by Emma Speckman
Sept. 23, 2014. Next month, the Ashe Country Arts Council will display the annual “Best of the Blue Ridge” exhibit. The exhibit will open Oct. 9 and run through Nov. 20. There will be a reception for the artists on Oct. 10 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Arts Council gallery.
The “Best of the Blue Ridge” exhibit began in 2006. According to executive director Jane Lonon, any artists residing in Ashe and the surrounding counties—Watauga, Wilkes, Alleghany, Grayson, Va. and Johnson, Tenn.—may submit their works for review over a three day period; Oct. 4, 6 and 7. Artists may enter one or two works and eligible mediums include oil, watercolor, acrylic, pen and ink, mixed media and hand-pulled prints.
The year’s juror will be national award-winning artist Cora Mae Pipkin. In May 2011 Pipkin won ‘Best of Show’ in the National Watercolor Society Members Show for her piece entitled ‘Decoding’.
During a blind jurying process, she will review all the work submitted and make a determination of which pieces to include in the exhibit.
The number of works accepted each year into the exhibit varies, depending solely on the decision of the juror, said Lonon. In the past it has ranged from 20 – 70 pieces.
Lonon said the bottom-line criterion for inclusion in the exhibition is artistic excellence.
“Many styles, mediums and subjects will be considered and included, but overall, the entries selected represent the “best” of the Blue Ridge,” she said. “It’s a terrific show!”
For more information about the exhibit and the Ashe County Arts Council, visit www.ashecountyarts.org.



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