WATCH!
In this video, juror Leah Kolb announces this year’s Best in Show and top prize winners.
ArtsWest 41
Virtually Hanging
Aug/Sept 2020
THE EXHIBIT
Wisconsin ArtsWest is a juried exhibit sponsored by the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library. It is open to all working artists and students, age 18 and older, residing in Wisconsin. The first ArtsWest show opened in September 1979. With ArtsWest Two in April 1981, it became a spring show and has been held annually thereafter. For the very first time, due to COVID-19, this 2020 exhibit will be held as a virtual show.
There were 220 entries submitted by 139 artists for Wisconsin ArtsWest 41. Of these, 39 works were selected by the juror, representing 32 artists. There were 28 communities represented by the artists entering this year’s show.
The competition is juried by a working artist, craftsperson, or qualified staff member from an art museum, gallery, or art department of a university or college. Jurors are from outside the area and are from Wisconsin or Minnesota. Jurors select the following award winners: Best of Show, First Prize, Second Prize, Third Prize, as well as a number of Honorable Mentions. Prizes are donated by the Friends of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library.
THE JUROR
ArtsWest 41 juror Leah Kolb is Curator of Exhibitions at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. At MMoCA, she has organized over 25 exhibitions, largely focusing on contemporary artists who address complex sociopolitical concerns and offer alternative perspectives to dominant narratives.
Kolb also serves on the museum’s leadership team, developing strategies for extending the relevance and power of art to broader populations throughout the city, and for augmenting the museum’s role as a cultural driver. Outside of MMoCA, she co-founded Bridge Work, a professional development program that provides emerging artists with opportunities to professionally present their work and develop institutional recognition.
THE ART
(Click the images for a closer look.)
