Grant County Art Guild holds annual Purchase Prize show reception 092518

Photos by Mary Alice Murphy

[Editor's Note: The camera flash blew out the well lighted art works under glass when their artist was beside them, so you will see separate photos of the art works and then ones with the artist in two cases.]

The judge of the 33rd annual Grant County Art Guild Purchase Prize show was Barbara Mulleneaux of Green Valley, Arizona.

"It was really difficult to pick the winners," Mulleneaux said. "Many were very close when I ranked them. I looked at the art elements—what goes into any good art piece."

When asked why she chose a photograph as the sweepstakes winner, she said it was because it had all the elements of a good work of art—composition, lighting, color and was a pleasure to look at. "I'm not a photographer. I, as a painter, use painting to fix the deficits in my photography."

According to event organizer Tom Vaughan the show had 44 entries, of which 20 were oils; 10 acrylic; 10 photos for the first time in the history of the show; two watercolors and two drawings.

A news release from GCAG listed the winners as:

The Grant County Art Guild’s Tuesday night exciting opening reception for the 33rd Annual Purchase Prize Show was the setting for approximately 75 people gathered at the Pinos Altos Art Gallery to check out who was awarded the ribbons and cash prizes for this much anticipated show. The judge was wowed by Laurie Ford’s “The Watering Hole” photograph and praised the composition and all of the other aspects of her entry. T. Camille Painter-Davis‘s pastel drawing “Walk to the Hot Springs” was awarded the “Award of Excellence.”

Oil Paintings: First place - Diane Cornelius, “Sunrise - Cave Creek;” Second Place - Keith Spangle, “Mimbres Valley;” Third Place - Fidel Hinojosa, “Gila Valley Road;” Honorable Mentions - Fidel Hinojosa, “Sunday Mass;” Thia Utz, “Picacho Campo;” T. Camille Painter-Davis, “Over the Gila;” and Jeanne Dickerson, “Gila River Cottonwood.”

Acrylic Paintings: First Place - John Organes, “To the Lake;” Second Place - T. Camille Painter-Davis, “To the Cliff Dwellings;” Third Place - Nacho Jaramillo, “Anna;” Honorable Mentions - Arlene Sarkela, “Weary;” Barbara Smith, “Deep Canyon;” Nacho Jaramillo, ”Vaquero;” and Arlene Sarkela, “Flowers for Sale.”

Drawings: First Place - T. Camille Painter-Davis, “Walk to the Hot Springs” and Second Place - Donna Schmidt, “In the Forest II”

Photographs: First Place - Julie Enos, “New Horizons;” Second Place - Susan Woodward, “Gap of Awareness - Santa Fe;” Third Place - Laurie Ford, “Breath of the Wild;” Honorable Mentions - Sandy Feutz, “Tradition Endures;” Julie Enos, “Happy Trails;” and Tom Vaughan, “Entrada de Columbus.”

The exhibit remains open for viewing, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on September 28-29-30 and October 5-6-7-8 at the Pinos Altos Art Gallery, 14 Golden Avenue, Pinos Altos. The one award not yet delivered is the People’s Choice and we are waiting on your vote! The gallery is located in the historic Hearst Church, so you can come for the art and the history is a bonus!