Figurative works do well at Hoyt juried show

The Regional Juried Exhibition at the Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts runs through June 12.

special to the vindicator

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — While figurative work often takes a back seat to landscape and still life in today’s contemporary art scene, the selections for this year’s Regional Juried Exhibition at the Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts prove they can still attract a juror’s eye.

As a matter of fact, John Carson, head of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Art and juror of the 2009 Hoyt competition, included many examples, but was particularly drawn to two giant portraits during the selection process.

Individually titled “Shut Up” and “Sabrina Upside Down” this splashy pair of latex and acrylics by Export, Pa., artist Daniel Bolick eventually were awarded Best of Show for their vitality and spunk.

Two of the six Merit Awards Carson selected were also figurative in nature, including a rather large yet sensitive watercolor titled “Rose, White and Very Blue” by Pittsburgh artist Terri Perpich, and an oversized color photograph titled “Angkor Wat, Cambodia” by Poland, Ohio, artist Valerie Willard.

The remaining Merits were awarded to Maggy Aston of Greensboro, Pa., for her charcoal and pastel titled “Womb With Hyacinth”; Larry Baker of New Castle for his mixed media work titled “The Creature”; Tammy Bauder of Ellwood City for her watercolor titled “Early Morning, Late Winter”; and Louise Rade of Youngstown, Ohio, for her watercolor titled “Dogwood Flower.”

Selecting work for the Regional was no easy task. Of the 305 works of art hand-delivered by 110 artists to the Hoyt in late March, Carson selected 91 works by 72 artists. He spent many hours carefully considering his choices and “breaking his own rules” as more than one piece by an artist would attract his attention and make its way into his selections.

The consummate educator and artist, Carson often explained his decision making process with Director Kimberly Koller Jones and Exhibition Coordinator Patricia McLatchy as he worked out the visual connections in his mind, going so far as to consider how the works might be hung together.

Several sculptures were chosen for the same reason, heightening themes of industry, nature, urban life and abstraction among the figurative pieces.

Featured alongside the Regional in the Blair Sculpture Walkway is the annual New Castle Camera Club show.

This exhibition has served as a platform to showcase the work of local photographers for more than 25 years. Carole Starz served as juror of Awards, selecting from 78 photographs by 17 local photographers. Standing out among them was Frederick Jenny’s “Marie Pretty Paint,” receiving Best in Show.

Both the Regional and the Camera Club shows will run through June 12.

Gallery hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Hoyt is at 124 E. Leasure Ave. For more information, go to hoytartcenter.org.