Jurors announced for amateur art contest
The Beacon’s Celebration of the Arts — an online competition for amateur artists over 50 — continues to invite entries from throughout the Baltimore/Washington area in four categories: Painting and Drawing, Sculpture/Jewelry/Pottery/Mixed Media, Photography and Poetry.
Prizes include cash awards and gallery showings (including a showing in downtown D.C. at the Pepco Gallery, and one at the Edward A. Myerberg Center in Baltimore) among other benefits.
The judges who will select first, second and third place winners, as well as honorable mentions, have recently been announced.
Entries in the Painting and Drawing division will be judged by Yumi Hogan, whose artwork, created on traditional Hanji paper with Sumi ink and mixed media, has been featured in art shows and museums in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, South Korea and more.
In addition to her work as an artist, Hogan has juried numerous art exhibitions, including statewide and national competitions for the Maryland Federation of Art. Hogan is also First Lady of Maryland, married to Governor Larry Hogan.
Entries in the Sculpture/Jewelry/Pottery/Mixed Media division will be judged by Jereme Scott, who has served as Mixed-Media Resident Artist at the Howard County Arts Council since 2009.
In 2014, Scott opened a small boutique/gallery called Cotton Duck Art & Apparel in Historic Ellicott City, where he showcases his artwork as well as his original graphics on clothing. His artwork has been displayed regionally and nationally, and his clothing designs have been featured at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Scott also teaches several arts courses at Howard Community College.
Entries in the Photography division will be judged by Noe Todorovich, Executive Director of Exposed DC, a nonprofit organization connecting photographers of all levels with networking, mentoring and exhibition opportunities in the Washington, D.C. area.
Todorovich is also a freelance photographer, whose work has been featured in the Washington Post, Washington Life, Northern Virginia Magazine, Huffington Post, and Capitol Romance.
The Poetry division winners will be selected by Wendi R. Kaplan, poet laureate of the City of Alexandria, Va., who uses her post to bring poetry to people of all ages, teaching them to express themselves in writing, knowing that poetry gives people a voice, even when they feel they have none.
Kaplan is also a clinical social worker and certified poetry therapist who has worked in community services and has her own psychotherapy practice. She has taught at the American University and at the George Washington University School of Medicine.
To learn more about the competition, including complete rules and entry links, visit mdfedart.com/BeaconCelebration or call the Beacon at (301) 949-9766.
Entries are $10 each, but all entrants will be entitled to a free year’s membership in the Maryland Federation of Art (value: $70). Entries will be accepted through June 29.