The artwork of 90 regional artists has been accepted into the Michiana Annual Arts Competition (MAAC) and will be on exhibit in the Box Factory for the Arts galleries, 1101 Broad St., beginning May 14 and continuing through July 11th. The galleries are open Fridays-Sundays from noon to 4 pm, and are free to the public.
Mary Whalen, Photography and Digital Media Department Chair at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, judged the work and selected 162 pieces of artwork to be on exhibit. She also selected the Best of Show, six category awards and honorable mention awards. The sculpture award was selected by Tami Miller of the Krasl Art Center.
The Best of Show award of $1,000 is sponsored by the Southwest Michigan Tourist Council. It goes to Mary Amador of Goshen, IN for “Her Hiding Place.” The piece is acrylic and colored pencil on a wooden panel with gold leaf and small crystals.
Providing the $200 category awards are: An Anonymous Friend of the Arts; B.E.R. Refrigeration, Heating and Cooling and Plumbing; Caffe Tosi; Foster Swift Collins and Smith Attorneys; John DeVries Insurance Agency; Krasl Art Center; and MailMax.
The category winners are:
Doug LaFerle, St. Joseph, MI – Sculpture – “Icarus”
Zech Ray, Berrien Springs, MI – Watercolor – “Summer Lillies”
Kei Constantinov, Michigan City, IN – Oil and Acrylic – “Strumpets on the Rialto”
Becky Rotter, Sodus, MI – Ceramics – “Trio in Black and White”
Pamela DeMarris, Benton Harbor, MI – Photography – “Woman with Apples”
Laurel Kuehl, Portage, MI – Pastel and Drawing – “Veiled Light”
Judy Hallisy, Saugatuck, MI – Miscellanea – “Peyote”
Doug LaFerle, St. Joseph, MI – Sculpture – “Icarus” 
Zech Ray, Berrien Springs, MI – Watercolor – “Summer Lillies” 
Kei Constantinov, Michigan City, IN – Oil and Acrylic – “Strumpets on the Rialto” 
Becky Rotter, Sodus, MI – Ceramics – “Trio in Black and White” 
Pamela DeMarris, Benton Harbor, MI – Photography – “Woman with Apples” 
Laurel Kuehl, Portage, MI – Pastel and Drawing – “Veiled Light” 
Judy Hallisy, Saugatuck, MI – Miscellanea – “Peyote” 
Mary Amador of Goshen, IN for “Her Hiding Place”
Honorable mention awards also go to Pam Nivala, Sculpture; Pallavi Manjrekar, Watercolor; Zech Rey, Oil and Acrylic; Kari Black, Ceramics; Jay Wise, Photography; Laurel Kuehl, Pastel and Drawing; and Denise Tackett, Miscellanea.
The awards will be presented to the artists at a tent reception and open house at the Box Factory on June 19. The event from 5:30 to 8 pm is free and open to the public. Guest moderator Pat Moody of Moody on the Market will present the awards at 7 pm.