Show Preview | Best of America - Southwest Art Magazine

Fort Wayne, IN
Castle Gallery, October 16-November 11

Hans Guerin, Campfire Stories, oil, 24 x 28.

This story was featured in the October 2017 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art October 2017 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

This month the National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society hosts its 27th annual Best of America exhibition. The show features 125 works ranging widely in subject matter by artists working in 30 states as well as Canada, Malaysia, and China. The show opens on Monday, October 16, and a reception and awards presentation takes place on Friday, October 20, from 5 to 9 p.m.

: Tom Altenburg, Giant’s Zebra, acrylic, 27 x 23.

: Fred Doloresco, Harbor, oil, 30 x 36.

: Paula Holtzclaw, Autumn’s Approach, oil, 11 x 14.

“Our exhibition is very distinguishable from others where the style is similar throughout the entire show,” says Hebe Brooks, NOAPS publicity director. “Ours has everything from photorealism to impressionism and even some abstraction. It is very unique.” While many of the works included are landscapes, there are also portraits, still lifes, seascapes, and cityscapes of all sizes. The organization’s mission is to foster artistic excellence and achievement in artists by challenging their abilities and expanding their creative opportunities. Accepted artists for this year’s show include William Schneider, Michael Reibel, Diane Reeves, Lei Min, Albert Handell, Hans Guerin, Paula Holtzclaw, and Samuel Hoffman. Jason Sacran, NOAPS master artist, judges the show and chooses 30 awards, including best of show, second and third places, as well as various merit awards.

The show was hosted by Dunnegan Gallery of Art in Bolivar, MO, for many years. But last year, the organization decided to change its venue each year going forward. “We want to branch out throughout the U.S. because that will give more artists a chance to visit the show and be a part of the activities,” Brooks says. This year, the show is hosted by Castle Gallery, a historic mansion that was re-established as an art gallery in 1995.

: Linda Nearon, Heavenly Orchids, oil, 20 x 24.

: Priya Ahlawat, One of a Kind, oil, 24 x 18.

: Mitch Caster, Luminance, oil, 20 x 20.

The restored venue acts as a back-drop for both the exhibition and a week of lectures, workshops, and demonstrations. Charles Shepard, CEO of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, gives a lecture on Thursday, October 19, at 1:30 p.m. Sacran hosts a two-day workshop about plein-air painting, as well as a painting demonstration on Saturday, October 21, at 9 a.m. Joseph Orr, co-founder of the organization, also hosts a plein-air demonstration at 1:30 p.m. the same day. —Mackenzie McCreary

contact information
www.noaps.org