Lowell community art lovers have the opportunity to view some of West Michigan’s best artwork right here in town. The 2024 West Michigan Art Competition attracted many unique and vibrant works of art that are now on display at the LowellArts downtown gallery.
The opening of the exhibit was on Saturday, March 23, followed by a reception on March 24 which allowed visitors to meet artists and see competition winners. There are five equal monetary awards totaling $3,000 that went to the artists creating these pieces:
Dianne Carroll Burdick, Lotus Flowers, Digital Photograph
Ann Dyer, End Of The Storm, Pen & Ink
Ted Evans, Traffic Circles, Sculpture
Monica Stegeman, Change Gon’ Come, Mixed Media on Paper
Lou Vallance, Outer Wear, Acrylic Painting with Hand-printed Paper Additions
This is the 38th year of the competition which is open to artists from lower West Michigan who reside in a 25-county region. This year’s juror is Candice Chovanec, an assistant professor in the department of Arts and Letters, and Integrated Arts and Humanities at Michigan State University. Chovanec did the entry selections and final judging and called the exhibit, “authentic, impactful, and beautiful.”
“During the initial selection process, I was drawn to artwork that challenged my own understanding of making through superior craftsmanship, bold compositions and color palettes, and clarity of artistic vision. The artwork included in the exhibit ultimately spoke to my current sensibilities. However, I cannot overemphasize how impressed I am with all the artwork I viewed during the jurying process,” Chovanec said in a statement released by LowellArts.
Of the 236 pieces of art that were submitted,136 were accepted into the competition and are on display. The exhibit will be open until April 27.
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