Semi-finalists announced for MI Great Artist 2015
Public voting for the MI Great Artist online competition has ended, and 25 semi-finalists from around Southeast Michigan will vie for the top five spots.
Park West Gallery and Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson have teamed up once again to shine a spotlight on the myriad of talented artists residing in Michigan. This year, the competition expanded to Wayne County, meaning artists from the counties of Genesee, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, Shiwassee, St. Clair and Wayne could enter.
The public could vote once a day for their favorite artist from October 21- 30. Voters had their work cut out for them, as they could choose from 109 entrants. Due to the competitive voting generated by this year’s contest, the semi-finalist pool has expanded from 20 to 25.
A five-member panel of judges will deliberate and choose the five finalists by November 13, 2015.
“I and other judges are looking forward to reviewing the work and discovering more extraordinary Michigan artistic talent,” says Park West Gallery Founder and CEO Albert Scaglione.
The semi-finalists are:
- Meredith Lea Bailey, Rochester Hills
- Emile Beadle, Romulus
- Chanel Beebe, Detroit
- Michael Bollerud, Garden City
- Conni Culp, Wolverine Lake
- Darin Darby, Romulus
- Andrew Dillard, Waterford
- Francesca Gagliano, Royal Oak
- Lisa Herman, Canton
- Kenneth Hershenson, Clawson
- Heidi Keesling, Ortonville
- Walter Kempski, St. Clair Shores
- Alexandra Kern, Detroit
- Tecla Kuhl-Dallaire, Wayne
- Kelly O’Hara, St. Clair Shores
- Melissa Parks, Bloomfield Hills
- Hunter Pope, Lapeer
- Jernard Robinson, Detroit
- Vasundhara Tolia, Bloomfield Hills
- Teng Vang, Rochester Hills
- Jennifer Wallace, Kimball
- Jennifer Whaley, Rochester Hills
- Mihwa Yoon, Auburn Hills
- Larry Zdeb, Troy
- Jennifer Zimmerman, West Bloomfield
Visit https://www.migreatartist.com/Pages/Winners.aspx to see samples from each of the semi-finalists.
The five finalists will have their artwork on display at an award ceremony and reception held at Park West Gallery on December 8. The grand prize winner will be announced by Patterson and Scaglione at that time.
The grand prize winner will receive a $1,500 cash prize alongside framing of the five works of art that were included in the submission from Park West Gallery, a solo exhibition at Park West Gallery, scholarships for three workshops at Oakland County’s One Stop Shop Business Center, a two-month exhibition at Oakland County Galleria in Waterford and their artwork featured on a poster promoting an Oakland County quality of life event, printed by Park West Gallery.
The four finalists will receive $375 cash prizes, framing of the five works of art that were included in the submission from Park West Gallery, a scholarship for a workshop at Oakland County’s One Stop Shop Business Center and a two-month exhibition at Oakland County Galleria in Waterford.
Weatherly Stroh of Birmingham won last year’s MI Great Artist contest, chosen from 91 other artists.
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