On May 31st, 2007 I participated in The Union League Civic & Arts Foundation Visual Arts Competition.
Last week we exhibited our work and met the Club members who support us at the Visual Arts Reception. The judges chose the top winners. There were a total of 14 finalists chosen from over 150 applicants this year. It was a great experience and I am pleased to have been a part of this prestigious event.
There were three of us from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago that were chosen for the final round of the competition; Angel Otero, Daniel Kim, and myself. Angel won the first place award as well as the Club Choice award for his two abstract paintings he had installed. Daniel Kim was presented with the second place award for two paintings he had presented as well. As for myself, I received an honorable mention scholarship for my two sculptures which included a Giant Rice Krispy Treat and Two Conjoined Snowmen.
We were all so grateful for having been awarded for our efforts that night as well as being given the honor of having been selected for such a competitive scholarship.
According to their website, "The competition is the largest and most generous program of its kind in Chicago and, to our knowledge, in the entire country. With $30,000 in awards to assist young artists in accomplishing their creative endeavors, this program provides considerable support to aspiring young people and to Chicago’s art community as a whole. Judges are chosen from esteemed art institutions in the Chicago area. Past judges include: Greg Knight, Curator at the Chicago Cultural Center, Marianne Richter, Curator of the Union League Club, James Rondeau, Associate Curator of 20th Century Art at the Art Institute of Chicago, Elizabeth Smith, Chief Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art, and Hamsa Walker, Director of Education at the Renaissance Society at University of Chicago. "
Below is an image of artists Daniel Kim from SAIC and Derek Chan from UIC standing in front of the work of Derek Chan:
The individuals in this image from left to right are Esteban Schimpf, Tamia Anaya, Dmitri, Brian Kirkbride and Jenny Kendler. In the background of these images you can see the first prize recipient painting of Angel Otero:
In this next image you can see Gonia Rejnowska, Trevor, Justin Polera, Judge Greg Knight, Samia Mirza, and Neil:
After the ceremony I had to deinstall my pieces and take them back to my studio, the following pictures are documentations of the installation, deinstallation, and move of my two pieces that were a part of the exhibition. With the manly help of Trevor, Esteban and Justin, I was able to move the Giant Rice Krispy. Together with Gonia, I was able to wheel the Giant Conjoined Snowmen back to their cozy home:
