The Artist Space Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of the second Artist's Choice online Art Exhibition. Along with the selected artists, the jury selected award winners in the following art categories: painting, photography and sculpture. The show displayed a variety of artistic styles and mediums: acrylic, pastel, oil, digital art, photography, charcoal, scratchboard, watercolor, collage. Out of all submissions received 51 artworks were selected to be included in the exhibition.
Best of Show
Edward Rushton
Short Biography and Statement
Edward Rushton holds an MFA in Graphic Design from The University of Iowa and teaches graphic design at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. His creative practice centers on typography, not merely as a tool for communication, but as a living form with weight, voice, and presence. For Rushton, letterforms are more than symbols—they are shapes that bend, expand, and inhabit space. His work explores the threshold where design becomes art, where text shifts from conveying meaning to embodying it physically. By handcrafting typographic constructions from paper, he allows light, shadow, and materiality to shape how language is experienced. These constructions transform type into structure: letters fold into sculptural forms, shadows create alternate readings, and words dissolve into abstraction. In this “in-between space”—between art and design, function and expression—typography becomes both readable and unreadable, literal and mysterious. Rushton’s work is in conversation with traditions of visual poetry, particularly the playful disruptions of the Dada and Lettrist movements, yet it is equally rooted in his own fascination with how language can occupy and redefine space. His practice asks viewers to encounter typography not only as information, but as presence: something to be felt as much as read. Ultimately, his explorations push type beyond its utilitarian role, freeing it from the page and into three dimensions. In this expanded form, language becomes fluid—an artistic medium that reveals itself in light, shadow, and structure.
Painting Prize
Cher Pruys
Short Biography and Statement
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." Cher Pruys was born in Regina. Over the years she lived in many places including Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Fort Frances, settling into her present home in Devlin, on the banks of the Rainy River with her husband Mark, and pets. By age three, Cher was seldom found without a drawing tool in hand. She worked in pencil, charcoal and ink over the years, picking up a paintbrush at the age of 35. Beginning with oil paints, she found her chosen mediums in acrylic, watercolor and gouache, and her passion for hyperrealism. Although self-taught, her dedication and talent has seen her work juried into 848 International exhibits. She has won 1300 awards for her work in the International Juried Exhibits. Her work has graced the covers of 3 books, 43 magazines, including The Best Of Acrylic Fall 2021, cover of the May 2022 Arabella Magazine, #20 Hyperrealism Magazine with “Girls Girls Girls”, & #21 with “The Young Cowboy”, Artists & Illustrators March 2024 Artistonish 2024 July edition, Observica Elite 2024,Art Closeup Magazine#26 Jan. 2025, & The back cover of Novum Artis #007, 2025. She has been featured in over 700 International publications. Cher's works have found a permanent home in private and public collections worldwide.
Sculpture Prize
Fred Hecht
Short Biography and Statement
I was born in Los Angeles, California, and spent my childhood in the city of Ontario. I attended Chaffey High School and went on to graduate from UCLA with degrees in History and Economics. I then went on to get my MBA from USC. My work experience included Retail, Wholesale Apparel and in the Promotional Products Industry. I spent much of my younger days Sculpting in Wood but always longed to work in Stone. At the tender age of 70, I had the good fortune to study stone sculpture with Michael Tine, Myles Schachter and Al Brown. Which set me on my path. I have found that every stone has its own special character or personality. Even though you might start out with a specific design in mind, the stone often will take you in its own unique direction. The collaboration between sculptor and stone can be an intimate, and even a meditative process. Every piece has its own unique story to tell, if you open yourself up to hearing it.
Photography Prize
Gary Wagner
Short Biography and Statement
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Gary Wagner discovered his passion for photography in high school, working as a photographer for the school newspaper. That early introduction set the stage for a lifelong pursuit of visual storytelling. His journey led him to Indiana University in Bloomington and later to Santa Barbara, California, where he studied at the renowned Brooks Institute of Photography. For more than four decades, Gary has made his home in the Pacific Northwest, a region whose rugged coastlines and dramatic landscapes have deeply shaped his artistic vision. Gary works exclusively in black and white, a medium he believes distills the essence of the natural world into pure form. By focusing on shapes, lines, and tonal contrast, he conveys the spirit of land, sea, and light with clarity and reverence. His work celebrates the natural order while exploring the creative possibilities of photography, transforming landscapes into timeless expressions of beauty and emotion. With unrelenting dedication to his craft, Gary continues to push the boundaries of black and white photography. His images capture more than scenery—they ignite emotion, inspire wonder, and affirm the profound connection between the natural world and the human spirit. Artist Statement I work exclusively in black and white, using light, form, and tone to reveal the spirit of the landscape. My images are not just records of place, but expressions of emotion—transforming nature’s raw beauty into timeless works of art.
Winners