Northern Exposure XV
                           



Seventeen winners have been announced in the all-U.P. exhibit at the Bonifas Arts Center in Escanaba. Northern Exposure XV, a multi-media show, is on display at the Center through December 18.

“We began this regional juried show fifteen years ago,” said Pasqua Warstler, Bonifas Gallery and Education Director. “By sending submissions to jurors out of our area, and by importing them to the U.P. for the show itself, we’ve been able to validate and spread the word through the arts community about the quality of artists in our region.”

Juror Michael Volker’s paintings were part of the exhibit “Interpretive Landscapes” which filled the Gallery in January. He teaches at Central Michigan University as Assistant Professor in painting and drawing, while maintaining a studio at his home. His work has been extensively exhibited and collected.

Prizes and sponsors for awards are:

1st place: $500 from Bonifas Arts Center, to Michael Letts of Marquette, for Monument, acrylic;

2nd place: $250 from Manistique Art Club, to Ryan Brayak of Escanaba for Concrete Fields, concrete;

3rd place: $150 from Bay Area Arts Association, Escanaba, to Earl Senchuk of Marquette for Like, Magic, metal sculpture;

4th place: $150 from The Old Church Gallery, Cedar River, to Carol Phillips and Russell Prather of Marquette for In Memoriam, mixed media;

5th place: $100 from Michigamme Moonshine Gallery, to Stacy Vaughn Davis of Republic for From the Shadows.. Can You Hear?, pen and ink;

Honorable Mention Awards:

$25 from Community Women’s Group of Watton and $50 gift certificate from Art U.P. Style Gallery, Marquette, to Donna Deloughary of Marquette for The Return of the Two-Headed Thing, found object;

$50 gift certificate from Frame Crafters, Escanaba and Printmaking for Painters workshop certificate from Bonifas Arts Center, to Ingrid Blixt for Dance As Expression, graphite;

$50 gift certificate from Sviland’s Paint & Wallcovering, Escanaba and $25 gift certificate from East Ludington Gallery, Escanaba, to Theresa Ross, Escanaba, for Phoenix Voyage, fiber art;

$35 gift certificate from Cheap Joe’s Art Supplies and $25 gift certificate from Frame Farm, Gladstone, to Sue Robishaw of Cooks for Wintercicle, watercolor.

Purchase prizes, or sales of a piece to a business or institution, come from two sponsors. Baybank purchased White Lilacs, a watercolor by Toni Leny of Manistique. Bay de Noc Community College, a long-time purchase prize sponsor, selected three pieces: Steel Table by Dale Wedig of Marquette; Raku Vessel by Barry Bernstein of Marquette; and Barker Grey, mixed-media by Mara Manning of Escanaba.

Three Upper Peninsula galleries have selected artists from the exhibit for “solo show awards”. The Ed Gray Gallery in Calumet selected Russell Prather and Carol Phillips for a solo show. The Oasis Gallery in Marquette selected both Ginnie Cappaert of Stephenson and Dale Wedig of Marquette for solo shows, and the Vertin Gallery in Calumet will feature Candice Zebell for a solo show.

In addition to the exhibit itself, a free Gallery Walk with Pat Frueh, “Northern Exposure Exposed”, will examine the show and individual artworks. The talk is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, December 4.

Overall sponsor for the Northern Exposure XV exhibit is Gallery Partner Escanaba Veterinary Clinic, in addition to funding from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs.

The Bonifas Arts Center is located at 700 1st Ave South. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Center will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.

There is no charge to visit the Arts Center or to tour exhibits or attend receptions. For more information call (906) 786-3833 or visit www.bonifasarts.org.



The Bonifas Arts Center thanks the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs for support which helps keep Gallery exhibits free to the public.