2024 Hampton Arts League Member Exhibition

The Hampton Arts League Member Exhibition presents the artwork of The Charles H. Taylor Visual Arts Center’s member organization showcasing both emerging and established artists working in a variety of media. This diverse exhibition represents the talented and unique artists who reside and work in Coastal Virginia.

Juror's Comments by Brian Kreydatus

I would like to thank Diana Blanchard Gross, Manager of the Charles  H. Taylor Visual Arts Center for inviting me to judge this exhibition and all the staff, teachers, and volunteers who run this important exhibition and educational space. But mostly, I want to thank all the artists and members of the Hampton Arts League who participated.  I consider it an act of bravery to put something out in public and say, I made this. I thought this. I felt this.

Judging a show is always a difficult prospect. The judge is faced with a large range of media, varying levels of artistic experience, a variety of aesthetic points of view, and the knowledge that someone in the audience is going to be saying to themselves- why did they pick this for a prize and not that- or more importantly, why not mine? There’s an old saying about judging a show- you make a few life-long fans and everyone else who didn’t get a prize- let’s just say they won’t be sending you any Christmas cards…

When making my decisions for the awards I considered what should be obvious- competence in solving a given visual problem, craftsmanship, color, composition, responsiveness to materials- the usual things that artists tend to talk about. But what I was really looking for when making my recommendations for the awards were commitment and obsession. These two qualities are what set a work apart regardless of the artist’s experience, choice of medium, or aesthetic point of view. The doggedness to see something through to its end and the ability to have an honest, un-predetermined experience with visual phenomena are what make an image unforgettable. I think that’s what we’re all after.

Thank you again for allowing me to share in your art.

Top 3 winners:

• First place - Williamsburg Fences, James Warwick Jones (Main image)
• Second place - Peregrine Falcon, Marilyn Wilkins (Top photo)
• Third place - Black Buick, Ray Markham (Second from the top)

Winner of the Jack Whitney Clifton Award for Painting - The Uncovering, Karen Kingsley

Awards of Merit

• Crossing the Dunes, Elizabeth Cooke

• Caroline, Jenny Windsor

• Sunset, Jorge Saenz 

• Ethereal Light, Janice Gay Maker (Bottom right)

• Clarity, Tenley Raithel (Bottom left)

Honorable Mentions

• At MOMA, Jonny Hayes

• Broadband Boogie, Brenda Clark

• Tools, Anna Syragaki

• Immersion, Clifford Waters

• Poquoson River Sunrise, Sally Miller (3rd image down)

The exhibition is on view now through March 30. The Charles H. Taylor Visual Arts Center is open Tuesday - Saturday from 10am-6pm. Come by and see these diverse art pieces before they're gone!