, and the use of certain visual elements as organized by certain design principles. Content is what the artist wishes to say in the work. Therefore, content is communicated through form. How well the artist matches form to content results in the judgments we can make between those works that are ineffective, mediocre, or excellent. Of course, all this sounds neat and tidy on paper or in theory, but in practice we may disagree as to what constitutes an effective match. I rely on my 40 years of experience as an artist and teacher along with my knowledge of art history.

My selections for award winners represent what I consider to be the most skillful matches of form to content among the submissions. These pieces display exceptional techniques and powerful compositions that convey intriguing messages.

Congratulations to all of the artists. It’s been a challenging year for all of us, and I wish you the best in your artistic pursuits. Thank you to Valerie Allen for asking me to be this year’s juror and for all of her hard work in putting the competition together. Thanks also to the staff members and volunteers who labored on their respective components of the show.

Tim Norris

Award Winners selected by Juror Timothy Norris

Best of Show $1000

Artist Douglas Malone of Royal Oak, Michigan

Cormorbidity    Charcoal and Pencil

Award of Merit $100

Artist Ilene Curts-Thayer of Mason, Michigan

Whirl     Oil on Canvas

Award of Merit $100

Artist Bruce Thayer of Mason, Michigan

What Matters     Collagraph and Intaglio Print

Honorable Mentions

As we pivot to more online experiences for our audience, there is now a slide-show style online gallery you can view here that includes each piece of art in the exhibition plus you can read the names of all the artists included in this exhibition. Art collectors can browse the images at their convenience. For more information or questions please email me at curator.studio23@gmail.com.

 

Thank you to our current list of 50 Art Advocates of the Great Lakes Bay Region. We appreciate your support!

Valerie Allen & Armin Mersmann

Katharine Atkinson

Cynthia Bancroft

Leeds and Margaret Bird

Larry Butcher

Alma Cooke

Olive Cupal

Dr. Rajesh and Sarah Dandamudi

Mitzi Dimitroff

N. J. Drummond

Wanda Dziwura

Laura Ebel

Carol Fowler

Delores Furland

Marty & Marsha Gottesman

Joanne Grabinski

Rosemary Kavanagh

Ed & Kathy Langenburg

Debra LaRocque

Ray Lore

LeBourdais Orthodontics

Karen M. MacArthur

Keith & Barbara Markstrom

John McCormick & Nancy Vader-McCormick

Jean McCue

David and Ruth Ann Mikolajczak

Sheri Moore

Christopher and Susan Moss

Jennifer Paradise

Steven and Connie Parkhurst

Nancy J. Philo

Paul Revard and Fran Santoro

Bob and Jane Rogers

Paul Rowley

Shelia Stamiris

Tim and Jan Tobin

Julie Tyslicky

Silas Warren

Lynn Weaver  and Bruce Weiss

Janice Wegner and Rich Polena

Tara Welch

Jett and Shelley Whitehead

Shaye Wilcox

Amy Wurdock

Lois Zurvalec

Follow this link to become a 50 Art Advocate today!  Thank you!

Important dates to remember for Studio 23’s  exhibition season are:

MI Artists All-State Juried Exhibition Final Day for Viewing: Saturday, November 14, 2020, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. Please note that artists will begin retrieving their artwork starting at 1:00pm.

Public Reception for Rosemary Kavanagh, Bay City Family Tree Solo Exhibit: Saturday, November 28, 2020,  2:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Kavanagh is featured artist for this year’s Black & White Affair, December 11, 2020.

Kind regards,

Val

Valerie Allen, curator

 

Now is your chance to support local businesses and nonprofits through Buy BAY COUNTY!

Purchase a gift card to your favorite Bay County restaurant, retail or service business and receive 25% free! Studio 23 can apply your Studio 23 gift card purchase to artwork and/or classes.

Order your gift cards from this link! 

Studio 23 is part of the Amazon Smile gives program for nonprofits. Please consider using this when ordering from at smile.amazon.com and choose Studio 23 as your nonprofit.

 

 

 

Posted 11 November 2022

21st Annual Back & White Affair and Art Auction

21st Annual Black & White Affair and Art Auction December 9, 2022 6 – 9 p.m. The Black & White Affair is returning this Friday, December 9, and we are excited for an evening of drinks, hors d’oeuvres, live music, and a live auction of artwork by local artists. The annual Black &...

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Posted 8 July 2022

Congratulations to the winners of our Summer Solstice Art-a-Thon Plein Air Paint Out!

On Saturday, June 25, 13 artists visited 12 farms growing sugar beets for Michigan Sugar and spent the morning and afternoon painting the fields, buildings, and scenery of the farms. Artist checked in at Studio 23 beginning at 8 a.m. and had paintings finished and framed by 4 p.m. the same...

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