Special Recognition Art Award-Winners in the Manhattan Arts International “HerStory” 2023 Exhibition
Among all of the artists who submitted their artwork to the “HerStory” 2023 exhibition there were several who impressed me as having produced superior art about women. They have either devoted their entire portfolio to female subjects or have created many works of art or perhaps one or more cohesive series in this direction. Each artist has their own individualistic creative vision and has mastered extraordinary skills in their chosen mediums. Their art delivers a profound story, evokes a meaningful response, and provides different aspects of the female experience that deepen our understanding and heighten our awareness about “HerStory”. For these reasons and more, as the curator of “HerStory” 2023 I chose these artists as “Special Recognition Art Award-Winners”.
The artists are Bren Sibilsky, Laurie Waite-Fellner, Gwen Roberts, Agnes Jorgensen, Beamie Young, Natalie Oliphant, Renata Bosnjak and Nancy Pane Fortwengler. Please visit their websites to see more of their art and learn more about them.
Bren Sibilsky
Her Ancestor’s Dream, clay for bronze, 32″ x 23″ x 7.5″
Bren Sibilsky lives in Wisconsin. She creates arresting sculpture and many of her pieces have focused on women subjects imbued with mythological, symbolic and spiritual references. She has attracted many collectors from North America and Europe. Her many awards include those from International ARC Salon and the National Sculpture Society, New York, N.Y. She received a Special Honor Award in our “New Beginnings” exhibition with an article you can read here. Bren’s numerous exhibitions have taken place in such venues as The Miller Art Museum, Koehline Museum, and Fairfield Museum, among others. She is also an instructor and founder of the Algoma Atelier of Sculpture and Art, in Wisconsin.
When Bren submitted her sculpture “Her Ancestor’s Dream” to the “HerStory” 2023 exhibition she wrote: “She’s her ancestors dream… Deep within her bloodline she carries the song of a long forgotten message, a link to the past reflecting into the future. She has maneuvered boundaries unknown to her ancestors, carrying the weight of the future yet to manifest. Gifting a vision, the bestowed favor of a new version, she’s Grandmother’s advancing story of resilience. Intuitively she follows the trail in Elders sacred lands to the aspirations of tomorrow’s generations.”
Visit her website: brensculpture.com
Laurie Waite-Fellner
Sylvia Has a Beer, oil paint on canvas, 50″ x 24″
Laurie Waite-Fellner lives in Montclair, NJ. She is an outstanding artist with an unbridled imagination. One of her series is a mesmerizing and diverse group of paintings she has named “Sylvia”. She has been working on these captivating paintings for the last three years and explains, “Sylvia is my muse; she is the ‘perfect’ woman. Sometimes she finds herself in odd places and situations. She allows me to show how ridiculous our society can be. Sometimes I put her in places where I have felt awkward or misunderstood.”
With her entries to “HerStory” Laurie stated, “I have been an artist forever, but I’ve taken myself more seriously in the last ten years or so. I was very interested in painting portraits, and then started adding some dimension or added images to tell more of a story and add interest to the work. Then I decided to use a mannequin to represent the perfect woman in our society. I would put her in different situations that reflected my own, and probably a lot of women’s experiences.”
In addition to her “Sylvia” series Laurie has pursued a busy portrait commission schedule and we look forward to learning about upcoming exhibitions of her artwork. I’m sure she will also receive many more awards, honors and publicity in the near future.
Visit her website: lauriesartwork.com
Gwen Roberts
Aftermath of the Hunt, sanded charcoal on paper, 13.5″ x 16″
British born Gwen Roberts is an award winning Hyperrealistic artist who lives and works in Australia. To create her extraordinary artwork she practices a unique drawing technique using sandpaper. Gwen’s emotive drawings are found in numerous private collections worldwide. Her many international exhibitions include those at Museu Europeu d’Art Modern, Barcelona, Spain. Gwen enjoys sharing her skills and has written a workbook; ‘How to Draw Photorealistic Portraits’.
When Gwen submitted her entries to “HerStory” she wrote, “My perceptions of reality are fractured by my flaws. I sabotage myself with criticism and remonstrate with my defects undermining any self-care and replace it with what I think is tough love. As I endeavour to understand my compulsions and discern the irrationalities I seek refuge in art with a palpable presence of emotions. I observe life’s grace and recreate its essence creating a safe place for difficult emotions. There is my intent, the meaning is down to you.”
Visit her website: gwenroberts.com
Agnes Jorgensen
The Masquerade, oil on canvas, 36″ x 24″
Agnes Jorgensen lives in Sainte-Anne-Des-Lac, Quebec, Canada. She combines Old Master techniques with her contemporary vision to create oil paintings in her “Figurative” series, many of which focus on female subjects of different ages and experiences. They are richly symbolic with positive messages. Agnes has participated in exhibitions at Manitoba Art Expo and her many gallery and museum shows include the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario and the Regional Museum of Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Quebec. She has received important portrait commissions of prominent leaders. She was also included in the “HerStory” 2022 exhibition and others with Manhattan Arts International.
