Named after Eva Briggs, the Abstract BRIGGade encourages all artists interested in abstract art. Briggs, a vital force in the Santa Rita Art League, was honored as a “distinguished artist” from 1992 to 1995 by the Green Valley Art Council.
|
The Abstract BRIGGade meets once a month on the Friday after
the SRAL general meeting. At the meeting, artists discuss their
abstract art projects, give helpful critiques, talk about
techniques and presentation of their work, plan shows, and
exchange ideas that foster non-representational art.
Each month, the Abstract BRIGGade challenges artists to paint in abstract form something like “joy” or “morning” or “to paint in an unusual size or shaped canvas.” Responding to the challenge is not a requirement for attending the meetings. The group welcomes all art work to be critiqued or enjoyed as the artist wishes, and those artists with nothing to show can still participate in the discussion. |
|
Having celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2010, one would think Abstract Art would have by now been embraced into the greater common culture of the United States, but this is not the case. Today a good percentage of the population, even the art-going population regard Abstract Art as a hoax or worse, some foreign, diabolical scheme to bring to ruin the "regular" art we all know and love.
So first, we congratulate the Exhibiting Members for their curiosity, their courage and their confidence to practice what is the biggest change in Western Art history in the past thousand years, non-representational expression.
What are we looking for, hoping to see? Like all genre of painting, the standard of excellence for Abstract Art is the attainment of a visual conviction, the accomplishment of expressing a good idea, using one's skills and sensitivity, taking a risk and creating a well-finished object that will strike the viewer with an excitement to the intellect or the emotion, or better, both.
Strong composition, color balance, dynamics, subtlety, "wow-ism" and the unexpected are some of the elements contributing to success in painting. We will be looking for these and other things for which words do not exist. Good luck.
Candice Davis
Mike Dominguez
Next Meeting: February 10, 9:30 a.m. at the SRAL Studio.
February Challenge: ???
Eva Briggs died in 2003, leaving SRAL $20,000 to be used for 20 years to present a juried abstract competition and exhibit. She wanted “to get artists out of the box” and into new ways of thinking. To that end, Briggs stipulated that all entries must be abstract in design; any media; and 36” x 36”. The first Briggs Abstract Show was held in 2004.
The juror awards $500, $300, and $200 for the first, second, and third prizes. In addition, the juror can pick four or five “Awards of Honor,” and show attendees vote to determine a “People’s Choice” award. See shows for more information and an application for the 2013 Briggs Competition.
This year’s judges were Candice Davis and Mike Dominguez, owners of Davis-Dominguez Gallery.
The 2012 BRIGGS Competition will hang in the public gallery at the Community Performing Arts Center (CPAC) from February 4th to February 29th. The best of the Briggs will then be on display at the Rogoway's Turquoise Tortoise Gallery, No. 5 Calle Baca, Tubac from March ?? to 2012.
The 2012 winners are:
| First Prize | Sally Bryan for “Exuberance” |
| Second Prize | Jeri Hejduk for “Andiamo” |
| Third Prize | Marge Burt for “Ribbons of Fire” |
| Honorable Mention: | Ann Paxton for “Bird of Paradise” |
| Pam Corbett for “Tango” | |
| Gail Reynolds for “#10” |
You can also see pictures of the six winning entries.
The Best of the Briggs also includes:
Mary Conway for “Sensory Perception”Lee Taylor for “Transitus”
Lorna Shular for “La Rouge”
Del Marinello for “Jukebox Saturday Night”
Dora Mcllhenny for “Toccata & Fugue”
Bonnie Nelson for “Salsa”
Bonnie Roberts for “Forest Primeval”
Donna Mae Panion for “Firestorm”
Sheridan Shimp for “Center of Gravity”
Marlene Stephenson for “Broadway”
Carol Lagden for “Freeway Pileup”
Thelma Hendricks for “Paint the Town Red”
Marilyn Bergstrom for “Reinterpret”
Donna Thoreson for “Ethereal”
Fran Sutherland for “Geosphere”
Hugh Beykirch for “Inscrutable”
Mary Lou Lembcke for “Music”
Michelin Otis for “Path of Least Resistance”
And Peoples Choice Award winner
Will be annunced on the 29th of February.