Chad lundquist/Nevada Appeal Nevada Artists Association summer art show judge Ann Pierce looks over some of the entries at the Brewery Arts Center Sunday. The show is one of three annual juried events by the association to allows its 150 members to show off their best works.
Walking around the gallery of the Brewery Arts Center, Ann Pierce marvels at the variety of the pieces on display.
Photos of jagged peaks, snapshot scenes of an old bearded man and a still life of a plant struggling upward. Each with its own sense of accomplishment and creative design. But Pierce's task is not to simply take in the works, but to decide which among them is the best of show.
Pierce is the judge for the summer show by the Nevada Artists Association, through July 21 at the BAC Gallery. The show is one of three judged events by the association, allowing its 150 members to show off their best works.
"Most artist associations have juried shows because it helps the members strive to do excellent work," said Dorrine Sadilek, gallery director.
The Nevada Artists Association holds juried shows in the summer and winter, as well as a show for Nevada Day.
"The Nevada Day Show is the biggest. We open that up to the public so you don't have to be a member to enter. We'll have over 200 entries for that one," Sadilek said.
The summer show features 134 pieces in eight media, including pastels, oils, acrylic, photography, prints, mixed, other - and Pierce's chosen medium, watercolor.
Pierce taught at California State University, Chico for 31 years and is a member of several national watercolor associations. She currently teaches workshops in California and Nevada.
Each category is judged individually with the first-place piece receiving $50 and the overall best of show receiving $100.
This year, Pierce chose an acrylic painting titled "Barbs and Blossoms II" by Evalynne Lathrop-Engle as the winner.
"I think the total design is excellent, and the colors are wonderful," Pierce said. "The complementary colors work well, and the focus starts (in the middle) and moves the eye throughout the composition."
The first piece was sold even before the show opened, purchased while it was being set up on Thursday. The buyer agreed to let the piece remain in the gallery until judging was completed on Saturday.
• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.