Morgan wins juried art exhibition

HARRISTON – Winners of the Minto Arts Council’s 2019 Juried Art Exhibition were announced at a reception at the Minto Arts Gallery on May 9.

Diane Morgan of Harriston won the $200 first prize with her oil painting titled Pensive, which was also selected by gallery-goers for the $50 People’s Choice Award.

The $150 second-place prize went to Minto native Tanya Zaryski of Clarksburg for her acrylic creation titled Persephone.

Ofra Svorai of Kimberly received the $100 third-place award for her oil painting, Winter’s Glow.

The show also features two privately-sponsored prizes. The Von Westerholt Prize for best watercolor and accompanying $200 award went to Waterloo-based artist Candice Leyland.

The $100 West Meadow Press print-making prize was not given out this year due to lack of competitors.

Judges included local artist Wesley Bates of Clifford, Guelph Museums curator Dawn Owen and Brenda Murray, founder of Urban Sketchers of Waterloo Region.

This year’s exhibition, the fifth annual, attracted 80 pieces of art from 29 artists.

“We always like to see that kind of tremendous response from the community. And I’m really excited too because we have a fair number of young, emerging artist that submitted their work and that is also very exciting. It means that we have a future in our juried competitions,” said Owen.

The exhibition will be on display in the art gallery at the Harriston library until June 1.

For gallery hours go to mintoartscouncil.ca