'Community of Fine Arts' opens 15th exhibit

"Dame Judi," a pastel by Ellen Erzen

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The "Community of Fine Arts" has opened with a display of over 100 original works of art that will remain on exhibit for four weeks. The CFA, a juried art show presented annually by the Westlake-Westshore Arts Council, is open for public viewing through Aug. 30 at Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge road, during library hours.

Jean Povinelli, chair of this event, said original works by amateurs and professionals were accepted from 44 artists. Only works that are one of a kind and have not been previously exhibited in this show are accepted.

Entries are judged in four categories: oil/acrylic; watercolor; charcoal/pastel/pencil/ink drawing; and photography. A $150 cash award is made for the first-place choice in each of the categories. Honorable mention certificates are also awarded as determined by the judges. The judges for the 2014 show are:

• Susan Gray Bѐ, a teacher of adult studio oil painting and drawing at the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Botanical Garden and BAYarts. She holds a B.A. from Hamilton College, M.A. in painting from the State University of New York at Albany, and a certificate of completion from the National Academy of Design. She has also studied at the Rhode island School of Design and the University of Vermont.
• William Beuther, an award-winning photographer who is very active in the Medina County arts community and enjoys exploring his creativity through fine art photography. His work has been accepted into numerous juried shows at the local, regional and national levels in a variety of venues, including the Butler Institute of American Art.
• Mel Grunau, a charter member of the Ohio Watercolor Society and recipient of awards from the International Society of Acrylic Painters. He has been included on multiple occasions in the Top 100 of the Arts for the Parks competition in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He has been published in Artist’s Magazine, Splash and Incite-I and II.

Throughout the four-week art show, artists whose works are exhibited will do live demonstrations of their techniques. A schedule of the artists’ demonstrations will be displayed in the lobby of the library where the demonstrations take place.

On Saturday, Aug. 30, the show’s closing day, the public is invited to a “Meet the Artists” reception to be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

The mission of the Westlake-Westshore Arts Council is to bring art to the public in a non-commercial setting. With the cooperation of Westlake Porter Public Library, the Community of Fine Arts is free and open to all.