WAKEFIELD, MA . . . . . . Bill Buckingham,
Editor/Publisher of Mosaic Art NOW has released
the names of the 18 international artists and
Best in Show Winner for the Exhibition in Print
portion of the magazine’s 2010 annual edition.
301 artists from 25 countries submitted full and
detail photos of 521 fine art mosaics for
consideration by juror Scott Shields, PhD.,
Chief Curator of the Crocker Art Museum of
Sacramento, California. “All of the pieces
included here were made by artists – ones who
have added to the mosaic tradition and pushed
its boundaries, each time making abundantly
evident that the art form is alive and well,”
said Shields.
Artists whose work will be included in the
Exhibition in Print are: Doreen Adams (USA),
Jolino Bessera (USA), Ellen Blakeley (USA),
Irina Charney (USA), Maylee Christie (UK),
Candace Clough (USA), Piotr Czapracki (Poland),
Julie Dilling (USA), Karen Dimit (USA), Gary
Drostle (UK), Sophie Drouin (Canada), Pamela
Goode (USA), Jeannie Houston Antes (USA), Gwyn
Kaitis, Laurie Peters and Andryea Natkin (USA),
Nirit Keren (Israel), Kate Kerrigan (USA), Julie
Lucus (USA), and Giulio Menossi (Italy).
The winner of the $1000 Best in Show prize is
Ellen Blakely (USA) for her mosaic
“Meredith”, a three-dimensional work using
shattered safety glass and various surface
treatments on a substrate of Live Oak tree bark.
Shields characterized this work as “a complex
and yet very subtle piece.” (Photograph
below)
Dr. Shields has written a lengthy essay that
will appear in the magazine. The article speaks
to his perception of contemporary mosaics as an
art form and includes comments and observations
about each work in the exhibit. “We were very
fortunate to secure Dr. Shields’ services as a
curator,” said Buckingham. “Looking at the
selections he made, it is clear that he truly
appreciates what makes mosaics unique. When
published, we think the Exhibition in Print will
be both an inspiration for mosaic artists and a
revelation for those who have yet to discover
the art form.” Dr. Shields was paid a
professional fee for his services.
The jurying process was designed to meet the
standards of Dr. Shields as an experienced art
curator. Each work was assigned a random number
for blind identification purposes. Dr. Shields
used three different media in his multiple
review of each mosaic: high quality prints,
digital images and large-screen projections.
Once he had narrowed his candidates down to a
manageable number, Dr. Shields used a table and
the prints to create an “exhibition” that was
both cohesive and representative of the various
genres within the art form. “It would make a
wonderful traveling exhibit,” said Shields, “one
that many museums would be happy to show.”
The 2010 annual edition of Mosaic Art NOW will
be available through the Mosaic Art NOW website
and various distributors mid-February 2010. Each
mosaic in the Exhibition will receive a two-page
spread including full and detail photographs as
well as an artist statement, contact information
and, when appropriate, pricing for the work.
Mosaic Art NOW promotes the international
understanding and appreciation of contemporary
mosaics through quality publications and a
lively online presence. We deliver provocative
and inspirational content for artists,
aficionados, curators, architects, designers,
collectors and educators.
Scott A. Shields, Ph.D. is the Chief Curator of
the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento,
California. Shields has curated numerous
exhibits and written highly regarded catalogues
for artists such as ceramist Toshiko Takaezu and
wood sculptor Robert Cremean. The Crocker Art
Museum has one of the world’s finest ceramics
collections. In the fall of 2010, the year of
its 125th anniversary, the Crocker will open a
125,000 square-foot addition. Designed by
Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects in New
York, the new Crocker will be three times the
size of the present facility. For the first time
since the Crocker’s founding, the Museum will be
able to feature all of its collecting areas in
dedicated galleries, including Californian and
American art, European paintings and drawings,
Asian art, international ceramics, and Oceanic
and African art. |