State of the Art 2009 National Biennial Watercolor Invitational
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Transcript of State of the Art 2009 National Biennial Watercolor Invitational
Exhibition: February 23–April 1, 2009Reception: Thursday, March 5, 6–8pm Gallery Talk by curator Aletha Jones at 7pm
Participating Artists: Amy ArnstonDonne BitnerKatherine Chang LiuPaul Ching-borCindy CraigRandy EckardPatricia Tobacco ForresterCharles GreenholdtDavid HamillAlex PowersJohn T. SalminenLee WeissH. Dean WillisCathy M. WooRussell Yerkes
Curated by Aletha Jones
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Aletha JonesBehind Every Painter Stands a CriticWatercolor30 x40 inches 2008
In selecting a primary focus for “The State of the Art
2009,” I explored several possible themes. But I kept
returning to the one quality that links us together in this
exhibition: the very deliberate selection of the medium
itself. It is this choice, and the intensely personal nature of
this choice, that joins us. For some of us, this preference
for watercolor is our life-long passion. For others, it is a
decision we make spontaneously, selecting from a wide
array of materials as we sit down to create. But we each
have chosen this medium because we feel that it can
best express our unique vision, best speak our own truth
on the pages we create. Art critic Robert Hughes refers
to watercolor as a “virtuoso’s medium.” To paraphrase
his description of the medium: “watercolor, in its special
freshness and immediacy,” gives artists “access to
moments of vision” that may evade their expressions
in other media. The profoundly personal nature of this
choice brings to mind the pages
of one’s diary, pages that not only
record immediate experiences,
but also challenge expectations,
explore new possibilities, and play
in the margins. As Oscar Wilde
stated, “I never travel without my
diary. One should always have
something sensational to read…” So I have selected these
watermedia paintings of fellow travelers because each
“writes” with a distinctive brush and an unmistakable
voice on the paper. This exhibition is an evocative
selection of “pages” of the collective watercolor journal,
some large and others small, but each one, sensational to
behold—like watching the artists themselves at work.
—Aletha Jones
Curator’s Statement
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Growing up in the Great Lakes Region, water
has always been a powerful symbol for me. It is
intimately connected with the passage of time...of
stability and change. Most of my current paintings
do not reference the surrounding land. They focus
on light, texture, shape and movement of water.
Without a horizon line, viewers are encouraged
to meditate on the water, projecting themselves
into the painting. The wave patterns are at once
expressionistic and photo-realistic.
I’ve examined a wide variety of media and
concepts, but line and wash and watercolor are
consistently the most beautiful to my eye.
A m y A r n t s o n is an emerita professor of art at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She was born and grew up in Frankfort, Michigan. Her BFA is from Michigan State University, and her MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Arntson’s many lectures and presentations have spanned the globe. She has exhibited paintings internationally in the Florence Bienniale as well as several locations including China and England. A full time artist, she is also an author of college art and design textbooks. Her paintings of water surfaces include the Great Lakes Region and various national and international waters.
Amy E. Arntson
)Michigan AfternoonTransparent Watercolor22 x 30 inches2007
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I begin my work by layering thin washes of acrylic,
watercolor and gesso on paper, canvas, or wood.
There is no definite image in mind at this stage
and I am often surprised by the end result, which
is so unlike the beginning. Oil pastel, charcoal,
and graphite add texture and line to the surface.
Interesting shapes can come from stamps, stencils,
textured paper, and wood blocks. This is painting
by discovery.
D o n n E B i t n E r was born in New York, then lived in Ohio and Pennsylvania before moving down to Florida where he has lived for 30-plus years. Graduating from Pennsylvania State University, he currently teaches at Crealde School of Art in Winter Park, Florida, and exhibits his work in art festivals and museum shows throughout the country. He was honored with a State of Florida individual Fellowship in 2002 and a Professional Enhancement Grant in 2006. Signature memberships include National Watercolor Society, Watercolor USA Honor Society, and Southern Watercolor Society.
