MASON CITY – The following award winners were announced at the opening reception of Iowa Crafts: 42 at the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum on Saturday, November 14, at 2:30 p.m. This statewide competition was open to all artists above high school age residing in the state of Iowa. Forty-five artworks by twenty-three artists were selected for the final show. Iowa Crafts: 42 can be viewed in the Museum’s Kinney-Lindstrom Gallery through January 9, 2016.
Hank Hall, of Spirit Lake, was given the Best in Show award for his ceramic and mixed media piece, Parade Ready. This award grants Hall a solo exhibition next year in the Museum’s Center Space Gallery.
The Best in Clay award of $150 was given to P. O’Brien Tyrrell, of Northwood, for his clay vessel, Tobacco Barn Teapot. The Juror’s Special Mention in Clay of $50 was awarded to Margie Kline, of St. Ansgar, for her gas-fired stoneware piece Optical Illusion.
The Best in Fiber award of $150 was given to Brenda Backman, of Story City, for her framed fiber piece, Lines Threads Prairies. The Juror’s Special Mention in Fiber of $50 was awarded to Susan E. Kuennen Massman, of Elgin, for her basket, Sarah.
The Best in Metal/Wood award of $150 was given to Rob Wallace, of Ames, for his wooden vessel, Vivid Vessel of Virtue. The Juror’s Special Mention in Metal/Wood of $50 was given to Julienne Friday, of Forest City, for her Aztec Box.
The Best in Other Craft Media award of $150 was given to Katie Brooks, of Manchester, for her cast glass artwork, We Go Together. The Juror’s Special Mention in Other Craft Media of $50 was awarded to Chris White-Rozendaal, of Clear Lake, for her fused glass piece, Dancing In the Moonlight.
The juror for Iowa Crafts: 42 is Laura Colby. Colby is a lecturer of art at Upper Iowa University. In her Juror’s Statement Colby states, “It was exciting to see the range of materials and approaches used by each artist. A wide range of divergent works—from traditional vessels and paintings, to figurative sculpture and batik infused quilts—were all represented. “Craft” means an activity that involves making something in a skillful way by using your hands, and the entries I reviewed showed extensive skill by each artist. This skill is something that takes patients, practice, creative thought, and perseverance to obtain and will be obvious to anyone viewing this year’s exhibition.”
