Giving Exhibition 2021 Award Winners

Notions of Giving Featured at Mother Brook

Giving, the NAA’s Nov. 15 – Dec. 31 exhibition at the Mother Brook Arts and Community Center in Dedham, explored definitions of giving. The  judge was Santiago Hernandez, senior lecturer, fine arts, Leslie University College of Art and Design, and a faculty member at Mass College of Art and Design. His comments are below along with the prize winners. 

PRIZE WINNERS

Levin’s Emily and Erin
Levin’s Emily and Erin
FIRST PRIZE

Jane Levin

Emily and Erin

Emily and Erin is a small painting that, to me, speaks volumes in terms of the theme of the show. What better way to express the idea of Giving than to share a meal among friends or family? The setting is casual and has a snapshot quality to it that captures the mundane yet intimate act of sharing a meal. The space created in the painting is shallow, bringing the viewer into the scene. The figure on the left is cropped in a slightly awkward but meaningful way. Everything about the painting lends it an air of immediacy, from the quality of the brushwork to the “unfinished” outlines of some of the objects.

SECOND PRIZE

Sharon Whitham

Forgive but Don’t Forget

Forgive but Don’t Forget makes use of various symbols in a potent and straightforward manner. The various symbols laid out on the horizon of the landscape (feather, cross, heart) taken together speak of such notions as truth, ascension, spirituality, and hope. The neutral palette and use of texture lend the piece and air of solemnity and weight. I feel that this piece speaks volumes in light of current events and the devastation of the pandemic.
Whitham’s Forgive But Don’t Forget
Whitham’s Forgive But Don’t Forget
Cohen’s Spring Storm II
Cohen’s Spring Storm II
THIRD PRIZE

Anita Helen Cohen

Spring Storm II

The notion of Giving can be expressed and interpreted in many ways. Spring Storm II expresses the vibrancy, bounty, and richness of Nature through the use of form and color. It is a tour-de-force of watercolor technique, utilizing a range of effects that bring the piece to life. The sense of movement and visual rhythm in the piece also expresses the idea of the rhythm and cycles of life.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Sherry Autor, Nature’s Gifts
Michael Flint, Amanda Gorman
Ruth Kates, Politician Lending a Hand
Nancy DuVergne Smith, Water Babbling, Gift of Life

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