MIGreatArtist Finalists Revealed
The five finalists in the second annual MIGreatArtist Visual Art Competition were announced Nov. 15. Kim Fujiwara of Rochester Hills, Henry Heading of Lathrup Village, Patrick McManus of Warren, Victor Pytko of Birmingham and Weatherly Stroh of Birmingham, all Michigan residents, will compete for the title of MIGreatArtist champion. The finalists were determined using a combination of online public voting and selection by five art professionals, who serve as judges.
The same process will be used in selecting the overall winner. An awards ceremony will be held at Park West Gallery in Southfield, Mich. on Dec. 12 to announce the winner and present prizes to all of the finalists. The winner will receive $1,500 in cash, solo exhibitions at Park West Gallery and Oakland County Galleria and their artwork featured on a poster for an Oakland County event, among other prizes. The four finalists will receive $375 in cash and other opportunities to display their art in the community.
The MIGreatArtist competition is the brainchild of Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson. Its aim is to recognize artistic talent within Michigan’s Economic Growth Region, which consists of Genesee, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, Shiawassee and St. Clair counties. The online competition consists of 2-D artists ages 18 and up who live, work or attend school in these counties. Area art experts judge submissions and are instrumental in choosing the contest winner and finalists.
The contest judges are well-known in the Michigan art circle and have extensive experience in the field. Elliott W. Broom is vice president of museum operations at the Detroit Institute of Arts; Dominic Pangborn is an artist, fashion designer and former university professor; Albert Scaglione is the founder and CEO of Park West Gallery; Don Tocco is an artist and businessman and Kristie Everett Zamora is an arts and culture expert who managed the curatorial department at the Flint Institute of Arts.
You can view the finalists’ work MIGreatArtistÂ
