The judges didn’t quite know how to display Mardie Rees’s bronze sculpture at the 2010 Art of the Portrait Conference in Washington, D.C. Even though they allowed the Gig Harbor sculptor to enter her piece in the figurative art-themed show, it became a challenge when it came to deciding just where to put it at the Hyatt Regency Hotel’s gallery.
“It was in this room full of all these paintings,” Rees said. “I think they didn’t know where it would fit in along the wall, so they put it right in the middle of the room.”
If it’s true that being unique is an advantage, Rees walked away from the competition with a First Honor of Excellence award and a $1,200 prize.
“It was the first sculpture to win a major award in that show,” Rees said. “It’s good to get recognition.”
Rees was one of 16 finalists out of 1,300. She said she was a bit in awe of the competition she was up against. Rees met some “well-known artists that have become famous in the last few years, like Jeremy Lipking and David Kassan”, she said.
Read whole article by Susan Schell.
Jul 1, 2010