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_________________________________________________________________ ART NEWS . . . Wildling Museum of Art and Nature Announces Winners of Third National Juried Exhibition Focusing on California National Parks during Opening Reception 39 Works Representing all Nine of California’s National Parks is on view through February 19, 2024
The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature (www.wildlingmuseum.org) is pleased to announce the winners of its third juried exhibition showcasing all nine of California’s national parks: Lassen, Joshua, Redwoods, Pinnacles, Channel Islands, Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, and Death Valley all of which are featured in the show. California National Parks: Stories of Water features 37 artists and 39 selected artworks that were juried from a pool of more than 240 submissions by artists across the U.S., competing for $4,000 in awards. These artists reside in nine states including Georgia, Pennsylvania, Utah, Oregon, Arizona, Washington, New Mexico, Nevada, and California. The mediums represented in this exhibition are as varied as the art itself and include oil, acrylic, watercolor, graphite, textile, and photography. The exhibition explores various impacts of water – or the lack of water due to drought – in California’s national parks. Other works capture water’s abundance – particularly in the aftermath of this year’s heavy rains – through a range of waterfalls and rivers.
Juror Nathan Vonk, owner of Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, located in Santa Barbara, had the difficult task of judging the impressive number of entries, and Stacey Otte-Demangate, Executive Director of the Wildling announced all the winners. Please see the sidebar for the complete list. “It is a great exhibition, focused on an important and worthy subject. I have a deep appreciation for our national parks, and the part that art has played in raising awareness of these treasured places,” said Vonk. “The submitted work was really extraordinary, making it wonderfully difficult to pick the final pieces.”
First Prize winner Nancy Yaki with her painting “Holding Stratus Pose, Tenaya Lake, Yosemite”. Photo by George Rose
Upon learning that she took the top prize, for her work “Holding Stratus Pose, Tenaya Lake” Lompoc artist Nancy Yaki, was surprised and pleased particularly since the piece represents a personal connection with water as a symbol of adaptability and enduring balance in embracing change. "Amid the challenging times during my chemo treatments, my soul craved the soothing presence of water - driven by longing; I drove to Yosemite, where I discovered Tenaya Lake,” said Yaki. “There, amidst the beauty of nature's canvas, I embarked on an afternoon paddle-boarding excursion and welcomed the serene lake, experiencing an indescribable connection - a profound realization of the interplay between the ever-changing currents and the unyielding essence of my life. As I held a pose, captivated by the moisture in the atmosphere, the clouds mirrored in the water, and the body of water that held me up, I found a surreal harmony—a moment of clarity that resonated with the core of my being.” Over 120 attended the opening reception including the museum’s Founders, mosaic artist, Patti Jacquemain and her husband, David Gledhill along with supporters Pete and Beck Adams, Judy and Jack Stapelmann, along with Board President Kevin Patterson and Board Members Margaret Weiss and Richard Nagler. The event featured live music from Michael Holland, and renowned photographer George Rose documented the event. All of the many diverse works of art featured in this exhibition are available for purchase with 40 percent of proceeds benefiting the Wildling Museum. This important exhibition was made possible through the generous support of our sponsors: The Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation, Pete & Becky Adams, Penny & Joseph Knowles, The Poomer Fund for Anne Smith Towbes, George & Denise Rose, Margaret Weiss, and donors to the Patti Jacquemain Exhibition Fund.
California National Parks: Stories of Water Winners of Juried Exhibition
FIRST PLACE ($2500) Nancy Yaki “Holding Stratus Pose, Tenaya Lake, Yosemite” Painting, oil on canvas SECOND PLACE ($1,000) Allegra Bick-Maurischat (winner not present) “Public Domain (California), Yosemite” Graphite, created using public domain photographs
THIRD PLACE ($500) Vicki Conley (winner not present) “Golden Canyon, Death Valley” Quilt
HONORABLE MENTIONS Nic Stover “Perfection, Kings Canyon” Photograph on aluminum
Margaret Luo “Flash Flood Warning, Joshua Tree” Painting, oil on canvas
Bill Saltzstein “Mount Lassen and the Milky Way in Reflection Lake” Photograph
The Wildling Museum 1511-B Mission Drive
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