Special Recognition Art Awards Panel
The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS is honored to have a prestigious panel of leaders in the arts to select artists for Special Recognition Art Awards for “The Spirit of Resilience” exhibition, which was presented from September 4 – November 11, 2020. The panelists’ credentials are very impressive. In their busy schedules they have offered to view the exhibition and select artists to receive special services. Read about their awards and their criteria. Here they are, presented in alphabetical order. Visit this page to view some of the art from this exhibition
Karen Gutfreund ~ Artist and Curator Awarded Hiske Tas Bain
Karen Gutfreund is an artist, curator and a partner in Gutfreund Cornett Art, a curatorial team that specializes in creating exhibitions in venues around the U.S. She is a consultant to galleries and for private and corporate collections. She has been actively involved on the board of various arts organizations, is a member of ArtTable and the No. California TFAP Representative (The Feminist Art Project). Her own art focuses on activism to effect social change. She has worked in the Painting & Sculpture Department for the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), NYC, NY. She served on the Special Recognition Art Awards panel for Manhattan Arts International “HerStory 2019”.
About Her Special Recognition Art Award: The artist she chose is Hiske Tas Bain and her painting “Isolation in Comfort”, acrylic on canvas, 19″ x 24″. Karen states, “I will write an essay about Hiske Tas Bain and artwork for my website and highlight the artist on Instagram with my #CuratorLove.” The award includes being broadly promoted across social media.
Prior to the competition Karen stated, “I will look for art that manifests the experience and concept of resilience — either personal or universal. I lean towards art that is focused on the human condition and social justice themes with works that evoke a visceral response. The work should challenge the viewer and inspire reflective thought with the intention to “change the world through art”. The artist should demonstrate a unique voice and style and have perfected their craft.”
Karen Johnston ~ Artist and Founder of H.O.P.E. Awarded Diana Rogers
Karen Johnston is an intuitive, abstract painter and instructor living in Nashville, Tennessee. Her artwork can be found in numerous private collections throughout the U.S. She won a top Featured Artist Membership Award from The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS in the “Art That Lifts Our Spirits” exhibition. Her many exhibitions include those at J Gallery, Alive Hospice, Chromatics Gallery, and The Arts Center of Cannon County, among others. She is the founder of The H.O.P.E. Ministry, “a community that gathers to support and share the healing journey through any stage of cancer or life-changing illness, including caregivers, family members and friends.”
About Her Special Recognition Art Award: “I chose Diana Rogers and her painting ‘Nature and the Path Forward’. I was immediately struck by her vivid use of color and ability to simplistically capture movement and energy. Her expression of nature through her marks and medium is original and remains consistent in her work. It is refreshing to gaze upon her images and feel that place of pause and healing where art and nature meet.”
“As part of her award. Diana will receive a one hour phone consultation with me to discuss how she may use her art and creative skills to overcome an area of personal or universal adversity and bring about positive community change and any other questions she may have for me. I will share my experience as an artist and as the founder of H.O.P.E.”
Barbara Markoff ~ Photographer and Art Consultant Awarded J. Carlee Adams
Barbara Markoff spent 35 years as an art consultant and owner of the company Artrageous! which specialized in placing artwork for healthcare and corporate clients nationwide. She is the author of Becoming a Corporate Art Consultant for professionals considering entering the field. For the past few years Barbara has concentrated on developing and marketing her own photographic images many of which can be found in hospitals, clinics, and rehabilitation facilities. Her photographic images embody nature themes which provide solace, healing, and comfort to her viewers.
She served on the Special Recognition Art Awards panel for Manhattan Arts International “HerStory 2019” and “The Healing Power of ART 2020” exhibitions.
About Her Special Recognition Art Award: “I chose J. Carlee Adams to receive my Special Recognition Art Award. In my selection process I was looking for an artist with a confident and distinct style that expresses a fresh approach. During the reviewing process many factors came into play for me, including technical achievement, interpretation of subject matter, and ability to creatively express a unique viewpoint.
