Backus announces accepted and award-winning art for the Best of the Best annual juried exhibition
The A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery announced the accepted works of art and award winners for the 2024 Juried Art Exhibition The Best of the Best. A panel of three independent judges voted to accept 74 entries from the 301 record-breaking number of submissions. The original works of art were entered into four categories: Oil/Acrylics, Watercolor, Varied Techniques, and Three-Dimensional. A total of 20 awards were given to distinguished examples in each of the four entry categories. Following the Season Opening reception on Sat., Oct. 5, the exhibition is on display to the public now through Nov.15, 2024. The Museum is located at 500 N. Indian River Drive in Historic Downtown Fort Pierce.
The Backus Museum is the home of the Treasure Coast’s longest continuously held juried art competition, now in its 43rd year. Original works of art entered must have been made within the past 3 years, and never been entered in the competition before. Each year the independent jury panel inspects and assesses each physical entry in person, finding and rewarding excellence, technique, and presentation. As part of its longstanding tradition of encouraging working artists, the Museum awards cash prizes to these most distinct and effective works.
Award winners for the 2024 Best of the Best
Top among the 20 awards include the 2024 Best of Show “Forgiveness, Ginnie Spring (2024)” by Kathleen Sienna Kelly and the Director’s Choice “Opportunity” by Allie Comer. First Place in Oil/Acrylic is “Backcountry Pines” by Scott Woodward; First Place in Watercolor is “La Vivenda” by Lisa Arnold Franklin; First Place in Varied Techniques is “Balance” by Sheryl Unwin; and First Place in Three-Dimensional is “Paper Doll” by Mirtha Aertker Gómez. A complete list of awards and all accepted works of art can be downloaded at https://backusmuseum.org/juried-shows.
Every year the Museum also offers visitors to The Best of the Best their own voice by participating in the People’s Choice award during the exhibition. Individuals may vote once on the one work of art that is their favorite, and at the end of the exhibition, the artist will receive this special award honor with cash prize.
The Saturday, October 5 Season Opening Reception for The Best of the Best is 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., free of charge to museum members and to artists who submitted entries. The charge for not-yet members is $20, or individuals can join at the door and enjoy free access to all exhibitions and receptions for the year.
Information on the 2024-2025 Season’s exhibitions and growing list of supporting Season Sponsors can be found at https://www.backusmuseum.org/2024-2025
Judges for the 2024 Best of the Best
John Lark was born in Lansing, Michigan and is currently a professor of visual art at Palm Beach State College and artist in residence at the Armory Art Center, in West Palm Beach, Florida. Lark’s work examines interpersonal relationships and the connections between individuals and their environments. Lark received his MFA from the New York Academy of Art and his BFA from the University of Michigan; he also studied at Columbia University and the Art Students League, in New York. John Lark has exhibited his work in several group and solo shows, both in New York City and along the east coast of the United States.
Megan Martin has been committed to refining her skills as the Gallery Director and Curator of Exhibitions at the commercial gallery Arts on Douglas in New Smyrna Beach for over two decades. The Gallery was originally conceived to promote the work and careers of artists from the state of Florida. From 2011 – 2016, Martin was appointed as Community Arts and Exhibitions Director for the Atlantic Center for the Arts. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in the History of Art and a minor in Etruscan and Roman Art from the University of Florida’s School of Fine Arts. As a part of her fine art coursework, she assisted in the presentation of exhibitions for a variety of individuals and cultural organizations including The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
Anthony Record is the curator of Lighthouse ArtCenter, and was curator at the Museum of Florida Art and Culture from 2022-2024. From 2018-2022 he was the Studio Programs Coordinator at the Tampa Museum of Art, and from 2009-2018 he was a professor of art and art history. His art has been exhibited in galleries and museums in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Kanazawa, Vancouver, and elsewhere. In addition, he was the co-founder and co-curator of the artist cooperative gallery QUAID, in Tampa, Florida from 2014-2023.
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About the A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery
Since its founding in 1960 and the first day the doors opened in 1961, the A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery has been a center and catalyst for creativity and culture in our region. The Museum houses the nation’s largest public presentation of artwork by Florida’s preeminent painter, A.E. “Bean” Backus (1906-1990), and also continues its more than sixty-year tradition of exhibiting and celebrating the paintings of the original Florida Highwaymen, who got their start here. In addition, the Museum organizes and hosts changing exhibitions from artists of regional, national and international acclaim. The Backus Museum was recognized as the 2022 Best of the Best Community Choice Award for Best Art Gallery; and the 2021 Best Tourist Attraction – 2018 Best Museum / Best of the Treasure Coast by the readers of Indian River Magazine.
Schedule: Regular Hours Weds. – Sat., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, Noon to 4 p.m. Admission is $5 per person; AARP, AAA, and Veterans with appropriate ID receive a $2 discount. Students with school ID, children under 18, active duty military, and current members are always free. Visitors are asked to follow the latest public health guidance for the safety and comfort of guests, staff, and volunteers.
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