in     by 29 Palms Inn  14-11-2015
0

The 3rd annual Joshua Tree National Park Exposition is officially under way!

Friday, November 13th, 2015 marked the start of this three-day event with the opening reception & awards ceremony held at the 29 Palms Art Gallery. This annual desert event celebrates the long-standing tradition between artists and Joshua Tree National Park, and is centered around a juried art exhibit that showcases art, in all forms, inspired by or depicting the natural beauty and history of Joshua Tree National Park. The winners of the 2015 Joshua Tree National Park Art Exposition were announced this evening at the opening reception at the 29 Palms Art Gallery, and we are pleased to share the news with you!

Artist of Distinction

Kelly Booth – Vallejo, California

“Equalux” Photograph/Mixed Media, 36x36

 Kelly Booth

Book artist and printmaker Kelly Booth lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her artworks have been shown internationally at venues that include SFMOMA Artist’s Gallery in San Francisco; Kala Art Institute in Berkeley; the Brooklyn Art Library in Brooklyn; and Tails of the City art auction in San Francisco, where she was designated “Creative Visionary.” She has served as Artist-In-Residence in Joshua Tree National Park, Buffalo National River, and Kala Art Institute. An alumnus of Rhode Island School of Design, her drawings and sculptures have been published in the Ann Arbor News, RISD Works, and Spirals 91. She is also a graphic designer, art director, and creative director who specializes in image-driven content creation. Her design work has graced the pages of national magazines and appeared at events such as the Academy Awards and the Sundance Film Festival. Her current role is Creative Director at Weldon Owen Publishing in San Francisco. www.ninepointedstar.com

 

2nd Place

Valerie Birkhoff – Grass Valley, CA

“Ouch!” Beaded Sculpture, 11x7x4

Valerie Birkhoff

Valerie Messervy Birkhoff gained an appreciation for the natural world after spending 15 years building and living in a straw bale house in the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico, and by teaching outdoor education/minimal impact to students.  She graduated from Portland State University with a B.S. in Arts and Letters in 1990.  Her past working experience includes:  Modern Dance, Theater, Modeling, Business, Teaching, and Emergency Medical Response.  Her art has developed through personal cultivation and interacting with other artists. She has begun showing her work in three basic mediums: beaded sculpture, mixed media, and oil painting.  Her inspiration comes from nature and the interaction humans have on it.  www.valsworth.com

 

3rd Place & Superintendent’s Award

Jeffrey Skelly – Sunland, CA

“Shade in the Oasis” Oil, 24x30

Jeffrey Skelly

Southern California artist Jeff Skelly graduated from Cal State Northridge in 1989 and continued his studies at the California Art Institute and UCLA. With 20+ years of experience and widely collected on three continents, Skelly continues to find expression in the beauty of the natural world. He has exhibited in the Palm Springs Art Museum, the National Arts Club in New York, and other juried shows. In 2013, he was awarded first place at the Yosemite Renaissance XXVIII competition at Yosemite Museum in Yosemite National Park. “As a child, my most memorable experiences were on summer camping trips to the Sierras. The vast landscapes, towering peaks, and stunning beauty left lasting impressions. Over time I learned how to merge that love of nature with my desire to create. With the use of bold brushwork and unique color harmonies, my paintings are not only faithful representations of places I’ve been but spiritual impressions as well.”   www.jeffskellyart.com

 

4th Place

Barbara Spiller – Yucca Valley, California

“Kiss the Sky” Painted Canvas Collage, 24x58

 Barbara Spiller

Barbara Spiller’s work is represented in private collections in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and California, and has been placed in meditation rooms and chapels in hospitals, including St. John’s Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, and the Meditation Room, University of San Francisco Hospital. She has shown extensively at The Atlantic Gallery in Brooklyn and Soho, NY, and was in group shows in the Bronx Museum, Brooklyn Museum, and Dayton Art Institute. She is currently exhibiting at Joshua Tree Art Gallery. Each piece of her painted canvas in the rock collages was part of a different painting at another time. “I scavenge among my earlier works, using the physical elements as ‘raw material,’ putting them to new use, new meaning, in a new context. Thus, these works exist in their own geologic time.” Her inspiration comes from: “Rocks. Their shapes, colors, surfaces, fissures. And the ways they fit together, fall together, lean, and balance. Their gritty history, silently held.” www.barbaraspillerarts.com

 

Honorable Mention

 John Van Vliet – Joshua Tree, California

“Flaming Boulders” Photograph, 24x16

John Van Vliet

John Van Vliet has worked in graphics, animation, and feature film visual effects for more than 35 years. He studied art at the School of Visual Arts in NYC and at California Institute of the Arts Character Animation (Disney) program. In 1977, he was hired to work at Industrial Light & Magic (a division of Lucasfilm) where he contributed to The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Dragonslayer. Disney recruited him to work on TRON as the lead animator where he designed many signature effects shots in the movie. He also owned an independent visual effects company for 18 years and was involved with over 70 film projects, including Ghost, Mortal Kombat, Tales From the Crypt, Ghostbusters, and X-Men. Now semi-retired from the motion picture business, he lectures at film schools, consults on film projects for visual effects, and spends time pursuing his art and photography while wandering the deserts of the Southwest. www.bentpictures.com

 

Honorable Mention

 Jessica L. Bryant – Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

“Lost Horse Valley” Watercolor, 24x15

 Jessica Bryant

Originally from Rosemount, MN, during high school Jessica Bryant won art competition awards locally, regionally, and nationally. While earning a B.A. in American Studies at the University of Minnesota, she studied art and specialized in drawing. After college she moved to Coeur d'Alene, ID, and produced commissioned pieces. Formal watercolor instruction began in 2007 under Richard Becker in Palo Alto, CA, and continued in 2008 in Coeur d'Alene with Stan Miller, AWS. Bryant currently paints in her home/studio and teaches fine art to local students. Recent awards include publication in the North Light Books series Splash 17: Inspiring Subjects (July 2016), selection as a finalist in Artists Magazine's 2014 Annual Art Competition, and selection into the 146th Annual International Exhibition of the American Watercolor Society. Her work has been displayed in the historic Salmagundi Art Club in New York, NY. Bryant also has served as Artist-in-Residence at Badlands National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. www.JessicaBryant.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Captcha

0 Comments

Captcha


Instagram Icom
Facebook Icon
Twitter Icon
Google Plus icon