Local senior artists showcased their talents in the recent Mercer County Senior Art Show.
Eighteen artists – one “professional” winner and one “non-professional” winner in each of the nine categories – will move on to the state show in the fall.
A professional juror selected the winners from 107 entries in this year’s Mercer County Senior Art Show at The Conference Center at Mercer on Mercer County Community College’s (MCCC) West Windsor Campus.
“Mercer County is fortunate to have so many older adults who tap into their creativity to construct new works of art,” said Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes. “I commend everyone who entered their work in the County show and thank them for sharing their artistic talent with us.”
Each year, the Mercer County Division of Culture and Heritage partners with the Mercer County Office on Aging to produce the Mercer County Senior Art Show. First-place winners from the County show advance to the New Jersey Senior Citizen Art Show held in the fall.
Mercer County residents age 60 or older may submit artwork to the Mercer County Senior Art Show. There is no fee to enter. Submissions must be the original work of the applicant, created within the last three years, and not previously entered in a Mercer County Senior Art Show or the State Senior Art Show. Artwork was entered in the following categories: acrylic, craft, mixed media, oil, pastel, photography, sculpture, watercolor and works on paper.
The winners were selected by professional juror Thomas Kelly, an award-winning New Jersey-based artist who works in acrylic on canvas, creating colorful narrative paintings often inspired by overheard comments or everyday situations. Kelly has exhibited in New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia and Bethlehem, Pa., and more than 325 of his original paintings have been collected in private and public collections in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
Best in Show selections, first place winners included “Small Token” by Arcelio Brignoni of East Windsor in the category of Acrylic, Non-Professional and “Home Economics” by Margaret Miccio of Trenton in the category of Sculpture, Professional.
Non-professional
First place winner in the Craft category is Robin Levinson of Hamilton.
First place winner in the Mixed Media category is Hermine Brooks of Lawrence.
First place winner in the Oil category is Judith Nahmias of Lawrenceville.
First place winner in the Pastel category is Vivienne Wingfield of Hopewell.
First place winner in the Photography category is Bill Boyles of West Windsor.
First place winner in the Sculpture category is Ed O’Rourke of Pennington.
First place winner in the Watercolor category is Donna Kaye of West Windsor.
First place winner in the Works on Paper category is Susan Tsui of East Windsor.
Professional
First place winner in the Acrylic category is Carol Johnson of Trenton
First place winner in the Craft category is Barry Hantman of Ewing
First place winner in the Mixed Media category is Helene Plank of Lawrenceville.
First place winner in the Oil category is Gary Fournier of East Windsor.
First place winner in the Pastel category is Margaret Kalvar-Bushnell of Princeton Junction.
First place winner in the Photography category is Maia Riem of West Windsor.
First place winner in the Watercolor category is Margaret Simpson of Hamilton.
First place winner in the Works on Paper category is David Potts of Hamilton.