Congratulations to the Winners of Fall Into Art: Autumn Student and Member Showcase

Today wraps up the final gallery exhibition of the year, our second installment of the Student and Member Showcase. Each exhibition gets better than the last as our students prove that their hard work and regular practice continue to pay off.

Judging a show like this, with incredible talent displayed over such a vast range of media and subject matter, is not a job for the faint of heart. For this show we were lucky enough to have Miranda Smith, the Arts Education Coordinator for Fulton County Arts and Culture, come up our way and spend a morning in careful deliberation. Winners were chosen in three categories: Members (for those who pay an annual membership fee but do not take classes), and Students (for those submitting work created in their classes here) separated into Visual and Ceramics. The vast majority of work on display was student work, so it was necessary to split that category further so that Miranda’s job was merely incredibly difficult and not absolutely impossible.

Without further ado, congratulations to the winners of the Fall Into Art: Autumn Student and Member Showcase!

Members Category

1st Place- Dani by Joan Zell

Dani is an oil painting study of a figure rendered in warm earth tones and soft, hazy forms. Its slightly abstracted and simplified appearance serves to amplify the emotional impact of the piece. It drew a lot of fascinated eyes during the run of the show, proving that you don’t need to render every detail to be effective

2nd place- The Onlooker by Lory Macrate

This acrylic painting depicts a cat looking into a bright, colorful house through a sliding glass door. Lory Macrate uses her signature vibrant and saturated colors to render the cozy sunlit interior and the lush autumnal tree. A brilliant orange underpainting shines through, adding verve to the piece. The whole piece makes you want to curl up in a sunbeam like the cat in the painting.

3rd Place – Many Visions by Joanne Easlick

A unique piece in our showcase, this is a fused glass on canvas, spotted with beads and jewelry pieces. It’s a glittering abstracted piece with hints of figurative subjects. Quirky and well-balanced, it’s a piece that draws the eye for longer consideration.

Student Category (Visual)

1st Place- Global Warming by Danielle Melas

This stunning painting depicts a woman lounging with a newspaper, dressed in a bathing suit and sunglasses with a bath towel wrapped around her head and a cigarette hanging from her lips. The lighting is a triumph; you can feel the warm sunlight that bakes her skin and the background behind her, and the contrast with the sharp cast shadows contributes to the realistic rendering of a bright, hot afternoon.

2nd Place- Lime Kiln Lighthouse by Jim Forester

This painting depicts a lighthouse perched on a rocky cliff above a stormy sea. The minimalist rendering of the lighthouse draws a sharp contrast with the complex and many-colored rendering of the rocks and sea, drawing the eye directly to it.

3rd Place- Flamingo by Vintee Patidar

This vibrant painting features a realistic rendering of a flamingo. Its details are lovingly rendered, with a beautiful sense of depth and colors that pull you into the piece.

Student Category (Ceramics)

1st Place- The Origen by Catalina Gomez-Beuth

Catalina Gomez-Beuth returns with her signature clay and fiber work. This raw clay vessel, smooth as an egg, features tightly woven fibers and gold leaf that create a sense of twisting and fluttering movement around the opening of the vessel

2nd Place- Amidst the Snowy Switchbacks of the Blue Ridge by Janet Paszkowski

This stoneware vessel has top edges resembling a tree canopy and a variable surface design that evokes the feeling of winding mountain roads. The white and blue finish creates a wintery atmosphere that draws you into the narrative she is creating with the piece. She accompanied the stoneware with a haibun, a poetic form that combines haiku and prose.

3rd Place- Porcelain Teapot by Ramona Razavi

This wheel-thrown teapot features an elegant handle joined with a detailed curvilinear design. Additional coiling decorations adorn the lid, spout, and handle. It has a subtle but complicated glaze finish in a cream with greenish tinting and delicate hatchmark texture that creates an understated depth to the piece.

Honorable Mentions

Mystic River by Amy Rabon

This painting represents a still life of a deer skull, a vase of flowers, and two mangoes. Rendered in largely desaturated tones (even the green leaves of the white-petaled flowers are muted) on a stark black background, the one colorful element of the mangoes shine brightly.

Twenties Lady by Summer Lowe

Summer Lowe uses her distinctive style to render this colorful portrait, featuring a woman posing in a large hat and slim dress. Greys and reds dominate the painting, adding a textural and abstracted finish to the expertly crafted figurative work.

Sunflower Bracelet by Jan Sinnock

Created with the peyote stitch in our Jewelry Making and Bead Weaving class, this tightly woven bracelet depicts a field of sunflowers against a bright blue sky in a stunning and intricate mosaic of seed beads.

Thank you to everyone who came out to see the show and support the artists! We had a wonderful time at our reception on November 7^th. The Guild came out in force with their incredible dessert spread, and Olivia Chang kindly provided beautiful music on the guzheng for a lovely atmospheric evening.

Our next Student & Member Showcase will be held in March of 2026, with the theme of “Celebration” in honor of our 30^th anniversary. Our winter session of classes is open for registration now, if you would like to join a class and become a part of our next showcase!