Donne F. Bitner
Quiet goes the DawnWatermedia31 x 30 inches 2006
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For a while now, I haven’t looked to visual
information as the source or stimulation for my
work. Most often, the visual images come from a
few words I jot down earlier, or from some current
reading. This “Island Series” derived from the fact
that I grew up on the island “Taiwan,” and the
idea seems to me appropriate for a wider range
of content: the isolation and the connections, the
entry and the portals…island as an icon therefore
supplied me with the seed for various metaphors
and images.
K A t h E r i n E C h A n g L i u was born in China, raised in Taiwan, and came to the U.S. to attend graduate school. She received her Master of Science at the University of California at Berkeley. Liu now lives and works in southern California. She teaches the occasional workshops around the United States. Katherine’s recent exhibits have been in San Francisco, Santa Fe, Los Angeles, as well as France and Denmark.
Katherine Chang Liu
Island Series- SurveyMixed Watermedia18 ¾ x21¾ inches 2006
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The perception in the grey zone where psychology
overlaps with landscape—where soul seeks both
inspiration and liberation from environmental
constraints…
The medium, watercolor is as delicate as it
can be, in opposition to the scene, which contains
the narration of the existing human condition. The
steel, depicted in my work, is provocative and
brutal, in opposition to a New York state of mind.
And the motion, perhaps, is the realization of a
displacement, and the effort, restlessness in the on
going search of the sublime mental idealism…
I am only a part of the work I have created.
I strongly sense that time and space has been
playing their incontestable roles, through me, on
to the work.
My practice in the medium is about building
up watercolor, and then to dematerialize it to
the parallel notion of material (visceral) and
immaterial (cerebral), which is also reminiscent
of the eastern philosophy—between like it and
not like it.
P A u L C h i n g - B o r was born in Guangzhou, China, where he attended the Youth Arts Center and the Guangzhou Fine Art University. He also attended the Jing De Zhen Ceramic institute in China and the National Academy of Design in New York. Ching-bor presently lives and works in New York. His recent exhibits have been in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, as well as Austria and Australia.
Paul Ching-bor
Parallel Passage - 1+9 North III Watercolor on Arches Paper94 x 155 inches 2008
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My work is a social commentary that explores the
psychology of “purchasing happiness”. On one
level, the works are aesthetically appealing images
of beautiful people, designer goods and grandiose
shopping centers. On another, they are subtle
commentaries on the tendency to define oneself
through one’s purchases.
My work questions whether our freedom to
buy infinite material goods has created a world of
wish fulfillment or blatant materialism. Are we free
to satisfy our material needs or have we become
enslaved by our belief that products are essential
to our happiness?
C i n D y C r A i g is a native of the San Francisco Bay area and a graduate of UCLA. She currently resides in West Los Angeles with her husband, her son Ben, and two dogs. in the past several years, Craig has had solo and group shows at museums and galleries in New York and Los Angeles. Her work has been featured in “i WANT Candy: The Sweet Stuff in American Art” at the Hudson River Museum, “Greetings From the American Dream” at the Riverside Art Museum, and “Liquid Los Angeles: Currents of Contemporary Watercolor” at the Pasadena Museum of Art. She received First Place for watercolor at the Beverly Hill’s Affaire in the Garden and the Art Competition Award sponsored by The Artist’s Magazine.
Cindy Craig
Harry Winston $92,000 Ruby RingWatercolor10 ¼ x 12¾ inches 2005
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Light plays an essential role in my paintings.
It is as if the subtle or dramatic interplay of light
and shadow become the subject more than the
objects themselves… The alternation of lighted
and shadowed planes produces powerful
repeated patterns and can be an important
element of design.
The subjects or objects that I choose to paint
have always been of paramount importance
to me, especially with their tendency to come
unexpectedly. Quiet, patient observation will
always reveal the life of a subject, although
frequently, the focus of my initial inspiration will
change throughout the course of painting.
r A n D y E C K A r D was born in 1949 and raised in Hickory, North Carolina. “it was as a child in the long, hot Southern summers that my awareness and appreciation of the changes in natural light began. As the day’s heat subsided in the late afternoon, i saw the light take on a cool intensity. This quality of light is a recurring presence in my painting.” Eckard attended the Ringling School of Art and Design as well as the Haywood Technical institute. His gallery, Blue Hill, is currently celebrating its sixteenth season. His work has recently been exhibited in Maine, Florida, and New York.
