Art that can touch the soul

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Butler Institute of American Art’s National Midyear exhibition opens today.

Now in its 76th year, the exhibition was juried by Gregory Strachov, a Florida painter who received the Butler’s Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award last year.

Born of Russian heritage in Venezuela, Strachov came to the United States with his family in 1955.

His paintings hang in private collections throughout the country and have been exhibited in museums around the world. His televised lectures on art and art theory are used as instructional material in museums and in graduate studies.

The National Midyear is open to artists 18 and older living in the United States and its territories for works in all two-dimensional media.

Strachov selected 90 works by 89 artists. A total of 745 entries were received, representing 285 artists in 31 states. Of those 285 artists, 147 were from Ohio and 33 from Pennsylvania.

In his juror’s statement, Strachov said:

“All art is imagery, but not all imagery is art, just as not all noise is music. The works that I would select ... exhibit more than technical ability, more than adherence to trends, more than humility or technical arrogance. The works that I would select are those that touch the soul, not by their noise, but by their silence.”

Receiving the top prize of Best in Show for the National Midyear is Gordon Lee of Columbus for his acrylic/panel work “Portrait of a Cloistered Mao.”

Additional top honors went to:

Mary Phillips of New Boston, N.H., took second place for her oil painting “Esther Preparing to be Queen.”

Allan Charles Orr of Youngstown took third place for his oil painting “Izz.”

John Jude Palencar of Medina received the Allied Artists of America Award for his acrylic/birch work “Exstasis.”

Ellen Cooper of Medina received the Phil Desind Award for her oil painting “Defiance of Erebus.”

Brian Robinson of Dover, Ohio, received the Dianne B. Bernhard Art Spirit Purchase Award for his pastel work “Understanding.”

Honorable mention went to:

Michael Ahren, Youngstown, for his mixed-media work “Industrial Dream.

David Michael Bowers, Eighty-Four, Pa., for his oil painting “Strike Three.”

Martha Jane Bradford of Brookline, Mass., for her digital drawing “Hermione.”

John Philbin Dolan of Northfield, Ill., for his pastel painting “Caitlin.”

Drew Ernst of Mount Vernon, Ohio, for his oil work “Steel Belt.”

Fran Mangino of Westerville, Ohio, for her transparent watercolor “You Looking at Me?”

Thomas Torak of Pawlet, Vt., for his oil painting “Fireflies.”

Eric Wiegardt of Ocean Park, Wash., for his acrylic painting “Coupeville.”