J. Carlee Adams will receive a 60 minute one-on-one phone consultation with me. I will review her website, professional materials, pricing structure, and use of social media with the goal of increasing art sales.”
Janet Jordan ~ Sculptor and Physician Awarded Sanda Manuila and Zahava Sherez
Janet Jordan is a sculptor with two main series: “Loved and Endangered Species” and “Muses” She is the recipient of the Manhattan Arts International “Her Story” 2019 Featured Artist and won the Denisa Prochazka Special Recognition in Sculpture Award. Her many exhibitions include 2019 Juried Art Show Springfield Regional Arts Council; 2019-2017 Stone County Art Studio Tour, Juried Exhibition, Stone County, MO; and 2017 SMMA Southwest Missouri Museum Association Presentation, Springfield Art Museum; among others.
She is also an Emergency Physician, and states, “As an emergency physician, I encounter other’s adversities on a daily basis. However, I have learned more about resilience as an artist.”
About her Special Recognition Art Award: Dr. Janet Jordan chose Sanda Manuila to receive her award for best in painting. She wrote, “Trâité de Décomposition” by Sanda Manuila has that special hook that draws the observer in, begging deeper exploration of the painting. The artist uses space and dimension, with the array of beautiful Monarchs framing the path of your gaze and leading you into the mechanical decay of the underlying world. This contrecoup juxtaposition shows the vulnerability of life, represented by vibrant, curvaceous wings against the background of a static, elemental, linear world. Sandra uses line and form powerfully to emphasize this contrast, while using color to show the inevitable ‘oneness’. She reflects the fiery earth tones of the wings into the background of rust and patina blue. The irony of this lifeless structure supporting cocoons, is my final lesson in this piece.”
Janet Jordan selected Zahava Sherez for her Special Recognition Art Award in sculpture. She wrote, “One thinks of sculpture as a weighted mass of clay, being brought to life by the hands and soul of the artist. As a sculptor myself, I realized this viewpoint was myopic when I crossed paths with Zahava Sherez’s “InBodied Light “. It seemed pretty objective to me including beauty, strength, use of space and empathy. The weightlessness of her figures, along with the puzzle-like relationship between them, tells her story. Her spiritual belief that ‘we are all one connected through light… that we are spiritual beings having a human experience.’ My beliefs as well, validated by my connection to her art.”
Renée Phillips ~ Founder/Director/Curator of The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS and Manhattan Arts International Awarded Debora Levy
She is the Founder/Director of Manhattan Arts International the founder of The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS and has curated more than 100 exhibitions in public venues throughout NYC and online. She is also the author of several ebooks for artists. As a mentor and career coach for artists she writes articles about art business and art marketing on her Artrepreneur Coach website.
“I chose Debora Levy to receive an art marketing consultation award. Debora is an emerging artist who has so much innate talent that it will be a pleasure to help her design her creative, career and financial goals and provide strategies for her to accomplish them.”
Criteria for exhibiting artists in this exhibition: “The artists have been selected based on specific criteria including: how well their submissions convey the theme; the artist’s level of artistic excellence; mastery of their medium; the overall quality level of their art entries; and their accompanying written statement. Visits to their websites provided us with more in-depth knowledge about them such as standards of originality and consistency in image-making, and professional achievements. After tabulating scores in all of these areas, the artists with the top scores were selected for the exhibition and top awards.”
Keith Morant says
Thank you so much Renee for allowing me to be featured in this wonderful exhibition. Its very title and presentation is surely a great inspiration to many creators and the general public alike. In this time of acute unrest and hyper-awareness of our vulnerability, it is heartwarming to see that something so positive and life-affirming may be projected from you and your organization. I am honored to say that you have been promoting my work for well over ten years now so again, my deepest thanks to you all….K
Tracy Ellyn says
What an incredible, inspirational exhibition, as always. The topic is timely, as well. Renee, thank you so very much for a Publicity Award. I am grateful for all you do.
As I am classically trained, I might go more in that direction again. I suppose it will happen when the time is right.