Congratulations are in order after one of our designers, Amanda Shanks, was awarded the Gladys Martin Best in Show in the art category at the Juried Art Exhibit at the Glema Mahr Center for the Arts in Madisonville, Ky.
Amanda won for her charcoal on paper “Lady Mary Quite Contrary,” a depiction of Lady Mary Crawley, a character on the BBC series “Downton Abbey.”
The Best in Show honor came with a $500 monetary prize.
The Juried Art Exhibit runs through August 21 and features 92 artists. The exhibit is free to the public and open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The exhibit and awards were covered in an article published today by The Madisonville Messenger (subscription required), part of which is excerpted below.
Art judge Randy Simmons said the work he viewed was “exceptional.”
“These works definitely shine with technical expertise and I was very pleased with the medias represented,” he said. “Amanda Shanks’ piece ‘Lady Mary Quite Contrary’ (is) a charcoal work with great fine detailing and value scale.”
Shanks said she did not expect to win the award.
“I was stunned,” she said. “I was just excited that I got some pieces exhibited on the walls, so I was really surprised.”
Shanks is a Central City resident who works as a graphic designer at Red Pixel Studios in Owensboro. Her father is responsible for her love of art, she said.
“He’s always been an artist and I grew up around his artwork,” Shanks said. “Once I went to college I decided to take some classes, and that’s where it started.”
“My sister had introduced me to ‘Downton Abbey’ earlier in the year,” Shanks said. “As I was watching that, Mary became one of my favorite characters. Usually, when I have a favorite character I like to draw them.”