PARKERSBURG - The 68th Juried Exhibition by West Virginia Allied Artists will open Friday at the Parkersburg Art Center in downtown Parkersburg.
A total of 102 works by some of West Virginia's best artists will be featured in the exhibit, which runs through June 28 at the art center at Eighth and Market streets.
An opening reception will be 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, which is open to the public. Admission to the reception is $10 for non-art center members.
The galleries are open for viewing Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. Daily admission to the art center admission is $2 for adults, with no charge for members and children younger than 12.
Founded in the 1920s, the West Virginia Allied Artists association was created by artists who were committed to bettering the aesthetics standards in their various communities. Members are chosen based upon peer review, and the group is now comprised of 60 West Virginia artists.
Group members submitted works for inclusion into the exhibit opening at the art center. The works were judged by a panel of two jurors, Don Adleta, professor and chair of the Graphic Art Department at Ohio University in Athens, and Marilyn Hughey Phillips, noted author, juror and water-media expert.
The final 102 works were chosen from 350 which were submitted.
"On Monday, April 23, Ms. Phillips and Mr. Adleta came to the art center to complete the jurying process," said art center director Abby Hayhurst. "This was the first time that they had seen the entire show together, since their initial choices were made from photographs of the various pieces. In this second phase of judging, the two worked together to choose the 10 prize winners," she said.
A total of $5,000 in awards will announced in a ceremony taking place during the opening reception, she said.
"I am so proud of the eight Parkersburg area artists who made the cut. Our area is very well represented in this show," Hayhurst added.
Local residents whose work will be a part of the Allied Artists exhibition include Carol Bidstrup, Michael Gill, Brad Holbert, Virginia Killian, Cindy Ledsome, Akemia Matsumoto, Zachary Orcutt and Christine Rhodes.
