ArtsOhio Blog

15 Ohio Artists Win Awards at 2019 Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 18:19:46 GMT

Staring at a ceramic and wood sculpture displayed on a tiered podium in the Cox Fine Arts Center, Lily Elison admitted that her piece looks a bit different sitting in the white-walled gallery than it typically does at home.

“It looks pretty nice out here,” said Elison, a junior studying art education and art therapy at Miami University. “It sits on my floor at home. It looks better up here.”

Titled “Intertwined” and featuring a row of five rectangular frames containing interlaced black and white ceramic hands, Elison’s piece is one of 357 works of art on view at the 2019 Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition.

“This was one of my first sculptural pieces. It was the last piece I did in high school in my ceramics class, and it was my introduction to actually sculpting things,” Elison said. “It kind of stands for really anything. It’s up to the viewer and what they interpret. It is like two different things coming together in many different ways.”

Each year, hundreds of amateur and professional artists from all around Ohio come together at the exhibition, which officially opened with an awards reception on July 23. At the event, 43 exhibition awards totaling more than $20,000 were distributed to artists in categories such as “Best of Show,” “Juror’s Choice,” and awards funded by the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) and other Ohio-based organizations. In keeping with this year’s exhibition focus on the themes of sustainability and conservation, several “A Perspective From Nature” awards were given to artists who featured natural materials in their work.

Considered the largest juried art show in Ohio, the 2019 exhibition, presented in the Cox Fine Arts Center on the fairgrounds, features work by 249 artists hailing from 34 Ohio counties. It is estimated anywhere from 40,000 to 53,000 visitors will stop by the exhibition during the fair this year.

“The Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition is a wonderful opportunity to view the work created by the many diverse and talented artists who are living in our state,” said OAC Executive Director Donna S. Collins. “The Ohio Arts Council congratulates all of the artists on their exceptional work and also the time and commitment they give to making Ohio the best place to live, work, and play.”

For Elison, receiving one of the OAC’s amateur division winner awards was unexpected but welcome news.

“I only entered this piece this year, and I was surprised to see it get in,” she said. “I think it is pretty awesome that they give out amateur awards where you don’t need to be a practicing artist or anything. I am in college, and that money is going to really help out with the studios.”

In addition to the visual art on view, for the first time in its history, the Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition will host a day dedicated to poetry on Aug. 1. Held in the Cox Fine Arts Center's rotunda from 1 to 7 p.m., the poetry showcase will feature an afternoon of poetry readings and recitations by student poets, members of the Ohio Poetry Association, and Ohio Poet Laureate Dave Lucas.

A youth art exhibition and creative arts showcase are housed across the fairgrounds in Kasich Hall.

The Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition is open from July 24 through Aug. 3, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. On Aug. 4, the last day of the fair, the exhibition is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information about the Ohio State Fair, visit ohiostatefair.com.

A full list of OAC award winners follows:

A PERSPECTIVE FROM NATURE AWARDS

Professional Division ($500)

Amateur Division ($500)

OHIO ARTS COUNCIL AWARDS

Division Winner Award - Professional Division ($300)

New Artist Award - Professional Division ($250)

Division Winner Award - Amateur Division ($250)

New Artist Award - Amateur Division ($250)

Special Art Purchase

ABOUT THE OHIO ARTS COUNCIL
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. Connect with the OAC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or visit our website at oac.ohio.gov.

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Article by Amanda Etchison, Communications Strategist
Featured Photo: A collage of images from the 2019 Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition. Photos by Amanda Etchison.

15 Artists Receive Ohio Arts Council Awards at 2018 Ohio State Fair

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 17:47:29 GMT

When viewers approach Erek Nass’ “2.48,” they can’t help but peer into the tiny portholes dotting the piece’s surface.

“It’s rewarding,” said Nass, a Columbus-based multidisciplinary artist. He watched as a woman walked up to the first wooden lightbox and squinted at the photograph within. “That is when it comes alive—seeing people interact with it and not just in the isolation of my studio.”

Inspired by the ability of the human brain to automatically merge the two separate images recorded by each eye into one, Nass said the piece is a “mechanical metaphor” that similarly combines a collection of layered photographic slides into a visual representation of passing time.

“Each of us, those of us who can see, has 2.5 inches between our eyes. Our brain is able to reconcile that. I was thinking of that idea,” he said. “The first image is of trees budding during the spring. It was a photograph I was taking while I was on the phone with my sister, and I didn’t realize that was the last time I was going to speak to her. It’s now the starting point for this piece. Over five years unfolds from there.”

More viewers will undoubtedly take this trip through time by interacting with “2.48” over the next week, as Nass’ piece is currently on view in the 2018 Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition.

The exhibition, presented at the Cox Fine Arts Center throughout the duration of the fair, features 362 works by 249 Ohio artists and is considered the largest juried art show in Ohio. Each year, the exhibition attracts anywhere from 40,000 to 53,000 fairgoers.

An awards reception celebrated the opening of the exhibition on July 24. For “2.48,” Nass received one of the Ohio Arts Council’s (OAC) awards in the professional division.

“The Ohio Arts Council is thrilled to support the work of emerging and professional artists at the annual Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition,” said OAC Executive Director Donna S. Collins. “2018 marks our 20^th year celebrating the creative talents of Ohio’s artists at the Fair.”

This year, more than $22,000 in exhibition awards were distributed to artists in categories such as “Best of Show,” “Juror’s Choice,” and awards funded by the OAC and other Ohio-based organizations. At the ceremony, 55 awards were presented.

As in past years, the Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition incorporates work in a variety of mediums that is created by artists in both professional and amateur categories. The 2018 exhibition features the highlighted discipline of metal and glass.

A full list of OAC award winners follows:

A METAL AND GLASS PERSPECTIVE AWARDS

Ohio Arts Council Award – Professional Division ($500)

Ohio Arts Council Award – Amateur Division ($500)

OHIO ARTS COUNCIL AWARDS

Ohio Arts Council Award – Professional Division ($300)

New Artist Award – Professional Division ($250)

Ohio Arts Council Award – Amateur Division ($250)

New Artist Award – Amateur Division ($250)

Special Art Purchase

In addition to the exhibition, other arts-related activities scheduled for the fair include an on-site plein air painting competition July 25-27 and an on-site sidewalk chalk art competition July 27-28.

A youth art exhibition and creative arts showcase are housed across the fairgrounds in the Cardinal Hall.

The Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition is open from July 25 through Aug. 4, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. On Aug. 5, the last day of the fair, the exhibition is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. While the exhibition is on view, visitors can vote for the Peoples’ Choice Award, an annual prize sponsored by the OAC that is given to the work of art that receives the most votes from the public.

For more information about the Ohio State Fair, visit ohiostatefair.com.

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Article by Amanda Etchison, Communications Strategist