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20th Annual Mollie Fearing Memorial Art Show Award Recipients Announced


Hundreds of people poured into the Dare County Arts Council Gallery on Sunday, April 30 for the opening reception of the 20th Annual Mollie Fearing Memorial Art Show.

Multi-media artist Mei Ling Cann carefully selected the following award winners:

Lucky 12 Tavern Best in Show: Sue Freeman “My Kind of Treasure” (wood)

Willey Agency Excellence Awards: Rick Cocke “Circus Stars” (acrylic), Mary Edwards “Old Nags Head Pier” (watercolor), Dawn Moraga “Red Sky in the Morning” (acrylic), and Jefferson Glover “Sin Bearer” (mixed media)

Honorable Mentions: Thomas Dean “Yin Shell Yang” (acrylic), Sean Ballentine “Jennette’s Pier” (photography), Feather Phillips “Three Turnips” (watercolor), and Mandy Bartell “Grace is Gone” (copper)

People’s Choice Award: Petie Brigham “Hooray! Beach Day!” (oil painting)

“This exhibition maintains a well-balanced flow of colors and compositions, while utilizing a varied range of media and imagery,” said judge Mei Ling Cann. “I was delighted to see the range of talent in the Outer Banks community and enjoyed meeting the local artists.”

Presented by Zillie’s Island Pantry on Ocracoke Island, the annual show features 80 entries by local Outer Banks artists.

“Winning an excellence award means a lot to me, especially this year,” said artist Dawn Moraga. “I’ve been going deep with my art trying to take it to the next level and I feel like this piece represents the direction I want to go.”

The Mollie Fearing Memorial Art Show is held in memory of Mollie A. Fearing, one of the founders of Dare County Arts Council.

“Dare County Arts Council is thankful to have had the guidance and vision of Mollie Fearing during the early years of this organization,” said Dare County Arts Council Executive Director Chris Sawin. “For twenty years we have gladly paid tribute to her memory through this fun, eclectic exhibit.”

The show will remain on display at the DCAC Gallery in downtown Manteo through May 30.

A special thank you to Kelly’s Restaurant and Tavern for providing delicious hors d'oeuvres at the opening reception.

This project was supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

For more information about upcoming Dare County Arts Council events and exhibitions, please call (252) 473-5558 or visit DareArts.org.

Dare County Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization dedicated to supporting the arts in Dare County.

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