Winners Announced for BIG and Small Judged Art Competition and Exhibit 2026

Regional Artists were invited to show recent works in a variety of sizes from Large too Small. No restriction on size – as long we can fit it in! Also acceptable are artworks of big and small subjects juxtaposed together. Subjects can be Larger or Smaller than life. Big and Tall, Short and Small, we want to see it all!
There were 87 total entries in the show featuring paintings in all media – watercolor, acrylic, oil and pastel, along with colored pencil, photography, and 3-d work in wood, paper, leather and clay.

About the Judge

Our Judge is April Flanders, Professor of Studio Art and Printmaking at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.
April Flanders is a studio artist living and making in the mountains of Western North Carolina. A keen naturalist, her work has been featured in solo and group shows at museums and galleries nationally and internationally, including the Center for the Book Arts, in New York, the Global Print International, in Douro, Portugal and the Anna Leonowens Gallery, in Nova Scotia, Canada. Her work addresses the problem of invasive plants and animals on a global scale using a variety of media including printmaking, painting, drawing and installation. As a classically trained printmaker she employs ink on paper to create compelling rhythms with color, texture and repetition using a variety of print methods.

April’s recent honors include an online exhibition as a finalist in the 87th Annual Competition at the Print Center in Philadelphia, PA and a residency at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts in Amherst, VA. Recent solo exhibitions include Unchecked at Artspace in Richmond, VA and Advance at the Pioneer Bluffs Gallery in Matfield Green, KS. Her work is in several public collections, including the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, the Tucson Museum of Art and the Turchin Center for Visual Arts. April earned a Master of Fine Arts from Arizona State University, and she has taught printmaking for fourteen years at various universities nationally and internationally.
Awards were: 1st Place $300, 2nd Place $200, 3rd Place $100,and Merit Awards $50 each.

 

Awards with Judge’s comments

1st Place

large expanse of clouds in a vertically cropped skyscape. Artist Dennis Huntley with his artwprkd of a cloudscape.

Dennis Huntley – What do you See – oil on canvas

“I gravitated to every one of this artist’s pieces, but this one stood out each time. It felt like the artist was more spontaneous and took more risks with this piece. This work really spoke to me about the idea of gazing at the heavens and wondering about your place in this enormous world.”

 

2nd Place

Vibrant, colorful seascape of fishe in floating ice-like cubes. Artist Tyler Fuentes with his artwork.

Tyler Fuentes – High Tides – mixed media

“This piece really spoke to me about the complexity of the ocean environment. There is so much activity in this work that my eye keeps moving around focusing on different moments. The vibrant color and mark making are phenomenal.”

 

 

3rd Place

Black and white drawing of a very old woman in a hat with bee-netting. Artist Erin Whitener with her artwork.

Erin Whitener – Beekeeper – pencil 

 

“This piece engages with one of the most important small things to our human lives; bees, and the quiet dedication that this person offers to their beekeeping practice. This drawing is so skillful and has a terrific range of values.”

 

 

Merit Award

COlored pencil drawing of a round bird with swirls of color.

Nancy Story – Zippy Bird – colored pencil 

“This piece stood out for its lyrical approach to such a tiny, resilient being. Birds are such amazing creatures, and this artist really captured the spirit of this fabulous creature.”
 

 

Merit Award

Tall, thin painting of a creek running through woods with the sun setting in the distance.

Pat Edwards – Evening Silence – pastel

“This piece stood out for its quiet approach and skillful use of the medium. The mark making captures a moment of quiet contemplation in the forest, where embraced by nature, we can appreciate the large and the small.”

 

Merit Award

Sun setting with water in the distance behind a brown hill with a lone house. Artist Gene Tennison with his artwork.

Gene Tennison – Carolina Nocturne – oil on canvas
“This painting captures big and small in so many ways. To me it referenced the vastness of the skies, contrasted with the tiny dot of a moon, and also humankind’s presence in nearly every landscape.”
 

 

Merit Award

A black and white accordian-folded booklet of images and text. Artist Taylor Stump with her artwork.

Taylor Stump – It’s the Little things – mixed media
“This piece was the most literal of all the works, but it captures the essence of what it is to be human and appreciated especially in light of service to other