The 20th biennial West Virginia Juried Exhibition will open at the Art Museum of West Virginia University in Morgantown on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 2 p.m. Eighty West Virginia artists were selected for the exhibit, which will feature 84 pieces, including painting, drawing, mixed media, craft, photography, digital art, sculpture and print.  Twenty-eight counties are represented in the show.

The exhibit opening reception is free and open to the public. The exhibit will remain at the Art Museum of West Virginia University until Feb. 11, 2018.

“The West Virginia Juried Exhibition continues its tradition of presenting the best of our state’s well-known and emerging artists,” said West Virginia Division of Culture and History Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith. “We are pleased to open this year’s exhibit in Morgantown, which will be the seventh city in which we have enjoyed showcasing the exhibit.” In past years, the exhibition has been in Beckley, Martinsburg, Wheeling, Huntington, Parkersburg and Charleston.

The division announced the exhibition award winners at the opening on November 12, 2017. Governor’s Awards winners were Kylene Babski, Lindside, WV: Bruce Ransen, Harpers Ferry; Chris Krupinski, Hurricane.  Awards of Excellence winners were Gabe DeWitt, Morgantown; Susan Feller, Augusta; F. Brian Ferguson, Oak Hill; Seth Hill, Clarksburg; Joseph Lupo, Morgantown; Robin McClintock, Hendricks; Thomas Wharton, Wheeling. These are purchase awards, and the art will become part of the West Virginia State Museum permanent contemporary art collection.

Merit Awards were presented to Douglas Chadwick, Hillsboro; Betsy A. Cox, Glen Dale; Pat Cross, Eleanor; Cheryl Ryan Harshman, Wheeling; Awyn Danielle McQueen-Milam, St. Albans; Marjory Moses, Elkins; Norm Sartorius, Parkersburg; Maggie Starcher, South Charleston. 

The following artists, by county, are featured in the exhibition:

Berkeley

Kevin Dartt, Martinsburg – sculpture

Braxton

Steve Balcourt, Exchange – photography 

Brooke

Herb Weaver, Bethany - sculpture

Cabell

David Seth Cyfers, Huntington – mixed media

Vernon F. Howell, Barboursville – mixed media

Anthony Kelly, Milton – sculpture

Leona Mackey, Huntington – sculpture

Don McDowell, Huntington - painting

Fayette

Matthew Carr, Meadow Bridge – painting

F. Brian Ferguson, Oak Hill – photography

Machele Kindle, Montgomery – crafts

Shea Wells, Fayetteville – mixed media

Greenbrier

Alex Brand, Lewisburg – sculpture

Mark Jennings, Hinton – photography

Melinda Russell, Alderson – mixed media

Hampshire

Susan Feller, Augusta – crafts

Harrison

Seth Hill, Clarksburg - painting

Jefferson

Bruce Fransen, Harpers Ferry - sculpture

Kanawha

Dick Allowatt, St. Albans – mixed media

Chris Dutch, Charleston – crafts

Bob Fisher, Charleston – sculpture

Tom Hindman, St. Albans – photography

Jim Jackson, Charleston – painting

Michael Keller, St. Albans – photography

Chet Lowther, Charleston – painting

Betty McMullen, Charleston – painting

Awyn Danielle McQueen-Milam, St. Albans – painting

Taylor W. Raab, Charleston – photography

Thad Settle, Dunbar – painting

Clayton Spangler II, Charleston – photography

Maggie Starcher, South Charleston – painting

Regina G. Swim, Charleston – crafts

Lincoln

Eddie Austin, Hamlin – crafts

Ric MacDowell, Hamlin – photography

Maggian Thompson, Ranger – drawing

Marion

Stephanie Dulaney, Fairmont – crafts

Marshall

Betsy A. Cox, Glen Dale – crafts 

Mercer

John Coffey, Princeton – drawing

Leiane Gibson, Princeton – photography

Michael A. Sizemore, Athens – sculpture

Mingo

Randall Sanger, Williamson - photography

Monongalia

Dylan Collins, Morgantown – sculpture

Linda S. Gribko, Morgantown – digital art

Alison Helm, Morgantown – sculpture

Stephen Lawson, Morgantown – photography

Michael Loop, Morgantown – mixed media

Joseph Lupo, Morgantown – print

Amy Schissel, Morgantown – painting

Tiera Tanner, Morgantown – painting

Randy B. Williams, Independence – painting

Jenny Wilson, Morgantown – painting

Gabe DeWitt, Morgantown - drawing

Monroe

Kylene Babski, Lindside – drawing

Adrienne Biesemeyer, Alderson – crafts

Nicholas

Anne Johnson, Summersville - photography

Ohio

Brian Fencl, Wheeling – painting

Cheryl Ryan Harshman, Wheeling – print

Janet Hart, Wheeling – painting

Robert Villamagna, Wheeling – mixed media

Thomas Wharton, Wheeling - painting

Pleasants

Michele Binegar, St. Marys – digital art

Pocahontas

Douglas Chadwick, Hillsboro – photography

Putnam

Pat Cross, Eleanor – painting

Chris Krupinski, Hurricane – painting

Randy Selbe, Hurricane – mixed media

Linda Stonestreet, Hurricane – painting

Raleigh

Sheila M. Hardaway-Cain, Beckley – painting

Nicole Suptic, White Oak – drawing

Randolph

Don Hall, Elkins – painting

Marjorie Moses, Elkins – digital art

Roane

Chuck Conner, Spencer – photography

Tucker

Robin McClintock, Hendricks – mixed media

Webster

Thomas R. Fletcher, Cowan – photography 

Wood

Melony Gingery, Parkersburg – painting

Lavana Lemley, Vienna – sculpture

Jeff Morehead and Becky Anderson, Mineral Wells – digital art

Christine Rhodes, Parkersburg – painting

Damon Rhodes, Parkersburg – photography

Norm Sartorius, Parkersburg – crafts

The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, is an agency within the Office of Secretary of Education and the Arts with Gayle Manchin, cabinet secretary. It brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Photo: 

Kylene Babski, Lindside. 'Self Portrait, in Shadow.' Drawing