Randy Eckard
No Place AwayWatercolor20½ x 14 inches 2008
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Transparent watercolor is employed exclusively.
There is no over painting using opaque white.
There is no projection of photos to accomplish
a layout. A minimal of pencil sketching is done
to retain perspective and proportion prior to
using watercolor. My technique combines dry
brush with minor usage of traditional wet-in-wet
wash. Therefore I do not soak or stretch my paper
beforehand. The surface is a dry 300lb. hot press
100% rag paper. My tools consist of sable round
brushes. Transparent watercolor and simple tap
water are my sole medium. I pride myself on the
total absence of any additives whatsoever.
C h A r L E s g r E E n h o L D t currently resides in Cape Coral, Florida. He is member of the National Association of independent Artists and a Signature Member of the American Watercolor Society. Greenholdt’s award winning work appears in many public collections including Purdue University and the Elmhurst Museum of Fine Art. He exhibits nationally and has been included in the Water Color U.S.A. exhibition, Butler institute of Art, the St Louis Art Fair, and the Coconut Art Fair, among others.
Charles Greenholdt
Third BaseDry Watercolor 29 x 17 inches 2007
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My work is an attempt to visualize human
existence as seen from a great distance over a
great expanse of time… An individual lifetime
would pass in an instant and never register in
our field of view but the structures that those
individuals build would; appearing and dissolving
and building on each other in an abstract mass.
So I attempt to replicate this idea in a
virtual space with a 3D model as a stand-in for
the structures we create and the process of my
manipulating that model standing in for the effects
of time. I start by creating a flat plane of geometric
structures and then stretch it, twist it and
transform it in fits and starts causing the geometry
to do unexpected things and develop into new
forms I hadn’t anticipated. The sculptural work
is not drawn from specific models but built from
my memory of them… it is an attempt to re-create,
in simple materials using only hand tools, the
structures that I had only been able to conceive
of through the help of a computer and 3D
modeling software.
D A v i D h A m m i L L received his BFA from Purchase College (SUNY) in 1995 and his MFA in painting from the San Francisco Art institute in 2004. He received a post-MFA studio residency from the Headlands Center for the Arts and has shown widely throughout the Bay Area. in 2006 he moved to New York to take advantage of a one-year grant for studio space from the Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation and in 2007 he was awarded a grant from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation. He currently lives and works in San Francisco.
David Hammill
series4, v6.59Watercolor and Graphite on Paper30 x 55 inches 2007
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My painting style has evolved into a personal
content-dominated imagery. Using gouache,
charcoal, pastel, and sometimes collage on
illustration board, my loose realism combines an
emphasis on drawing with an awareness of the
art of our times. I attempt to deal with issues such
as human origins, religion, philosophy, economic
inequality, etc. These overwhelming issues are
difficult to deal with, but they are what interest me.
And, since I believe in the singularity of life and
art, these issues are the content of my life and my
current work.
A L E x P o w E r s was born in 1940 and raised in Coeburn, virginia. He has a BA in mathematics from Emory & Henry College, Emory, virginia. He studied art with teachers he liked in Florida, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. Powers has lived in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and has been a painter and self-employed art teacher since 1970. He exhibits in galleries in six states, and among his many national juried exhibition awards is the Gold Medal at the 1997 American Watercolor Society Annual Exhibition. He travels the United States and Canada, teaching six or eight workshops per year. Powers has juried dozens of national exhibitions. He is the author of Painting People in Watercolor, A Design Approach, which is a Watson-Guptill publication.
Alex Powers
One and All 3Gouache, Charcoal, and Pastel32 x 42 inches 2005
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These paintings, ostensibly landscapes, are really
abstract works. From an actual site, I get the idea
for an image, but the trees, plants, etc., are not
quite what I want for the concept that has come
to mind. So I begin with the spatial configuration
observed, but know that I will substitute other
trees, plants, etc., that I find more interesting than
what is actually there in the initial space. Always,
I try to express the energy that I feel in a tree, in
a plant, in the way that I move the paint. These
paintings are composites from different sites, but
always from an image that occurs from the first
viewing, the first clicking of something in my head.
