Winners named in Southern Arts Society’s “I Am Woman” competition

Winners were announced recently for the “I Am Woman” art exhibit and competition at Southern Arts Society in Kings Mountain. 

“I Am Woman” is an annual exhibit for artwork that represents the feminine or female experience. 

Thirty-nine artists from Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, Mecklenburg and Iredell counties in North Carolina and York County in South Carolina, submitted a total of 77 entries. 

While some artwork portrays the straight-forward beauty of women in portraiture, some entries for the exhibit reflected on how women are viewed in contemporary society. Artists have presented work in a variety of media: oil, acrylic, watercolor, clay, textiles and mixed media. 

The judged show awards first-, second- and third-place prizes along with three merit awards. Though the exhibit and competition focuses on the feminine, men and women enter work for the show, allowing for a variety of viewpoints to be expressed.  

Awards were presented at a small gathering on March 13. 

And the winners are: 

First place: Cecil Norris for his oil painting “Het-Heru” 

Second place: Anne Harkness for her oil painting “Private Conversation” 

Third place: Todd Baxter for his colored pencil drawing “Jamie” 

Merit awards: Lori McAdams for “She Built This In 1988” done on scratchboard with color inks; Sara Dame Setzer “Maternity” oil painting; and Stacey Pilkington Smith “Mother Earth” in graphite