I Am Woman 2020

I Am Woman 2020
Winners Announced at Southern Arts Society

Winners were announced this past weekend for the I Am Woman art exhibit and competition at Southern Arts Society in Kings Mountain. Artwork in the show represents the feminine or female experience. While some artwork portrays the straight forward beauty of women in portraiture, some entries for the exhibit reflected on how women are viewed in contemporary society. Though the exhibit and competition focuses on the feminine, both men and women enter work for the show, allowing for a variety of viewpoints to be expressed.

Judging the artwork was Erin Ethridge, an interdisciplinary artist and educator. Erin received her MFA in Sculpture/Dimensional Studies from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University and her BFA from the University of Texas at Tyler. She has participated in residencies and exhibitions in Iceland, Australia, and Italy, and has been awarded the Brancato Award by VAE Creativity Incubator and the Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award by the International Sculpture Center. She is a lecturer at Appalachian State University where she teaches in sculpture, foundations, and general education.

The following awards were selected by Miss Ethridge: First Place to Cecil Norris for his oil painting Trinity; Second Place to Rudy Rudisill for his sculpture T.065. Third Place to Laura Sussman-Randall for her charcoal and collage Broken Hearts I. Merit Awards were given to: Wil Bosbyshell for his graphite drawing Weight #14; Anne Harkness for her oil painting A Bouquet and to Mary McCorkle Love for her oil painting Golden Girl.

Miss Ethridge commented on the show as a whole saying “In viewing and assessing the work in the show, I was looking for three things. The first was vision – unique perspective, wit, imagination, and clarity of voice. The second was craftsmanship – innovation, attention to detail, dexterity, and skill. In relationship to the theme I Am Woman I was looking for nuanced representations of women and what is important to us.

The quantity and quality of the works in the show made my decisions difficult, but I chose the awards based on these merits. While I was unaware of the gender of the artists in choosing the awards, I believe all the work in the show contributes to women’s empowerment in ways big and small. I know I join you all in yearning for a future when women’s work is valued equitably in all of our communities as well as our most powerful institutions.”

The reception for the show, scheduled for March 14th, was canceled in light of the coronavirus. Gallery hours to view the show may be limited for the near future, so you should call 704-739-5585 to confirm before visiting. Meanwhile much of the work may be viewed on their website www.SouthernArtsSociety.org or on their Facebook page. The I Am Woman exhibit will be in the galleries of Southern Arts Society through April 24, 2020.

Judges Comments

Congratulations to all of you. Thank you to Southern Arts Society for the invitation to judge this show and to all the participants for the work you submitted. I wish I could be there, but it is a pleasure to be a part of this experience with you in absentia.

In viewing and assessing the work in the show, I was looking for three things. The first was vision – unique perspective, wit, imagination, and clarity of voice. The second was craftsmanship – innovation, attention to detail, dexterity, and skill. In relationship to the theme “I AM WOMAN” I was looking for nuanced representations of women and what is important to us.
The quantity and quality of the works in the show made my decisions difficult, but I chose the awards based on these merits. While I was unaware of the gender of the artists in choosing the awards, I believe all the work in the show contributes to women’s empowerment in ways big and small. I know I join you all in yearning for a future when women’s work is valued equitably in all of our communities as well as our most powerful institutions.

To quote one of my students, “equality is equal opportunity, equity is equal outcome.” There is still much work to be done, and I am grateful to you all for engaging with this ongoing work.
I hope you celebrate your accomplishments tonight, and I wish you the best in all your endeavors.