P A t r i C i A t o B A C C o F o r r E s t E r was born in Northampton, Massachusetts. She received a BA at Smith College, and a BFA and MFA from Yale University. She has been the recipient of numerous awards including and Artist Fellowship from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities and a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship. She has participated in numerous residencies including the MacDowell Colony, The Yaddo Foundation, and the Alfred and Trafford Klots program in Rochefort-en-terre, France. She has shown nationally and internationally and is represented by ACA Galleries in New York. Her work is in many public and private collections including The Art institute of Chicago, The Corcoran Gallery in D.C., and the University Art Museum in Berkley, among others.
Patricia Tobacco Forrester
Middlebury FallsWatercolor on Paper40 x 60 inches2005
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When I’m in a big bustling city I’m fascinated
by things that often go unnoticed by the city’s
residents. This happens, in part, because my home
and studio are located in the quiet solitude of the
northern Minnesota woods—about as far removed
from New York’s Lower East Side or Downtown
Los Angeles as it’s possible to be. In large urban
areas I feel visually bombarded. I use my 35mm
camera with a zoom telephoto to help me discover
and create compositions out of all of the visual
chaos. Once I’ve found a composition I like, I
face the challenge of translating that image into a
convincing painting.
As source material, photos can record detail
but they often lack the emotional impact of the
original experience. It becomes my responsibility
as an artist to breathe life back into the work—to
recreate for the viewer the sounds and smells,
as well as the sights. To this end I often change
colors, add or eliminate figures and details, and
dramatically alter the light quality and mood. My
ultimate goal is to impart some of the excitement I
experienced as I discovered the wealth of images
generated by daily life in the city.
J o h n s A L m i n E n was born in Minneapolis and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Minnesota in Duluth. He lives and works in Duluth with his wife, Kathy. Salminen is a signature member of many watercolor and art societies, including the American Watercolor Society, Allied Artists, the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, and the National Watercolor Society. He is a Dolphin Fellow of the AWS. He has been appointed an honorary member of the Jiangsu Watercolor Research institute in China. He has won more than 175 major awards in national and international exhibitions including the American Watercolor Society Gold Medal and the National Watercolor Society Silver Star First Place Award. His work has been exhibited in the National Academy in New York.
John T. Salminen
On the Train Watercolor30 x 40 inches 2008
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Nature has always been my refuge and my
resource—the ever-changing landscape seen in
different seasons and in changing light and the
advantage of travel to view varying land forms and
conditions gives me rich material to paint. Many
years ago I discovered that if I painted from the
remembered image I could capture the essence
rather than the actual.
I think of watercolor as the freedom medium.
Working as I do wet pigment into wet paper, I
can quite literally “go with the flow,” allowing
the beauty of the merging colors to dictate the
direction the painting will go. It is more about
creating than recreating, about doing a painting
rather than an illustration.
L E E w E i s s was born in inglewood, California, in 1928. She attended California College of Arts (1946-47) and studied briefly with Alex Nepote and Eric Oback. Her works are in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American Art, the National Air & Space Museum (NASA), the Phillips Collection, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., among others. Weiss was made a Fellow of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters in 1985 and named a Dolphin Fellow of the American Watercolor Society in 1991. She is past president of the Watercolor USA Honor Society. Her paintings have been exhibited in Japan and China numerous times between 1988 and 2008.
Lee Weiss
Grass and Morning LightWatercolor41 x 55 inches 2004
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My paintings reflect both art and life. My goal
is to react and present my rendition of the gap
between the two. All (of my) works are either
transparent watercolor on cold presses paper or
egg tempera (egg yoke and pigment) on masonite.
I am comfortable with the materials used. I am
familiar with the methods and development of
hues, contrast and composition. However, the
final results are known only after completion.
Painting is my way of rediscovering the
world—a learning process involving the ability
to see, which is much more than looking with
the eye.
