CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING ARTISTS!
All of the accepted work is worthy, but the three pieces below have been bestowed with special status by our judges: Laurie Huff, Lynn Rushton-Reed, and Juliana Crownover. Read about our judges panel at the end of this email. All the work was ranked on the following.
- Originality – Creativity and originality of the work
- Overall Composition – Quality of artistic composition and overall design
- Overall impression of the artwork
These 3 pieces came out on top.
-VIEW SHOW-
FIRST PLACE
Amid the Roses by Brenda Robson
20×16 inches | Egg Tempera on Museum Board on Panel
$2,200
From the Artist:
“This piece reflects on the transience of beauty and life. The roses—both beautiful and fragile—scattered among the figures remind us to cherish what is fleeting while it lasts.”
30×24 inches | Oil on Cradled Panel
$2,288 Price includes Frame
From the Artist:
“Evening Espresso, inspired by John 1:5, shows a quiet city street lit by the warm glow of a late-night café. Shadows press in, yet light endures. The scene reminds us that Christ’s light, like the café’s glow, shines steadily—offering hope, refuge, and connection.”
THIRD PLACE
Chasing Rabbits by Sharon Hodges
48×48 inches | Oil and Wax on Cradled Panel
$5,000
From the Artist:
“I often see my dog “chasing rabbits” in his sleep….his paws are running, he makes funny little yelps, dreaming of all the things that make his world go round….chasing rabbits and squirrels, playing ball, snacks of cheese and bacon, his favorite yak bone and toys…a great dog, a true friend.”
PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNER
20×16 inches | Egg Tempera on Museum Board on Panel
$2,200
From the Artist:
“This piece reflects on the transience of beauty and life. The roses—both beautiful and fragile—scattered among the figures remind us to cherish what is fleeting while it lasts.”
A big thank you goes out to our three judges for their time and consideration in judging our show.
JULIANA CROWNOVER
Juliana Crownover is an award-winning pastelist who has been painting in pastels for over 20 years and teaching for 10 years. She has a BA from Austin College in biology, art, and environmental studies and is a member of the Southwest Pastel Society.
“In my own art, I use light and color to bring out beauty in everyday life, whether that is a trail I have hiked 100 times, or my son hanging laundry on a line. My hope is to be aware of the beauty around me so that I can remember and record it, and through the process of making art, perhaps inspire others to notice the beauty that surrounds them in their daily lives.
I’ve been teaching art for over 10 years. In the summer, I’m an artist in residence at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico; I get to live and teach where Georgia O’Keefe painted–how lucky am I! My art is a combination of practice, visual reminder, and record. I also teach plein air pastel and oil workshops in north Texas.”
LAURIE HUFF
Laurie Huff is a Dallas area contemporary painter creating work informed by nature, travel, and personal observation. Acrylic, oil & cold wax, collage, and drawing media are often combined in multiple layers to create both bold and subtle imagery. Expressive marks and textures revealed during the painting process create a sense of history.
She is currently active with several north Texas area artist groups and has studied with numerous master artists. Laurie obtained a BA in Fine Arts at the University of Texas Permian Basin and a Masters of Education at Texas A&M Commerce. She enjoyed teaching art for ten years, and spent another ten years serving art and theatre teachers as a Fine Arts Facilitator prior to devoting her time and talents as a full time artist.
Laurie’s work has been accepted into many juried exhibits, received numerous awards, and can now be found at various art festivals in the Southwest. She helps to bring the beauty and wonder of the landscape and nature into your space through abstracted, expressive artwork.
LYNN RUSHTON-REED
Lynn Rushton-Reed currently serves as the City of Dallas Public Art Program Manager in the Office of Arts and Culture where she leads a division responsible for commissioning, maintaining, and promoting public art across Dallas. She oversees a collection valued at over $150 million, including the historic 1936 Centennial Collection heritage portfolio at Fair Park. With support from a National Park Service Civil Rights Grant, she researched and co-produced a PBS-premiered documentary on the 1936 Texas Centennial Hall. She has co-hosted 10 podcasts on the topic.
Previously, Rushton served as curator for the City of Grapevine and as Executive Director of the Heard-Craig Center for the Arts. Earlier in her career, she held positions at the Kennedy Center and at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C.
Rushton has taught university-level master classes and has been a guest lecturer at multiple institutions. She holds a BFA in Fine Art–Painting and a BA in Communication from Vanderbilt University, an MA in Arts Education from Texas Tech University, and has completed additional graduate studies in Art History (American Arts and Crafts) at Tulane University.
As an award-winning artist, she is a signature member of Associated Creative Artists and the Texas & Neighbors Regional Art Competition. Rushton works closely with Baylor Scott and White Art in Medicine and also serves on the board of the Red River Herding Club, is an associate board member of TXCERA—Texas’s emergency response network for art and cultural objects—and is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.