Almost 100 entries including paintings, fiber creations, photography, and other media were a part of the 21st Mollie Fearing Memorial Art Show, which opened at Dare County Arts Council on Sunday, May 6.
Sculptor and installation artist Gabrielle Graber and a panel of judges from the Outer Banks Forum for the Lively Arts carefully selected the following award recipients:
Lucky 12 Tavern Best In Show: Mike Bennett “Self Portrait” (oil on canvas)
Zillie's Island Pantry, Silver Bonsai Gallery & The Willey Agency Excellence Awards: Mary Edwards “Days in Rodanthe” (watercolor), Bob Seelow “Art’s Place” (ink), and Bobby Wiltshire “The Boat Ella View” (watercolor)
The Outer Banks Forum Excellence Award: Gloria Coker “Man with Horn” (oil on canvas)
Honorable Mentions: Gretchen Dibler “The Calling” (oil on canvas), Daniel Pullen “Shrimp & Grit” (photography), and Stephen Koczirka “The Challenge” (photography)
People’s Choice Award: Petie Brigham “Which Way Beyond” (oil on canvas)
“I found the show fascinating,” said judge and Pocosin Arts resident artist Gabrielle Graber. “The artists are painting their surroundings and it is really admirable to see how they view their home. I selected “Self Portrait” as the Best In Show piece because the artist used value correctly in the oil painting to make it look alive and that to me is excellence.”
Dare County Arts Council partnered with the Outer Banks Forum to feature music in this year’s Mollie Fearing Memorial Art Show. Gloria Coker’s “Man with Horn” will grace the cover of the 2018-19 Forum Playbill. The Playbill is distributed to 500 individuals and businesses throughout the Outer Banks.
“We are excited about this collaboration which showcases incredible area talent,” said Eddie Cooke, President of the Outer Banks Forum for the Lively Arts. “The judges agreed that the selected piece for the Forum’s playbill cover is a magnificent impressionist painting that exemplifies the musical theme of the Forum. Congratulations to all the participants!”
The show is held in memory of Mollie A. Fearing, one of the founders of Dare County Arts Council, and will remain on display at the DCAC Gallery through May 30.
“Music was my first introduction to art,” said owner of Mollie A. Fearing & Associates and Mollie Fearing’s daughter Grizelle Fearing. “It was great seeing all the musical inspired entries. My mom would love this. It is amazing that the show is still going and artists are still entering work after 21 years.”
Thank you to presenting sponsor Zillie’s Island Pantry and founding sponsor Mollie A. Fearing & Associates for their continued support of this timeless show.
A special thank you to Kelly’s Catering for providing delicious hors d'oeuvres at the opening reception.
For more information about the 21st Annual Mollie Fearing Memorial Art Show, please click here or call (252) 473-5558.
This project was supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
The Outer Banks Forum for the Lively Arts is a non-profit organization that brings an annual series of seven outstanding diverse concerts to the area and provides opportunities for youth to participate in the arts. All of the performances are partially underwritten by community businesses.
Dare County Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization dedicated to encouraging the arts in Dare County through advocacy, enrichment and opportunity.