Arts & Entertainment

Brighton Art Guild's Sixth Annual Juried Fine Art Exhibition Opens

Art Harvest will run Friday through Oct. 23 at the Howell Opera House in downtown Howell.

About 70 pieces of art will be on display at the Howell Opera House in downtown Howell from Friday through Oct. 23 as part of the Brighton Art Guild's (BAG) Art Harvest Fine Art Juried Exhibition.

Art Harvest is BAG's largest annual event, and is open to adults, high school and college students residing in Ingham, Livingston, Oakland and Washtenaw counties, according to BAG Board Vice President Brenda Ochodnicky.

"We open the exhibit up to include a high school and college category," Ochodnicky said. "What is nice about that is that it gives the area youth to have a juried art exhibition experience. And that's unique. Usually schools will have thier own thing. So once a year, we have this category. And their artwork is juried in, just like the adults."

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The juried exhibition offers more than $1,500 in cash awards for adults, college and high school students. The cash prizes are funded through BAG's spring fundraiser "Show me the Monet."

There were originally more than 200 different types of artwork submitted, including 2D and 3D art, oil, pastel and acryllic paintings, wood, ceramic and metal sculptures, glasswork and textile artwork.

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Those submissions were narrowed down to the current 70 in the exhibit by Robert Schefman, this year's juror. Schefman, a native of Detroit, is an associate professor and chair at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.

"He's a really high-level juror," Ochodnicky said. "That's pretty high profile for Livingston County. The Brighton Art Guild has almost 100 members, and for an art guild of that size, we have a remarkable high level of talent. I think that—I'm guessing—it excites jurors to want to be apart of what we're doing here."

Art Harvest also features a $500 Norma Gray college scholarship—named after one of the founding guild members.

This year's scholarship winner is Tracey Parker, a studio art senior at Michigan State University. Parker, a Southfield native, heard about the exhibition through an email blast the university sent out to students. Although it is not the first exhibition she has entered, Art Harvest is the first time she's ever received this kind of recognition.

"I was very excited," Parker said. "It's always nice to get recognition like that. I've been working at this for a long time. I'm very passionate about it. I think it's important to get involved in local art guilds like that. I'm excited to finish school and meet more local artists."

Parker will apply to grad school to continue her art education following her graduation at MSU.

"It's a very difficult path to choose," Parker said about her major. "I don't have a safety net. My career doesn't really lead to any jobs. But it's something that's very important—especially for a city like Detroit."

The exhibition also features the Guild’s Gallery Store, with artists’ works all priced under $100.

Art Harvest hours are 1-8 p.m. Friday; noon-9 p.m. Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday; 2-8 p.m. Monday through Oct. 21; noon-9 p.m. Oct. 22; and noon-5 p.m. Oct. 23.

For more information, visit the Brighton Art Guild online.


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