Harris Wiltsher, this year's Art in Gadsden exhibition juror, selected four winning artworks out of 120 which were announced at the opening on Friday November 13th. 

Best in Show, presented by Doug Croley Insurance Agency, was awarded to Sam Fleeger, for his mixed media sculpture, Self-Portrait as a Piano Key with My Other Half (seen right). 

First Place, presented by Capital City Bank, was awarded to Eluster Richardson, for his diptych oil painting, To Have and To Hold. 

Second Place, presented Cross Chiropractic Clinic, was awarded to Wendy Devarieux for her pastel painting, Approaching Storm.

Third place, presented by Magnolia House Assisted Living, was awarded to Susan Peacock for her acrylic painting, Red Sea Rising. For more information about the winners, check out the Exhibits page.

Thanks to the Vernacular Art from the Hill Collection exhibition, the Gadsden Arts Center has helped students look at art in a new way. Vernacular artists are self-taught, come from southern rural areas and use non-traditional materials, like cardboard, plywood, house paint, and fabric, to create their art. The Hill Collection exhibition has inspired students to create their own artwork with everyday recycled and found objects. Students from Stewart Street Elementary School participating in the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program toured the Hill Collection and became inspired to create their own work. These second-grade students worked in teams to create four large wall pieces that represent the world. The pieces are made from cardboard, paint, and other scraps. This exciting program is a partnership with the Tallahassee Community College Quincy House, the TCC Foundation, and the Gadsden County School Board, to provide art appreciation and studio art education for school children. In school classrooms, students created their own recycled art through the Art as Recycling Student Competition. The students brought recycled items into classrooms, and using things like aluminum cans, cardboard, and plastic, created masterpieces of their own. The students are learning that these items can be much more than trash. Student works of art from six schools are displayed in the Center’s Bates Children Gallery and will be judged, with awards given, on November 13th at 6:30pm at the Gadsden Arts Center.

Thank you to all the sponsors who made the Vernacular Art from the Hill Collection a great success! Presenting Sponsors: Gadsden County Tourist Development Council, Visit Florida, Dermatology Associates of Tallahassee, Edward Babcock Photography, Pecan Tree Antiques, and the Walter and Toni Robinson Fund/Community Foundation of SE Michigan; Contributing Sponsors: The Allison House Inn, Cracked Glass and Sawdust, Dr. and Mrs. Moritz Dehler, Mr. Everitt Drew, Mrs. Mart Hill, Lou and Calynne Hll, Mr. and Mrs. Mark O’Bryant, Almena and Brooks Pettit, Southerland Enterprises, Inc. and Tri-Eagle Sales.