50 Artists of the Great Lakes Bay Region and Art Around the City 2021
50 Artists and Art Around the City 2021 combines gallery exhibition and public art in Downtown Bay City
50 Artists of the Great Lakes Bay Region + Art Around the City 2021 will showcase the works of 50 artists who live and/or work in the Michigan counties of Saginaw, Bay, Midland, Isabella, Gratiot, Clare, Gladwin, and Arenac.
A panel of experts in the visual arts and community leaders from the region selected the artists. 50 original artworks will be displayed in the Rowley and Tabor Galleries at Studio 23/ The Arts Center from September 23 – November 13, 2021. In addition, 50 images from the selected artists will be installed and displayed as part of Art Around the City on the Bay City Riverwalk and downtown Bay City for two years.
The public reception is Thursday, September 30, 2021, 5pm–7pm. The Juried Awards will be announced at that event.
There will a $1000 cash award for Best of Show selected by the panel of jurors as well as awards of merit and honorable mentions. Here is complete list of the awards:
$3000 in Cash Awards
$1000 Best of the Region
$1000 Popular Vote
$250 for 2 Runner-ups of the Region
$250 for 2 Runner-ups of Popular Vote
The jurors for 50 Artists of the Great Lakes Bay Region 2021 bring expertise and talent to the table for this year’s exhibit. The panel of jurors and Studio 23 will be announcing the final 50 Artists mid-May 2021.
The Juror Panel 2021
Thor Rasmussen is the marketing and creativity manager at the Saginaw Art Museum and the Temple Theatre in Saginaw, Michigan. With a creative and entrepreneurial spirit, he runs a small photography company with a special focus on documentary family and wedding photography. When not working with clients, his personal photography projects explore the observation of place and seeing uniqueness in familiar spaces.
Janet Danek earned a B.S. in art and design at the University of Wisconsin–Stout and began her career designing the interiors of Boeing aircraft. She later taught design at her alma mater, then moved to Michigan to design museum exhibitions at a Midland firm. As an independent contractor, she has managed the design and production of numerous museum exhibitions. Since 2010, she has been coordinator of exhibits at Central Michigan University’s Park Library.
Leeds Bird is active in the arts community of Bay City. A retired teacher of drama, he owned a professional picture framing business and served on boards of directors for Bay City Players, Studio 23/The Arts Center, and Bay Arts Council. He finds his training in the visual aspects of theater serve him well in appreciating the visual in other arts. His personal collection of art reveals a highly eclectic taste.
Kathie Fuce-Hobohm is CEO of SPACE, Incorporated, an interior design firm in Midland, Michigan. SPACE, Incorporated creates beautiful and functional interior space for their commercial clients in the Great Lakes Bay Region and their federal government clients throughout the United States. Professionally, Fuce-Hobohm is passionate about creating work environments that help agencies and businesses promote their culture, align with their mission and vision, and attract top talent.
Please contact our curator, Valerie Allen, at vallen@studio23baycity.org for more information or to ask questions. You can also call Studio 23 at 989-894-2323 during Tuesday – Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm to speak with our staff.