“Identity: Exploring the Human Condition”
The 2023 Annual Juried Regional Show
June 1-August 5
Opening reception is Thursday, June 1
Juror’s Critique is Tuesday, June 6 at 3:30pm
Juried by Christy Paris, the show highlights the diverse talents of artists throughout the southeast region of the United States. First-place winner George Zebot of Venice won for his work “Healing Democracy.”
(June 1, 2023) Art Center Sarasota’s 2023 exhibition season continues with its annual regional exhibit, the largest juried exhibition of the year. “Identity: Exploring the Human Condition,” highlights the diverse talents of artists from across the southeast region of the United States and is on display in all four gallery spaces. On view from June 1-August 5, the opening reception is Thursday, June 1, 6-8 p.m. The juror is Christy Paris, an art professor and PhD candidate in the College of Education at the University of South Florida. A “Juror’s Critique,” with Paris, will take place on Tuesday, June 6. Art Center Sarasota is located at 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. For information, visit www.artsarasota.org or call 941-365-2032.
According to Christina Baril, Art Center Sarasota’s exhibitions director, the annual regional exhibit “showcases a broad range of perspectives and reactions from an exceptionally diverse group of artists.” She explains that the theme, “Identity: Exploring the Human Condition” is meant to “highlight the journey, the turmoil, and the ecstasy of the human condition. These artworks may reinforce the underlying communication of emotional truth as only understood by other human beings.”
Baril says she’s pleased to announce that the winning works of art have been chosen:
1st Place: $800
George Zebot (Venice)
Healing Democracy, 2021
Oil on Wood
40 x 32 in.
2nd Place: $600
Julie White (out-of-state)
Reflection, 2022
Oil and Mixed Media on Canvas
24 x 18 x 1.5 in.
3rd Place: $400
Ravi Venkataraman (Longboat Key)
Breaking Free, 2023
Acrylic on Wood
9 x 13 x 5 in.
Mert Award: $100
Eva Bejar (Brandon)
Roses on Grey, 2021
Oil on Canvas
40 x 30 x 1 in.
Merit Award: $100
Jana Millstone (Sarasota)
Everybody Smiled, 2021
Acrylic on 2 Shaped Wood Panels
24 x 33 x 1.5 in.
Honorable Mention: $50
Ann Kozeliski (Tallahassee)
Enough for the Bus, 2022
Sumi-e’, Asian Watercolors on Single
Shuen Paper, Unmounted
60 x 30 in.
Honorable Mention: $50
Perry deVick (St. Petersburg)
Memento Mori, Memento Vivere, 2020
Oil on Wood Panel
18 x 24 x 2 in.
Honorable Mention: $50
Richard Monteleone (Bradenton)
Chemical Isolation, 2021
Oil on Canvas
48 x 60 in.
Honorable Mention: $50
Denise Pruett (Fort Myers)
Internal Struggle, 2022
Photography
23.75 x 27.75 x 2 in.
“The exhibition includes a variety of breathtaking interpretations on the theme of identity and the human experience,” says Christy Paris, the exhibition juror. “I was incredibly impressed by all the submissions and the talent each artist demonstrated through skill and creatively and uniquely handling the mediums. This exhibition is filled with a diverse array of voices and styles, and it was an honor to be part of the selection process!”
Paris is an art history professor and PhD candidate in the College of Education at the University of South Florida. Her dissertation focuses on queer inclusivity in art- and museum-based educational settings drawing on an exhibition she curated in the fall of 2022 entitled, “#visibleUSF: Queering the Art Narrative through Curatorial Activism.” The exhibition included works created by LGBTQIA+ artists from USF and pieces from the USF Library’s LGBTQ Special Collections. Paris earned a Museum Studies graduate certificate from Florida State University focusing on museum education and interned at the Museum of Fine Arts in Tallahassee while earning her master’s in interdisciplinary humanities. While earning her master’s in art history from USF, Paris co-curated “Photographing the City ” at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. Over the last 15 years, Paris has taught humanities, film, and art history at FSU, USF, and University of Tampa specializing in modern art, contemporary art, art theory, and museum education.
About Art Center Sarasota
Founded in 1926, Art Center Sarasota serves as the first and oldest visual arts organization in Sarasota. Art Center Sarasota is admission-free and open to the public; our mission is to bring together creatives and the broader public to increase understanding of our human condition, support wellbeing, and build community connection through the universal language of art.
Art Center Sarasota
707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236
Phone: 941-365-2032
www.artsarasota.org
Gallery Hours
Monday-Friday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday: Noon-5 p.m.