TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Arts Illiana’s Spring Exhibit is celebrating the season by showcasing floral and spring-themed works.
On Friday, April 21, Arts Illiana will open the Spring Exhibition to the public from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and at 7:30 p.m., the Juror’s Choice and Best Representation of Theme awards will be announced.
After the opening night, the gallery will be open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays. The Spring exhibit will be available from April 21 through June 16. Arts Illiana encourages residents to come out during the exhibit to cast their votes for the People’s Choice award, which will be announced at the closing of the exhibit on June 16.
This year’s Spring exhibit was open to North American artists to participate. Rob Millard-Mendez, the exhibition’s Guest juror chose 60 artworks out of 140 total submissions. The chosen works are from 37 artists, with styles and mediums ranging from paintings, photography, jewelry, digital drawing/painting, new media, video, ceramics, and more.
Millard-Mendez’s juror statement comments on the impressive work presented in the selected works.
“I am grateful to be the guest juror for the Spring Exhibition. It was a pleasure to view the many excellent entries. Spring is my favorite season of the year; I love to see the days get longer and it is wonderful to watch the Earth wake up after a long rest. All of the artists in the show have created compelling artwork. I was particularly impressed by the artists’ use of color. Many of the entries include saturated hues and are bursting with energy. There are many floral pieces in the show; I enjoyed seeing the different ways that the entrants used flowers as subject matter. Landscapes made several appearances, in realistic and abstract compositions. There were some highly original interpretations of the theme. Many of the pieces in this show are aesthetically beautiful, but they also offer conceptual richness. It is always difficult to pick awards in an exhibition like this one, but the works that were chosen for recognition were of exceptionally high quality. The winning works showed profound depth, deft execution, and sharp presentation.”
As a Professor of Art in the Art and Design Department at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Indiana Millard-Mendez teaches 3-D Design and Woodworking. Millard-Mendez also earned an MFA in sculpture from UMASS Dartmouth.
