First Tennessee Foundation Best in Show prize of $1,000 awarded to Mira Gerard for her oil on linen, "River of Forgetting."
Artists submitted art for the Jonesborough Art Show ranging from mixed media to paintings, including photography, woodworking, etc., giving the show a well-rounded exhibit of artwork. Many of the artists who submitted works for this competition were local, with others residing in areas outside the region to Abingdon, Va., Asheville, N.C., and Knoxville, Tenn. Out of 152 submitted pieces, a total of 73 were chosen for the exhibition.
Stephen Wicks was the juror for the show. He has been a member of the Knoxville Museum of Art's curatorial department for the last 18 years. He said about the selected artwork "The selection of roughly 70 works is marked by great diversity in materials, techniques and styles. Some artists focused on exploring the physical properties of their raw materials. Others used bold contours and intense colors to strike emotional chords, or employ subtle tones and intricate details to depict aspects of contemporary life. Together, the featured objects provide viewers with a means of assessing current trends in regional contemporary art."
The show was organized by the Town of Jonesborough and sponsored by the First Tennessee Foundation and Friendship Ford. Awards of $2,000 were given to the top three artists with the First Tennessee Foundation Best in Show prize of $1,000 awarded to Mira Gerard for her oil on linen, "River of Forgetting," followed by second place which went to Perry Johnson for his oil painting "Prometheus Band," receiving $600 in award money. Third place was given to Thomas Root for his "Mandolin Player," oil on canvas, which was accompanied by $400. Certificates of Merit were given to Margaret Gregg, Joe Burleson and Bill and Tina Collison.
