My art has been chosen for the juried Oak Ridge* Art Center 5th Annual Open Show 2018. “Sunny Side Up” was selected for this exhibition of all types of art media, with no geographical limitations for artists submitting entries. Juror Richard Mills, an accomplished artist and Professor Emeritus of Fine Arts at Auburn University in Alabama, was asked to select 90 works for the show. He found incredibly high quality submitted this year, and when he had narrowed the choices down to 105 he said he didn’t want to eliminate any more!
The juror made this wonderful critique of my painting: “While I removed many florals from the exhibition because they are so familiar, this one is very refreshing with an unusual point of view looking up at or through the flower and leaves. This artist is painting at a very high level, displaying excellent skill level and sense of light and shadow. Really well done.”
The show runs through November 24, 2018 at Oak Ridge Art Center, 201 Badger Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. For more info, visit the Art Center’s website or phone 865-482-1441. This is the first time I have entered, and I am proud have my painting among some fabulous artwork.
 |
| Oak Ridge Billboard in 1940s |
* For those not familiar with Oak Ridge, it is a city about 25 miles west of Knoxville TN. It has an interesting history: the site was selected in 1942 for a pilot plutonium plant and uranium enrichment plant, part of the Manhattan Project to develop an atomic bomb. In a race against time, a city emerged in the rural area virtually from scratch, with laboratories, complex plants, transportation, utilities, services and housing for employees and residents for the project – who numbered 75,000 in just 3 years. The area was quarantined, with guard towers and a giant perimeter fence, and the actual project was a mystery to most who were there. The site was dubbed “The Secret City.” By the end of WWII, Oak Ridge was the 5th largest city in Tennessee. Two years later, Oak Ridge was relinquished to civilians. Scientific development is still a vital part of the city. Check online for museums and tours in Oak Ridge if you plan to visit.
