Ellarslie Open 31

 

Ellarslie Open 31

Juried Exhibit

On Display

May 3, 2014 – June 22, 2014

 

A Short History of the Ellarslie Open

During the early years of the museum, the focus was on acquiring items to expand the decorative arts collection. Museum director Ben Whitmire (1978-1988) changed the focus to include temporary exhibitions of contemporary art with an emphasis on Trenton area artists. In 1982, he established the Ellarslie Open to encourage local artists to submit their work for judging and display. Since then, the Trenton City Museum has displayed the work of over seven hundred local and regional artists, many selected on the basis of work they submitted to the Ellarslie Open. Today, the Ellarslie Open has become a significant exhibition in its own right, drawing on the work of professional artists from the tri-state region and beyond, while encouraging and recognizing emerging artists.

Ellarslie Open XXXI

Over two hundred artists from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and beyond submitted more than four hundred works to the 2014 Ellarslie Open Juried Exhibit.  Because space at Ellarslie is limited, the juror selected less than 25% of the submissions — one hundred and two pieces — for the show.  The results make for another outstanding exhibit at the Trenton City Museum.

Janet Purcell’s review in the Trenton Times.

Congratulations to all whose work was selected, and thank you to all who submitted.

EO XXXI Awards and Prizes

Michael Kember,    Tilt     Ben Whitmire Purchase Award

Gail Bracegirdle,    Osage      Trenton Museum Society Purchase Award

Susanne Pitak Davis,    Pineapple Paradise     Mayor Douglas H. Palmer Award for Best in Show Overall

John H. Wells    Jersey City Dragon   Trentypo Award for Best in Show – Digital Art

William Hogan,    Self-Portrait      Jerry’s Artarama Award for Best in Show – Drawing

Diane Greenberg,    Marlboro Man     Runner Up – Drawiing

Stephanie Madzjak,  Talking about the Bad Neighbors      Honorable Mention — Drawing

Nelly Kouzmina    Sea of Sylvia      R & B Award for Best in Show – Fiber Art

Priscilla Snow Algava,    Energy Dance     Chiacchio Funeral Home Award for Best in Show – Mixed Media

Nancy Shill,    Jacob and the Angel      Runner Up – Mixed Media

Joseph H. Dougherty,    The Book Model     The President’s Award for Best in Show – Painting

Jose Anico,    Forbidden Zone      Trenton First Award for Runner Up – Painting

Caroline Hall,    Alone in the Woods, II     Honorable Mention – Painting

Anne Stefane,    Neighborhood Watch      Taylor Photo Award for Best in Show – Photography

Susan Kott,    Smoking Woman       Runner Up – Photography

R. L. DeFalco,    Playing with Fire      Honorable Mention – Photography

Kathleen Liao,    Quantum Leap     Shoppe 202 Award for Best in Show – Printmaking

Susanne Pitak Davis,    Pineapple Paradise     Best in Show – Sculpture

Judith Rosenthal,    Pods     Runner Up – Sculpture

Ronald A. LeMahieu,    For Barbara        Honorable Mention – Sculpture

Shyam Singh Maharjan,   Morning Walk      Jerry’s Artarama Award for Best in Show – Watercolor

Robert Sussna,    Reading Viaduct     Runner Up – Watercolor

Gail Bracegirdle,    Osage     Honorable Mention – Watercolor

Kelly Baum, Ph.D., Juror

Kelly Baum, Ph.D., is Haskell Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at Princeton University Art Museum, where she has organized several critically lauded exhibitions.  Her most recent New Jersey as Non-Site, closed in January 2014.  She has been working as a curator and scholar for more than a decade. Prior to her arrival at Princeton in 2008, she held curatorial positions at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin. Kelly has organized several exhibitions, including Carol Bove (2006); Jedediah Caesar (2007); The Sirens’ Song (2007); Transactions (2007); Nobody’s Property: Art, Land, Space, 2000–2010 (2010); and Doug Aitken: migration (empire) (2010). She also has published essays on subjects ranging from Ana Mendieta and Santiago Sierra to Michèle Bernstein and the Situationist International in such journals as October, Art Journal, and the Princeton University Art Museum’s Record. She oversees the Museum’s Sarah Lee Elson, Class of 1984, International Artist in Residence Program and serves as a curatorial advisor to the University’s campus art committee.