The St. Augustine Art Association is hosting two special exhibits this month.
The first exhibit is the “Fall Members Show.” This annual exhibition is a testament to the vibrancy of the local art scene and includes works in a variety of styles, mediums and subjects.
Artists of all skill levels and backgrounds are able to showcase their work in the show and be recognized for their artistic achievements.
The Best in Show Award was bestowed upon Sharon Goldman’s painting “Siblings’ Summer, 1960,” a black-and-white illustration capturing a fond memory in the artist's past.
The first-place winner, “Isolation” by Liz Monaco, is a colored-pencil piece depicting the connection between a man and his dog during COVID-19 isolation.
Gerald Branch took second place for his mixed-media piece “Jubilee Farm,” which confronts the horrific past of cotton farming.
Third place was awarded to Nicholas Gheur for a haunting and metallic-accented painting of a heron, “Black Water.”
Fourth place was awarded to Douglas Johnson for his oil painting “Conquering COVID-19: A New Dawn of Hope,” which praises the vaccine efforts and battles of the pandemic.
Robert Shirk’s layered plexiglass painting of a cat called “BC” won the Alger Most Creative Award.
A complete list of winners can be viewed in gallery and online at staaa.org.
The award winners exemplified “intent and unique voice,” according to exhibit judge Gwen Mehler.
She added that, “While all the submissions I selected for awards met the aforementioned fundamental criteria, they also touched my art spirit in various ways. Some evoked a sense of this past year’s challenges, some put a delighted smile on my face, and others were simply a soft and beautiful place for my eyes to land.”
The pieces are judged and prizes awarded due to the generosity of the sponsors: the Benjamin and Jean Troemel Arts Foundation, 97Park Residential and Commercial Real Estate, and Alice and Clark Alger.
Sales of the artworks benefit the artists and programs of the St. Augustine Art Association.
October is National Sensory Processing Awareness Month, and the St. Augustine Art Association has partnered with the Florida DeafBlind Association for this year’s annual “Tactile Art Show,” which is sponsored by VyStar Credit Union.
Not only is the art fun to look at, but for the blind and visually impaired, it’s engaging and interactive. The artists push the limits of conventional visual art to create sculptures, reliefs, mixed media, ceramics and fiber art that can be enjoyed and experienced by everyone. Hand-washing as well as sanitizer will be available and encouraged.
Based in Daytona Beach, the Florida DeafBlind Association is an organization that enables all forms of deafblind people to achieve their maximum potential through increased autonomy, productivity and integration into the community. This year, the Art Association has four deafblind artists exhibiting in the show.
To learn more about the FDBA, go to www.fldeafblind.org.
Both shows opened at the Art Association on Oct. 1 and will be on display through Oct. 31. The gallery is open to the public 1-4 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. It is located at 22 Marine St. in St. Augustine. Admission to the gallery is free.
View exhibits and find additional information online at staaa.org.
