Biennial 2009

Biennial 2009 Opening Reception will take place Thursday, April 16, 2009 from 6:00 – 9:00 PM at ARTSWorcester’s Aurora Gallery located at 660 Main Street, Worcester, MA.  This event is free and open to the public and will feature refreshments and live music by Michael Thibodeau and Scott Ricciuti.

Biennial 2009, the 14th annual Biennial Exhibition at ARTSWorcester, is an exciting survey of the regional contemporary art scene and one of the largest juried exhibitions in Central Massachusetts.  This exhibition features some of the finest work created by established and emerging local visual artists and serves as a wonderful opportunity to have their work judged by an outstanding professional curator.  There were over 300 artworks entered for consideration and 89 were chosen by juror William Keyse Rudolph, Ph.d., Curator of American Art at the Worcester Art Museum. Dr. Rudolph notes, “Painting is alive and well in the Worcester area—as are photography, works on paper, mixed media, and sculpture.  The artists represented in the Biennial 2009 cut across different styles, from the eminently traditional and meticulous to whimsical and innovative.  What is particularly apparent is that the area’s artists offer something for everyone and every taste, whether inquiries into the nature of memory, the experience of nature, views of the city’s diverse neighborhoods, or highly stylized and personal interior worlds.  As a brand-new Worcester resident, I encourage you to dive in and experience the vitality, dynamism, and variety of the area’s artists with open eyes and minds, just as I am doing.  You will be greatly rewarded."

Biennial 2009 artists include

Heather Adels, Therese Bacharz, Shoba Balaji, Lisa Barthelson, Jonela Bino, Stephen Birtz, Becca Brown, Lizi Brown, Lora Brueck, Christine Butkewich, Laura Cahalane, Keenan Cassidy, Susan Champeny, Charlene Cloutier, Carrie Crane, Jim Collins, Yvonne Cox, Linda Dagnello, Robert Dec, “Robes” Pierre Désir, Mary Dewey, Eugene Epstein, Sandra Evans, Joseph Farbrook, Ryan Foley, Terren Flanders, Elizabeth Freed, Tim Gannon, Ginny Gillen, Tom Grady, Igor Gurbanov, Darlene Haddad, Stephen Halpert, J. Barry Hanshaw, Brian Higgins, Scott Holloway, Howard Johnson, Tim Johnson, Alyssa Knapik, Karin Knapik, Jesse M. Knott II, John LaPrade, Rosemary LeBeau, Randy LeSage, Carolyn Letvin, Cheryl Lichwell, Edward Lilley, Vince Lombardi, Susan Lozoraitis, Ned Mancini, Lucy Marcigliano, Nancy McBride, Joyce Michaud, Carlotta Miller, Kathy Murray, Carrie Nixon, Yana Payusova, Allen Palmer, Marlene Persky, Robert Peters, Dri Reynolds, Stone Riley, Ann C. Rosebrooks, Lori Schafer, Kathryn Ingrid Schettler, Donalyn Schofield, Mari Seder, Art Shea, Erika Sidor, Jake Sikes, Susan Stuart, Marcella Stasa, Bob Stearns, Amy Stein, Dick Taylor, Troy B. Thompson, Sevim Under, Sharon Smith Viles, Nancy von Hone, Erika Davis Wade, Edward Watson, Jill Watts, Cheryl Wareck, Kellie Weeks, Aaron White, Sarah Williams, and Mike Zeis.  

Artwork on exhibit in Biennial 2009 includes the categories of painting, photography, works-on-paper, sculpture, mixed media, computer art, and crafts.  Cash awards in the amount of $2,550 are provided through the generous support of the Worcester Art Museum through its Hoche-Scofield Prize and Scholarship Fund.  (Awards include the $500 Sally R. Bishop Prize for Best of Show, $200 awards for Best of Category, and $50 Honorable Mention Awards for each category.)

Biennial 2009 Prizes

Sally R. Bishop Prize for Best in Show

• Ryan Foley (painting)   

Painting

• Best in Category        Ann C. Rosebrooks
• Honorable Mentions        Jonela Bino, Bob Stearns, and Yana Payusova

Photography

• Best in Category        Allen Palmer    
• Honorable Mentions        Cheryl Wareck and Dri Reynolds

Works on Paper

• Best in Category        Carlotta Miller
• Honorable Mentions        Jesse M. Knott II and     Eugene Epstein

Sculpture

• Best in Category        Lucy Marcigliano    
• Honorable Mentions        Art Shea and Cheryl Lichwell    

Mixed Media

• Best in Category        Joseph Farbrook    
• Honorable Mentions        Sarah Williams and Nancy McBride

Computer Art

• Best in Category        Stone Riley        
• Honorable Mention        Jim Collins

Crafts

• Best in Category        Becca Brown        
• Honorable Mention        Ginny Gillen