The Artist Space Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of the second Faces online Art Exhibition. Along with the selected artists, the jury selected award winners in the following art categories: painting, photography, and drawing. The show displayed a variety of artistic styles and mediums: oil on canvas, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, graphite, charcoal, colored pencil, digital art, scratchboard, bronze and photography. Out of all submissions received 89 artworks were selected to be included in the exhibition.
Best of Show
Cher Pruys
Short Biography and Statement
Cher Pruys, ASAA SCA, IGOR, AAPL, CSAA, AMS, LMS, OSA, MAA, CFA, NOAPS, PSOA, AWA., AAOA. "To take my inner visions with my hands and create a work of art for you the viewer .... That is the ultimate in self expression." I am very drawn to shiny surfaces as well as transparent objects, especially when the lighting brings them to life. I look for beauty in everyday objects that most people take for granted or just don’t truly see them as they are. The seemingly boring and mundane subjects can truly be like magnets if portrayed in the right light. Shiny metal is one of those materials that can host endless visions….the light hits it and the reflections are captured on the smooth, sleek surface. Animals , people living things with character…an artists dream!
Painting Prize
Joe Horton
Short Biography and Statement
I received my BFA from Michigan State University with specializations in Painting, Drawing & Ceramics. At the core what makes us different from those around us? To address this my work focuses on the idea of self and the human figure. I have adopted painting as my main medium as it has a rich history in portraiture and a classical idea of identity. To me we are the integrated layers of both positive and negative thoughts, actions and feelings. Within the painting those layers, marks and brushstrokes represent the destruction and reconstruction of the multi faceted idea of identity. This dynamic creates a glimpse into what makes us who we are.
Drawing Prize
Nancy Jacey
Short Biography and Statement
Nancy Jacey is a native of Richmond, Virginia and had a love for drawing and illustration from a young age. She received a BFA in Studio Art from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 2002 and earned her MFA in Illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2004. She is a signature member of the Colored Pencil Society of America, the UK Coloured Pencil Society and a recognized member of the Allied Artists of America, the National Association of Women Artists, Inc., the American Artists Professional League and the International Guild of Realism. Nancy is an award-winning published artist. Her work has been featured in American Art Collector, CP Treasures, COLOR Magazine and most recently on a video billboard in Times Square in New York. Other notable publications are Colored Pencil Magazine, the Richmond Times Dispatch and The Directory of Illustration. Her work has been exhibited in prestigious galleries including the Butler Institute of American Art (OH), The Salmagundi Club (NY), One Art Space (NY), HMVC Gallery (NY), the Bargehouse (London) and is a part of the VCU Arts in Healthcare Permanent Collection (VA). In her free time, she teaches at her studio, The Jacey Gallery, in Richmond, Virginia.
Photography Prize
Shawna Hinkel
Short Biography and Statement
Shawna Hinkel is a Master Photographer from Dallas, Texas. She has a B.S. in Journalism from Texas A&M University, and has been a professional photographer since 2004. She earned her PPA Certification in 2014 and PPA Master of Photography degree in 2019. She was awarded Life Membership in Dallas PPA in 2020, and earned her Accredited Professional of Animal Imagery degree in 2021. In 2023, she became the second Master of WPE from the United States, and also became a Master Photographer in Fine Art from MPI. Her work has been accepted in the PPA International Photographic Competition Annual Exhibition every year since 2016. She was the Dallas Professional Photographers Association Photographer of the Year in 2017 and 2018, and was named as one of the Top 10 photographers in Texas in 2020. She also received the American Society of Photographers’ State Elite Award in 2020. It has been said that “the eyes are the windows to the soul,” and I have found this to be true. Not only in people, but also in animals - most especially in the great apes. My series “Almost Human” explores the eyes and expressions of these magnificent creatures, looking for the souls in our most closely-related counterparts. Chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans are so much like us that if you spend a little time with them, you can almost tell what they are feeling. Some are young and playful, some are old and wise, and some are shy and do not want to be bothered. They all have very different personalities. I want to show the heart of these animals so people can find a deeper understanding and affection for them, and learn more about the conservation efforts in place to help them. What a better world it would be for man and apes alike.
Winners