D E A n w i L L i s was born in southern illinois in 1944. At a young age, he moved to the suburbs of Chicago. He began his formal education at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. At the Academy, he was mentored by irving Shapiro; the results are in his appreciation and respect of transparent watercolor. Willis’ work portrays his interpretation of the Midwestern farming environment. He initially concentrated on one property, but has recently ventured onto other farmlands to fully engage himself more intimately in the disappearing landscape of our communities. When Willis researches his subjects, it is either early in the morning or late afternoon when shadows and contrast are the most dramatic. This interaction of light and form reveal compositions that otherwise could be overlooked.
H. Dean Willis
Coiled SprocketTransparent Watercolor20 x22 inches 2007
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This recent series of paintings explores my
interest in the dualistic nature of the universe
and the constant cycling between good and
evil, symbolized by structure and disorder. This
dynamic is expressed by the pattern of random
dots superimposed on the casual grid of color
in this piece. The collaged “Lovingkindness”
meditations reflect my current commitment to be a
part of a more expansive and peaceful world.
Some who think “you can never make a
mistake in watercolor” might be surprised to hear
that this medium provides me great flexibility.
Color and values can easily be manipulated using
overpainting, glazing, scrubbing, erasing, and
washing. Fortunately, the days of being perfect are
long gone… The act of painting is how I process
life. I have always painted while I was finding my
way in the world. Painting has been my friend
during the most rewarding and challenging times
of my life.
C A t h y w o o is a painter, author, and teacher who has been working in the Seattle area for over 25 years. Her paintings have been exhibited in galleries and juried shows both regionally and nationally. She is also an author, specializing in issues related to creativity. in addition Woo has taught numerous workshops, classes and demonstrations. Woo’s work has been published in numerous national magazines. Woo is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society and won that organization’s top prize in its open juried competition in 2000. She is also a signature member and past president of the Northwest Watercolor Society as well as a longtime member and past president of Women Painters of Washington.
Cathy May Woo
Never Give Up Mixed Watermedia28 x28 inches 2008
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Shake, Rattle and RollWatercolor22 x30 inches 2008
r u s s E L L y E r K E s was born 1955 in Charleston, South Carolina, and attended Mansfield State College in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, where he studied art education. He is a self-taught watercolorist and has been a full-time professional artist for the past 15 years. He lives in Tarboro, North Carolina. Russell has recently showed work in Florida, virginia, and New York.
The process begins with my imagination. Whatever
the subject, I begin each painting the same;
painting from the foreground working towards
the background. My images evolve as I paint. I do
not pre-draw the whole image prior to applying
the watercolors. It is more like a puzzle I am
piecing together as I draw and paint. This process
enables me to control the lines, the amount of
color and texture I want to utilize. Each image
evolves through the time spent in the process of
applying layer upon layer of color, and utilizing
patterns, texture and shape. With this technique I
am creating a “hard edge” line between the colors
and patterns that I am utilizing. By enhancing the
foreground, I finish with a dramatic non-traditional
watercolor painting. Remember, it is water, paint,
and paper that I am working with; three factors
that are so different and unforgiving.
My images vary in sizes, but I prefer working
in a large format. I am able to create images that
invoke a response because of my method and
technique. These images today are primarily of an
aquatic theme. After seeing different underwater
environments from a diving mask with limited
peripheral vision, I began painting from more
of an “in your face” imaginative point of view.
With this in mind, I have added personality.
Unconsciously, we are creating from our inner
feelings. I am fortunate to be doing what I love,
painting and selling art and my final product is a
fun, clean, crisp, colorful image created with the
use of transparent watercolors.
Russell Yerkes
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Parkland Art Gallery is indebted to Aletha Jones for curating an exhibition that is fresh, exciting, and
encompassing of a broad spectrum of artists using watercolor as a medium. Also deserving thanks
are the participating artists and galleries that have so graciously loaned their work to share in this
special exhibition.
We recognize Ricki Moore, Parkland Art Gallery’s exhibitions coordinator, who tirelessly
collected all of the artist information; award-winning graphic designer and Parkland Associate
Professor Paul Young, who generously donated his time to this project; the Parkland Art Gallery
Advisory Board, which supports and contributes to the gallery in ways too numerous to mention; the
Parkland College Foundation, which shepherds our contributions from donors; Parkland College for
its support of the arts; and the students at Parkland whose enthusiasm for learning and engaging in
the arts is a constant source of inspiration. Parkland Art Gallery would also like to give special thanks
to the Illinois Arts Council, which has consistently supported us for over 10 years with grant funding
for visiting artists and exhibitions.
