Best in show: Working Early: watercolor by Gary Eckhart of Warren, Vermont.
North East Watercolor Society Excellence Award: Individuality: watercolor by Lana Privitera of Pine Bush.
North East Watercolor Society Excellence Award: Mystique: watercolor by Patricia Quirk of Hewitt, N.J.
North East Watercolor Society Excellence Award: Family Portrait: watercolor by Roberta Oliver of Franklin Lakes, N.J.
Honorable Mention Award: The Take: watercolor by Kevin Storms of Tyler Hill, Pa., formerly of Searsville.
Bringing Home Dinner: watercolor by Caroline Harrow of Livingston Manor.
Dune Shack: watercolor by Richard Van Tieghem of Warwick.
Not to be dismayed, the North East Watercolor Society, which normally has a 100 to 120 show of members’ artworks displayed in Orange Hall Gallery and Loft from late January through mid-March, decided to switch to online.
Society President Richard Price of Cadosia provided all the images of and information about the paintings. Then, Cultural Affairs’ graphic/video designer Regiane Padilha-Kelley fashioned a sharp, high resolution video-exhibit complete with music selected and played by Geoff Hamburg, the Albany pianist who has played at the annual NEWS art reception for at least a decade.
David O’Keefe was the project’s audio engineer.
Both Padilha-Kelley and O’Keefe are SUNY Orange graduates.
It is customary for the exhibit judge to present an art demonstration during the reception. Inasmuch as this wonderful educational opportunity is not possible in-person this year, judge-watercolorist Tony Armendariz of Illinois, recorded his demonstration class “Planning and Painting a Subject from Beginning to End” which is available through a link on the judge’s page in the exhibit.
An interesting sidebar emerged. North East Watercolor Society members reside in all parts of the United States and internationally as well. Usually, distant members would choose to only be in the International Exhibition in the Fall.
The online option offered a new avenue of participation. The increase is remarkable with 98 members including artists from El Salvador, Canada, Greece and France exhibiting in this year’s show. We have all experienced the closed-in feeling caused by the pandemic.
The 177-painting North East Watercolor Society 2021 Members’ Show, now through March 31, can be accessed by visiting the Cultural Affairs’ website at www.sunyorange.edu/cultural affairs and clicking HERE.
Further reference can be found in the society’s website: www.northeastws.com.