VVAA Exhibit Goes Under The Seas

By BOBBIE GREEN

The Progress

“Under the Sea Adventures” was the theme for the month of June at the Virgin Valley Artist Association (VVAA) competition at the Mesquite Fine Arts Center. The VVAA held its monthly awards reception on Thursday, June 15 at the art gallery.

The theme brought out colorful imaginations from the participating artists. The artists brought the beauty that is waiting under the sea to vivid life in the exhibit.

Best of Show went to Pam Jacobson for her glass rendition of under the sea.
Sponsor’s Choice went to Denise Sims for her humorous oil painting of “Just Hanging Out.” The painting also took 2nd place in the brush art category. Mesquite Gaming was this month’s sponsor.

The Mayor’s Choice award went to Sandy Cockayne for her Mixed Media work entitled Rowboat Reef. This was the first time she entered into a competition.
“I was so surprised I will be entering other completion’s now,” Cockayne said.

The People’s Choice award went to Sharon Capizzi for her acrylic “Siren of the Sea.”
In the Digital Photography category Arial Bauman cleaned house. She took First Place for “Morning Already?” with a beautiful clown fish. She also got second place with an entry entitled “Finding My Way Back to the Big ol’ Blue,” a beautiful turtle, assumingly lost. And she took an Honorable Mention for her photo of two fish “Dancing in the Morning Light.” Bauman is a scuba diver as well as a photographer.

In the Dimensional Art and Earth Elements category, Nancy Hewett took First Place with her brightly colored Mixed media piece “Starlight Underwater Wonders.”

An Honorable Mention went to Jackie Zimmer for her beautiful quilt entitled “Like a Sleeping Blue Ocean.” Elena Ahrens also received Honorable Mention for her fused glass/mixed media piece “Treasure Hunt.”

In the Drawing and Sketch category First Place went to Lynn Craven for a Pyrography of “Adventure or Terror.” Second Place went to Joyce Redweik for an ink drawing of “Whale of a Time.” Honorable mention went to Christine Picior for her Sumi Ink “Reflection of Eternity.”

In the Brush Art category First Place went to Rita Fulmer for her unusual watercolor painting on dried teabags entitled “Whales Under the Sea.” Honorable mention in the category went to Kaylea’Layah W. Whitefeather for her Acrylic of “Indigenous Merman.”