Special thanks go to Patricia Rannebarger Ford, who sponsors this exhibition in honor of retired
Parkland Art Professor Donald K. Lake. Lake, who was instrumental in developing both the gallery
and the State of the Art: National Biennial Watercolor exhibitions, is a great supporter of the arts. He
has left a huge legacy to this community, both through sharing his talent and knowledge with our
students and through his guidance to the Parkland Art Gallery.
— Lisa Costello
Director, Parkland Art Gallery
Acknowledgements
This program is partially supported by a grant from the illinois Arts Council, a state agency.
What an artist is trying to do for people is bring them closer to something, because of course art is about sharing: you wouldn’t be an artist if you didn’t want to share an experience, a thought. —David Hockney
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Parkland Art gallery Contributors:Parkland Art Gallery would like to express sincere thanks to the many individuals who have enabled this project through their ongoing support.
Parkland Art gallery Contributors
Friend $25Shirley AxelCarol BarkstallMary ConnorsGeorge Ann Danehowervictor & Judy Feldmanviki FordSusan GnaedingerLaura GrabbeStacey GrossRebecca GrosserChas F. HalpinAlan LederLaurence
& Bernice LiebermanJody LittletonKlara LueschenPatricia & Roger MartinJoAnn McGrainMelissa MerliMichael MorganBetty MurphyFay Rouseff-BakerPat San SoucieEvelyn SchapiroElizabeth OttoGretchen Wieshuber
Patron $50Charlene Anchor
& Charles CollinsonMildred & Norman BarnettDede KernKaren DeckerDelsie & Harold DorsettAnn EhrlichBarbara GladneyGeorge & Ondline GrossJohn & Anne HedemanEdit HollowayDr. Joanne HuffKaren Keener & Kristi MercerMaryann KohutSeth & Ann MendelowitzJoseph MillerGeorgia MorganSarah & Robert NemethRobin RiggsEd & Carol ScharlauBarbara SeifMartha SeifDavid & Annilee ShaulRimas visGirda & Billie TheideSally F. WallaceJulie WeisharCharles & Sarah Wisseman
Champion $100Sandra BatzliChuck & Dianne BeetzLisa CostelloCraft League of
Champaign-UrbanaFrances & Stanley FriedmanLeroy & Mary HeatonBev & George KiefferPatricia KnowlesRobert Laible & Denise SeifNancy & David MorseRussel & Elaine PeppersDavid & Kathline SmithMary Lou StaerkelJohn & Joy Thorton-WalterKaren WeisMarilyn WhittakerDale & Karen York
$150Chris Berti & Laura O’DonnellSandy & Ed HyndsDon & Susie LakeMelvyn Skvarla
Fellow $250Jean CostelloBob & Judy JonesBill & Jamie KruidenierGay & Donald RobertsRachel Schroeder
guardian $500Judy DethmersCindy & Tim SmithBob & Bonnie Switzer
watercolor Exhibition sponsorPatricia Rannebarger Ford
Corporate sponsorsCalico KidsElectric PicturesRick Orr FloristWDWS-AMParasol RecordsThat’s Rentertainment
Parkland Art gallery Advisory Board
Christopher Berti, Advisory Board Chair, Faculty Representative, visual Arts
Lisa Costello, Art Gallery Director (Ex-officio)
Michael Hagan, Parkland College Foundation Representative (Ex-officio)
Sandra Hynds, Community Representative, Artist
Jody Littleton, Administrative Representative, Director of Community Relations
Robin Riggs, Community Representative, Artist
Umeeta Sadarangani, Faculty Representative, English
Denise Seif, Faculty Representative, Program Director for Art Department
Peggy Shaw, Faculty Representative, visual Arts
Joan Stolz, Faculty Representative, visual Arts
Nancy Sutton, Fine and Applied Arts Chair, Professor of Speech
Kenton visser, Student Representative, Scholarship Student
Matthew Watt, Faculty Representative, Program Director for Graphic Design