Ray Carson, The Stump, hand colored silver gelatin print,
16” x 20"

The City of Gainesville Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs announces the opening of Juror’s Choice: 2008 Regional Award Winners art exhibition, which is scheduled to run June 13 – August 2, 2009 in the Thomas Center Main Gallery. A free public reception will be held Thursday, June 18 from 5 - 7 p.m. at  the Thomas Center. The exhibition features a variety of 2D and 3D work by four Florida award winners from the Thomas Center Galleries’ 2008 Regional Juried Exhibition.  The exhibition was juried by Amy Vigilante and features work by: Ray Carson, Frank Curtis, Helen Otterson and Robin Venable.

Gainesville photographer Ray Carson has over 25 years of professional experience. Carson’s work has been published in numerous regional, national, and international magazines, as well as over 50 newspapers. He has won various awards and is the author/photographer of several books, including the internationally released The Civil War Soldier- A Photographic Journey. Ray Carson received a $500 Juror’s Choice 2008 Award

Frank Curtis earned his B.F.A. from the University of Florida and an A.A. in Graphic Design from the Florida School of the Arts.  Curtis states, “These suitcases represent many of my life’s travels, trials and tribulations. My wish is that you may find connections between our lives through these suitcases.”  Frank Curtis received an Honorable Mention Juror’s Choice 2008 Award.

Helen Otterson earned her M.F.A. from the University of Miami, B.F.A. from Kansas City Art Institute, and B.A. from Skidmore College. Her work has been shown in several public and private collections throughout the U.S. Otterson states, “My focus on biomorphic forms stems from my interest in the human encounter with disease. Creating textured form, I reference organic growths that explore the relationship between health and disease.” Helen Otterson received a $1000 Juror’s Choice 2008 Award.

Artist Robin Venable earned a M.F.A. from Florida State University and a B.A. from Carson-Newman College. She states “In the wake of the vacuum created by postmodernism, there is a hunger for spiritual renaissance.  Human souls crave inclusion rather than exclusion, so I seduce the viewers with texture and intimate scale in the hopes of recreating my own religious revelations for them.” Robin Venable received a $500 Juror’s Choice 2008 Award.

Helen Otterson, Fleeting Symbiosis, 2006, ceramic, 9” x 6” x 6”

Robin Venable, Revelations of a Mary Magdalene, 2009,
mixed media on canvas, 48" diameter