Richard Wilson Takes Best in Show at the 2022 Columbus Arts Festival
For immediate release
June 11, 2022Contact: Jami Goldstein
jgoldstein@gcac.org
(614) 221-8492
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Richard Wilson from Greenville, NC, took home $4,000 and the Best in Show award today at the 2022 Columbus Arts Festival. Richard Wilson, located at booth T137 on Town Street, will be selling his award-winning drawings, along with more than 200 other artists from across the country, at the Columbus Arts Festival presented by the American Electric Power Foundation and produced by the Greater Arts Columbus Council this weekend.
Eleven other artists also won awards today. Award winners were chosen by an on-site panel of local arts experts. In addition to cash prizes, artists received a glass sculpture award created by Columbus artist Lawrence Tuber. Awards are supported in part by White Castle.
Award winners will be invited to participate in next year’s Festival. Award winners are:
Jurors’ Choice, 2-Dimensional ($2,000 each)
- Penny Dobson, 2D mixed media, (Northport, AL, booth M502)
- Tina Leto, photography, (Chicago, IL, booth T136)
- Paige Whitcomb, photography, (Springfield, MO, booth M547)
Jurors’ Choice, 3-Dimensional ($2,000 each)
- Danielle Blade & Stephen Gartner, glass, (Ashley Falls, MA, booth T147)
- Benjamin Lamb, 3D mixed media, (Columbus, OH, booth T114)
- Nick Molignano, wood, (Oneonta, NY, booth M552)
Merit Award ($1,000 each)
- Jeanne Akita, fiber, (North Richland Hills, TX, booth M589)
- Niko Culevski, fiber, (Mukilteo, WA, booth C415)
- Jason Johnston, sculpture, (Columbus, OH, booth M571)
Best Presentation ($1,000)
- Thomas Bothe, ceramics, (Washington, PA, booth M590)
Best Emerging Artist ($1,000)
- Zach Vincent, leather, (Columbus, OH, booth R337)
In addition to support from White Castle, funding for the artist awards comes from proceeds of the Patron Package, which includes VIP access throughout the Festival and a ticket to the Patron Party, sponsored by The Ohio State University.
Launched in 1962 as the “Downtown Festival of the Arts” on the Ohio Statehouse lawn, the Columbus Arts Festival showcases the best visual arts, music, spoken word, and local food and drink for three days each summer to a crowd of about 450,000 each year. Live music, great food and a relaxed, gallery-like setting provide the perfect ambiance for browsing and buying the best selection of art. This year’s Festival attracted almost 600 artist applicants from across the country for the coveted 200+ spots.
Photos of the award winners can be found here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hjnzy5do0xkr2nk/AAA4UcW5wkclyVJ6fC8-BpJya?dl=0
Festival Hours: Friday, June 10 from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 11 from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; and Sunday, June 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Please note: on Friday and Saturday artist booths close at 9 p.m.; artists have the option to stay open later.)
To volunteer at the Columbus Arts Festival, please go to columbusartsfestival.org/engage/volunteer/.
For more information on the Columbus Arts Festival, call (614) 221-8625 or visit columbusartsfestival.org.
Download the Columbus Arts Festival app through the Apple app store or Google Play at guidebook.com/g/#/guides/columbusartsfestival2022.
For a selection of high-res images, visit the Festival’s press media page.
The Columbus Arts Festival is produced by the Greater Columbus Arts Council.
The 2022 Columbus Arts Festival is presented by the American Electric Power Foundation.
Additional sponsors and partners include Bank of America, Bath & Body Works, Battelle, Cardinal Health, CDDC, CoverMyMeds, Gateway Film Center, Huntington National Bank, IGS Energy, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., King Business Interiors, Maker’s Mark, The Ohio State University, OSA Technology Partners, Paul-Henri Bourguignon Foundation, PNC, Rhinegeist, Toyota, White Castle, Whole World Lemonade and Worthington Industries Foundation. Media sponsors include ABC6/FOX28, CD92.9, Lamar Outdoor, Ohio Magazine, Orange Barrel Media, RSVP, WCBE, WOSU Public Media and WSNY.
Mission of the Greater Columbus Arts Council: To support and advance the arts and cultural fabric of Columbus. www.gcac.org
The Greater Columbus Arts Council receives major financial support from the City of Columbus, Franklin County Commissioners and the Ohio Arts Council. None of these funds are used for the production of the Columbus Arts Festival.
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