When Agnes submitted her entry “The Masquerade” to the “HerStory” 2023 exhibition she wrote this: “What fears are behind the mask? Fear is constraining. And the fears I take so seriously in life feels like battling a fire-breathing dragon in a princess costume. I am learning that just because a conditioned fearful thought appears doesn’t mean it’s true. My journey with fear is to let my attention rest, be open and focus on the present moment. This is where peace lies.”
Visit her website: jorgensenart.com
Beamie Young
Time Will Tell, photography, 20″ x 20″, from her “Fourth Dimension Series”
Beamie Young lives in Dickerson, MD. She has created outstanding series of photographic images that include portraits and self-portraits. Her emotive works of art that chronicle women make an immediate impression upon the viewer and continue to hold us in rapture. Her highly impressive resume lists dozens of honors and accolades that include Julia Margaret Cameron Awards. Her equally staggering list of exhibitions include the Cumberland Valley Photographers Competition, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in 2023. Her art was also selected for “HerStory” 2020-21 and she was given an Award of Excellence in Manhattan Arts International’s “The Spirit of Resilience” exhibition.
She exclaims, “Every time I wander out with my camera it’s an adventure. I enjoy capturing unique colors, patterns, reflections, and light.” When Beamie submitted her entries to “HerStory” she wrote, “Through the use of double exposure, compositing, and photoshop I strive to create images that imply various narratives, many involving time. Spacetime is one of the great mysteries of existence and is one of the favorite themes. We all experience the passage of time in different ways and I hope to explore this complexity.”
Visit her website: beamie.smugmug.com
Natalie Oliphant
Eveline, sculpture, 44” x 21” x 27”
Natalie Oliphant lives in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. She creates powerful narrative works of art that deliver layers of resounding messages. She raises our awareness as an important eco-conscious artist who recycles body forms or mannequins and adorns them with a wide variety of symbolic, tactile objects and materials. Natalie has had numerous exhibitions worldwide including those at Knox Contemporary Gallery of Art, Calgary, Alberta, the Center of the Arts, Dover, NH, and Westlake Village Guild of Art in Thousand Oaks, CA. She was selected for the “Inspirational Art in Mixed Media” Exhibition presented by The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS and has won many awards.
When Natalie submitted her entries to “HerStory” she wrote, “As an artist I repurpose discarded items, committed to saving items from the landfill and letting their beauty live on. In my mannequin body forms I create portals to my memories. My themes are not exclusive to my life. We all need to feel a connection to someone or something… to feel compassion and deep empathy. Emotion can be read in body language. Posture and position of the human physique reveals a relatable story. The pain of infertility, the deep sadness of rejection, the cutting emotion of grief are recognized and celebrated in each of my works.”
Visit her website: natalieoliphantart.ca
Renata Bosnjak
Grandma, oil on canvas, 24” x 30”
Renata Bosnjak was born in Bosnia and currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Many of her expressive paintings focus on women and girls and a range of emotions of love, faith, motherhood, and all positive attributes of humanity. She uses masterful oil painting techniques to capture details with stunning impact. They generate an immediate visceral impact and deepen our connection with her subjects and ourselves. Renata was also selected for the Manhattan Arts International “HerStory” 2022 exhibition. Her many awards include the Frida Kahlo International Prize award and the International Prize of New York City. The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS presented her with a Special Recognition Award in “The Spirit of Resilience” exhibition.
When Renata submitted her painting “Grandma” to “HerStory” 2023 she provided this statement: “In my life, my work has made me realize that a painting is worth a thousand words. In this idea of art, I’ve been able to use my own abilities to depict a story that not only projects a new life, but also includes my own experiences. My artwork tends to gravitate towards the images of people and their emotions. Not only do I use real photos as a reference for my work, but I include my own interpretation into the thoughts, feelings, and even life of the person I am able to create.”
Visit her website: renatabosnjak.com
Nancy Pane Fortwengler
Flamenco, soft pastel, 22″ x 28″
Nancy Pane Fortwengler lives in the Washington DC area. She has created a breathtaking and spirited “Figurative Dresses” series with an exquisite use of ethereal layers that entrance the viewer. Nancy explains “This body of work is highly focused paintings of the transparent, multi layered costumes, or dresses, taken out of the dance series and set into a life of their own.” She has exhibited widely and is a regularly juried artist at The Art League Gallery in Alexandria, VA. Her other exhibitions include those at the Clinical Galleries of the National Institute for Health, Office of Secretary Thompson, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the INOVA Fairfax Hospital. Her work can be found in many private collections internationally.
When Nancy submitted her entries to “HerStory” she wrote, “Celebrating the tenacity and unshakeable spirt of women, the figurative dresses and historical garments demand attention for their powerful presence. Painted in multiple transparent layers, the viewer is asked to look beneath the surface of what suggests a fragile woman to see her steely core. Based on the movement and strength of ballerinas, the disembodied dresses are personas in their own right, symbolizing every woman.”
Visit her website: nancypanefortwengler.com
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