For the Miami Valley Today

PIQUA — Piqua Arts Council’s 29th Annual Piqua Fine Art Exhibition is open to the public. The exhibition takes place at Apple Tree Gallery in Downtown Piqua and features over 120 artists and more than 200 works of art, making it the largest show in Piqua Arts Council history. The exhibition will run until Friday, Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. and is free to attend.

Roy Boswell, an American Impressionist artist, was the juror this year. Boswell creates, teaches, and helps others bring their visions to life. He aims to decorate the man-made environment with beauty, point out the truth, and create a place of reflection.

Born in 1985, Boswell was raised on a family farm in southeastern Indiana. At an early age, he took interest in art and architecture and went on to study landscape architecture and design at Purdue University. It wasn’t until after graduating that he took up fine art. Currently, Boswell paints in oil and acrylic, working in plein air, but also from field studies in the studio. Subtle storytelling is a large part of his process, creating love filled letters about the midwestern farm. As an American Impressionist, he strives to show the midwest farm through the eyes of one of its sons.

To learn more about Roy Boswell and his artwork, visit his website at www.RoyBoswell.com, or on Instagram at www.instagram.com/RoyBoswellArt.

Awards were announced at the Gala Awards Reception for the exhibition on Thursday, Sept. 9. More than $4,000 in prize money was given away to winners across six categories: drawing, water media, oil and acrylics, photography, three-dimensional works, and miscellaneous, along with a few special awards and best of show.

The first awards of the night announced were the Library Purchase Awards. These were chosen by Jim Oda, executive director of the Piqua Public Library. These awards are actual purchases, and the pieces selected will join the permanent collection of the Piqua Public Library and be displayed on a rotating basis and in special exhibitions in the gallery at the Library. Winners were Jan Lendino of Troy for “Chien Dior,” Jim Moore of Troy for “Lady With The Straw Hat,” Robert Schmidt of Piqua for “Going to Work,” and Zachary Baughman of Greenville for “Colocasia Three.”

The next award announced was the Thelma Anderson Best Piqua Artist Award. The award was put in place to encourage local artists to enter the Piqua Art Exhibition and was renamed after Thelma Anderson, the long-time employee of Apple Tree Gallery, where the exhibition is hosted. This year’s award went to a single piece being recognized as the best entry from a Piqua artist. The work selected was “Ticket Booth” by Erik Ganger of Piqua. Following that announcement was the Kathy Oda Memorial Award. The Kathy Oda Memorial Award is awarded to the best black and white photography and is donated in the memory of Kathy Oda, an avid black and white photographer. This year’s award went to “Ice House” by Jeff Doseck of Wapakoneta.

Following the special awards, the individual category winners were announced. In the three-dimensional category, third place went to Lucille Gross of Xenia for “Dimensions,” second place went to David Rau of Franklin for “Frog,” and first place was awarded to Pamela J. Ridenour of Tipp City for “Lidded Jar.”

In the miscellaneous category, honorable mentions were given to Alison Bour of Dayton for “Hagameyer Tree #7” and Mike Behr of Sidney for “Copper Casted Wile Flowers.” Third place in miscellaneous went to Carol Korros of Miamisburg for “Diamond Illusion,” second place went to Zachary Baughman of Greenville for “Ginkgo Skies,” and first place was awarded to Anna Fisher of Wapakoneta for “Dreams.”

In the photography category, honorable mentions were given to Arthur O’Leary of Columbus for “Babcock Mill, Autumn” and Paul Hinds of Piqua for “Yosemite Valley.” Third place in photography went to John Rausch of Wapakoneta for “Umbrellas,” second place went to Paul Wilbur of Columbus for “Wilbur’s Wrath,” and first place was awarded to Rondell Fisher of Wapakoneta for “Gold Rush.”

In the drawing category, an honorable mention was given to Jim Moore of Troy for “Silent Embrace.” Third place in drawing went to Kathy A. Moore of Casstown for “Looking Down upon Three Bottles on Floor,” second place went to Carolyn Armstrong of Versailles for “Still Life Vase,” and first place was awarded to Sheryl Scott of Huber Heights for “Chewie.”

In the water media category, honorable mentions were given to Rhonda Sloan of Springfield for “Farmers Friends,” Jeanette Ferguson of Troy for “Mom’s Basket,” Regina Whipp of Dayton for “Family Affair,” and Vivian Ripley of Columbus for “Our North Lake Canoe.” Third place in water media went to Diana Hoke of Saint Paris for “Low Tide,” second place went to Meghan Nickerson of Cable for “Stop and Drink,” and first place was awarded to Kathy Moeller of Sidney for “It’s The Window.”

In the oil and acrylic category, honorable mentions were given to Liz Beecher of Beavercreek for “Dusk in the Fen,” Jennifer Sowders of Fostoria for “Riverbend,” and Debby Gregory of St. Marys for “Waiting For Wings.” Third place in oil and acrylic went to Jennifer Gundling of Delaware for “Gray Repose,” second place went to Phillip Erbaugh of Brookville for “Blue Night,” and first place was awarded to Debra Joyce Dawson of Pataskala for “Ebb Tide, Arabian Sea.”

After thanking their celebrity sponsor, Kettering Health Network, and their event sponsors, Alley and Bradl, LLC, Jackson Tube Service, Koverman Staley Dickerson Insurance, Buckeye Insurance Group and Ameriprise Financial – Mullenbrock and Associates, Knepper announced the best of show winner. The 2021 Best of Show Award for the 29th Annual Piqua Fine Art Exhibition went to Steve Wohler of Vandalia for his oil piece titled, “Knights’ Last Customer.”

The exhibition will be on display until Friday, Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. on the second story of Apple Tree Gallery at 405 N. Main St. Piqua. The exhibition is open to the public and free to attend. Anyone wishing to purchase artwork should reach out to the Piqua Arts Council at 937-773-9630.