“Troy” by Edward Patterson won Best of Show in this year’s Art for the Ages competition. Organized by the Greater Greenwood Arts Council, the event was designed to give artists of all ages and abilities the chance to show off their creativity.
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The paintings, drawings and other works of art lining the walls of the Greenwood Public Library tell stories.
Some speak to the subtle and undeniable beauty of the world around us. Others focus on the whimsical, the silly and the strange. A few are open to the interpretation of the viewer.
But each piece reveals and important aspect — the creativity of the local community.
After a two-year absence, Art for the Ages returned to give artists of all kinds a chance to show off their talents. The community exhibition was open to children, students, amateur creators and professional artists.
With awards given out across age ranges and abilities, the show not only recognizes the best artistry happening in the Greenwood area, but encourages a new generation of artists in the work, Landis said.
“It’s really neat to see the dichotomy of both adults and students, and how their artwork can really shine off of each other,” he said. “It’s a way to really feed those younger artists that they can do this, if they want to, for a lifetime.”
Art for the Ages was organized in 2016 by the Greater Greenwood Arts Council, which had been hoping to organize a community show for many years. The competition was separated into nine categories, ranging from preschoolers to high school students to adult amateurs to professionals. Nearly 90 pieces were submitted, with $1,200 in prizes awarded.
The exhibition had to be canceled in 2020 and 2021, but organizers were excited to bring it back again this year, Landis said.
People of all ages, residing in Johnson or surrounding counties, were invited to submit artwork — up to two per artist — and compete for ribbons, cash prizes and art-related gifts.
On Oct. 7, a reception for the winners in different categories, from preschoolers up to professional adult artists, was held at the Greenwood Public Library.
The works are varied and intriguing.
Professional artist Audrey Fiet’s “Santa Barbara Sunset” captures the tranquility of evenings on the West Coast. “Inside Out,” a mixed media work by Barbara Dunn-Stear, is a wonderfully abstract piece.
Connie Winigar’s seasonally appropriate “Boo!” captures the joy of trick-or-treating at Halloween.
At the same time, pieces like Hank Borgmann’s “The Flower Day,” entered in the second- and first-grade division, shows a burgeoning creativity.
“We can see students and adults getting recognized for their artwork together,” Landis said. “It’s really neat to see the kids interacting with the adult artists, because the kids have a completely different view of life. The adults come in with this more mature mindset, and their art is sometimes more advanced, but sometimes, that’s not the case. There are some students that have some amazing artwork showing in this show.”
Best of Show went to artist Edward Patterson. His oil painting, titled “Troy,” was a vivid image of a man sitting on the steps of the Brown County courthouse, looking skyward.
Patterson is a portrait artist who works in classical realism, and he knew the subject from spending time together at a restaurant in Bean Blossom.
“We used to eat down there together all of the time. The first time I saw him, I thought he just had this Norman Rockwell look to him,” he said. “He seems like a very simple fellow, but when you talk to him, you learn he’s a really smart man.”
Patterson, who learned about Art for the Ages from the staff at Pro-Art Gallery & Custom Framing, felt that the show was an opportunity to help promote the unique artwork being done in the region.
“There is a lot of undiscovered art in the Greenwood area,” “I’m a retired guy, and I have some time on my hands. I thought, maybe I’ll get involved in what (the Greater Greenwood Arts Council) has going on, and I entered that one painting as a start.”
Being named Best of Show was a delightful surprise for Patterson.
“It was really quite an honor. There were some pretty good artists there in that show,” he said. “To compete against that caliber of painting, to take Best of Show, it truly an honor for me.”
