Akron Society of Artists 93nd Annual Juried Members Exhibition
1st Place Award
Juror Comment: Jeffrey Katzin, PhD
Senior Curator at Akron Art Museum
Perovskia, Hydrangeas and Penstemon
While this award specifically recognizes one of Robert Putka’s paintings, I was drawn to the consistency of color and contrast—as well as the balance of detail with overall impressions—across all three of his submissions, which mutually reinforce one another. Perovskia, Hydrangeas and Penstemon struck me as the strongest of the group, thanks to Putka’s consistency of brushwork and handling of the varied spaces nestled within dense vegetation.
2nd Place Award
Juror Comment: Jeffrey Katzin, PhD
Senior Curator at Akron Art Museum
Million Dollar Highway, CO
To convincingly compress a vast landscape scene into a modestly sized oil painting requires a judicious selection and application of detail, so that much more is suggested than is literally on the canvas. I found that Carolyn E. Lewis achieved great success in this aspect of Million Dollar Highway, CO. A viewer who is drawn in to see the picture’s meandering road or blue pools will also find her effective painterly decisions.
3rd Place Award
Juror Comment: Jeffrey Katzin, PhD
Senior Curator at Akron Art Museum
Mackinac Island
In this painting clearly oriented toward photorealistic detail, I appreciated Tom Jackson’s commitment to a nearly featureless blue sky. To be sure, the sky provides a clear counterpoint to the tower in terms of detail and lack thereof, highlighting peeling paint, the folds of the flag, and more. But, importantly, this also
works in reverse—against the tower’s texture, the sky’s gradient becomes a compelling field of pure color.
Al Horn Award
The Autumn Trail—Indigo Lake
The Al Horn Award provides a welcome opportunity to recognize The Autumn Trail—Indigo Lake as a plein air painting. The suggestions of movement, air, and light that James Leslie has packed into this picture offer appealing reminders of what can be gained in working directly from nature.
Honorable Mention
